M-17 (Washtenaw Avenue) PEL Study
About the study
The M-17 (Washtenaw Avenue) Planning and Linkages (PEL) study will focus on the 3-mile stretch of Washtenaw Avenue between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, which also connects Ypsilanti Township and Pittsfield Township. Washtenaw Avenue plays a significant role in Washtenaw County by providing regional connections to Eastern Michigan University (EMU), Washtenaw Community College (WCC), St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, downtown Ypsilanti, and other community assets. A more connected and multimodal-focused corridor will help improve travel, safety, economic development, and community pride.
The M-17 PEL study will develop a vision for Washtenaw Avenue through a collaborative, data-driven and engagement-focused process that will seek to improve mobility and quality of life for those who live, work, study, explore, and travel within the corridor. This PEL study will also explore the eastern half of Washtenaw Avenue from Summit Street to the US-23 interchange. The final PEL report will include recommendations that both MDOT and the local communities can implement to achieve the shared vision for the corridor.
Study materials
Video
Reimagine Washtenaw
The Reimagine Washtenaw study was a multi-jurisdictional corridor improvement effort to transform Washtenaw Avenue into a Complete Street, incorporating multi-modal elements such as bike lanes and complete sidewalks, creating a sense of place and sustainable and denser mixed-use development. A coalition of the Cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and Charter Townships of Pittsfield and Ypsilanti, and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, was formed in 2008 to drastically improve the corridor, by adding bike lanes, sidewalks, dense transit-oriented development and more robust public transit.
Reimagine Washtenaw Study