Reminder: Open house today, March 4, to discuss traffic flow, pedestrian safety improvements in Charlevoix

GAYLORD, Mich. - Staff from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Gaylord Transportation Service Center (TSC) will present and discuss plans for improvements to traffic flow and pedestrian safety in downtown Charlevoix at an open house meeting.

MDOT has created a project website outlining planned improvements.

Who:
Community members
City representatives
Local businesses
Interested residents
MDOT staff     

When:
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
4 - 6 p.m.

Where:
Charlevoix Public Library Community Room
220 Clinton St.
Charlevoix, MI 49720

Accessibility:
Attendees who require mobility, visual, hearing, written, or other assistance for effective participation should contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or CurryO@Michigan.gov, preferably at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting. Forms are located on the Title VI webpage. Requests made after this timeframe will be evaluated and honored to the extent possible.

Project information:
As demonstrated by two recent surveys, traffic problems in downtown Charlevoix have many contributing factors, sometimes contradictory, with various causes attributed to them. Drivers are frustrated and slowed when pedestrians cross wherever is convenient for them. Pedestrians feel there are not enough safe and convenient crossings on US-31 (Bridge Street).

MDOT has made improvements in Charlevoix over the years, including the four- to three-lane conversion in 2018 that has contributed to a more than 50 percent reduction in crashes, along with changes to crosswalks to help pedestrians find a safe and efficient path to cross streets. However, some of the overarching issues and concerns remain.

Rather than a piecemeal approach of addressing a single traffic or safety issue at a time, MDOT is instead proposing a comprehensive plan that addresses all the major issues at once. This plan would require the proposed changes to be implemented together, as their benefits are interdependent and won’t work as well, or possibly at all, if not put in place holistically. The planned changes include:

•        Closing the unsignalized mid-block crossing at Van Pelt Alley and moving that crossing to the north side of the Clinton Street intersection. This would reduce unexpected crossings at the mid-block crossing and encourage pedestrians to cross at the nearby signalized crossing.
•        Closing the crosswalk at the south side of the bascule bridge and moving it to the new intersection traffic signal at Park Avenue.
•        Installing new traffic signals at the intersections with Antrim Street, Mason Street and Park Avenue. These signals would include crossing signals to provide safe and convenient opportunities for pedestrians, and help smooth traffic flow through the downtown.
•        Converting Mason Street to a one-way westbound street, and Clinton Street to a one-way eastbound street. This would help reduce congestion and delays at these intersections and improve traffic flow.
•        Improving the pedestrian crossing opportunities at the north side of the bascule bridge.

Together, these planned changes would help smooth traffic through the downtown area by providing regular and predictable opportunities for drivers to proceed, and nearby safe and convenient crossings for pedestrians to reduce the need for mid-block crossings.