We’ve been working with the Traverse City Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) office on a pedestrian safety initiative at the intersection of Division and Grandview Parkway. The intersection is one of Traverse City’s busiest road intersections, but it is also a busy trail crossing. The 26-mile TART-Leelanau Trail crosses two legs of this busy divided-highway intersection.

We worked together on a pedestrian flag project and hope that it will educate motorists of the importance to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. The project was funded by donations to TART.

Depending on the success of this flag project, we may work with MDOT and the City of Traverse City to install flags at other busy intersections where pedestrian visibility needs to be improved. TART hopes that all Traverse area intersections are safe for pedestrians and are working to ensure that it is safe to move around the community on foot or by bike.

TART and MDOT will continue to work together to improve the safety of the trail crossing at this intersection. We are currently discussing short-term and long-term solutions to the current trail crossing. TART hopes that all users, whether in a car, on foot or on a bicycle, have equal rights to get across this busy intersection.