Kalamazoo Retiming Traffic Lights To Improve Traffic Flow

Whether you're driving on the highway or through a residential area, traffic is one of the worst things that can happen to a driver. It's even worse when you're in a time crunch and are trying to make it to a destination in a certain amount of time. I mean crashes, getting stuck at train tracks, slow drivers, and many other things can be annoying as well.

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I will admit that I am one of those people that has ran a red light that has taken way too long to change. We've all been there before, sitting at an intersection while the cross light remains green and refuses to change. Or even worse, we've seen lights turn red and then back green without allowing our direction to go. It can be frustrating to be limited by the slow traffic light timing.

Michigan is credited with creating the 3 colored traffic signal and Kalamazoo is one of the many cities that struggles with traffic backups due to signal timing. The City of Kalamazoo is looking to make a change to traffic flow around the city as they will be adjusting some of the traffic signals in town.

City Of Kalamazoo Retiming Traffic Lights To Improve Flow Of Traffic & Other Concerns

City consultants from Kalamazoo collected data from 41 different intersections in the city over the last year and is using this data to hopefully correct some traffic headaches. They will look to perfect signal timing to reduce backups, delays, crashes and carbon emissions as the changes are implemented over the next year.

City Traffic Engineer Dennis Randolph made it very clear that they are not looking to create opportunities to drive faster but to help the flow of traffic traveling north and south after two-way traffic alterations downtown have slowed them down. They believe the changes will “optimize,” or retime, traffic, bike and pedestrian signals, increasing the flow of traffic and reducing vehicle wait times at signals and in backups.

Below is the list of traffic signals that were studied and will be affected by the retiming:

Westnedge Avenue at Crosstown Parkway, Howard Street, Inkster Avenue, Kalamazoo Avenue, Lovell Street, Michigan Avenue, North Street, Paterson Street, South Street, Vine Street and Whites Road.
Crosstown Parkway at Howard Street
Park Street at Crosstown Parkway/Balch Street, Kalamazoo Avenue, Lovell Street, Michigan Avenue, North Street, Paterson Street, South Street and Vine Street
Michigan Avenue at Edwards Street, Harrison Street, Kalamazoo Mall, Main Street, Portage Street, Rose Street and Pitcher Street
Kalamazoo Mall at South Street
Kalamazoo Avenue at Burdick Street, Edwards Street, Pitcher Street and Rose Street
Water Street at Edwards Street, Pitcher Street and Rose Street
Lovell Street at John Street, Kalamazoo Mall, Rose Street and Portage Street
South Street at Portage Street and Rose Street

Most of the funds for this project were made available after the City of Kalamazoo received a grant for $164,000 back in 2023.