Lansing Walks

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Lansing Walks

Pictured below are some obstacles and opportunities to improve walkability and bikability in the Capital Area. Pictures were taken by Arthur Slabosky and Lucinda Means in March 2005. The illustrations, created by John Lindenmayer, reveal the location and direction of the camera.

	East Lansing Area
	Lansing Area
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Here they are....

	East Lansing
I.	Coolidge-Lake Lansing (see map)
A.	This is a view of Applebee’s restaurant from the front door of the adjacent Hampton Inn on Coolidge Road next to the Lake Lansing Road Meijer. Even though the restaurant is next door to the hotel, landscaping on the property of both businesses comes between them. The hotel serves no lunch or dinner. That presumes that hotel guests will walk from the hotel to the restaurant. Those who do so must cross the landscaping or divert to the right or left to use main drives of the parking lot. In other words, users of the property in an obvious walking situation depend on transportation via indirect paths provided with only car users in mind.
B.	This is the west edge of the Applebee's parking lot next to Meijer's parking.. Although there are no crosswalks where needed, this crosswalk connects no-origin to no-destination. So why not cover its entrance with snow?
C.	This is the Meijer-Lake Lansing road parking lot as viewed from Applebee's.
D.	This is a view of the Hampton Inn from the location of Picture 1. It is from the south side of Applebee’s. The entrance to Applebee’s is on the West Side.
E.	Something good! This is a crosswalk and sidewalk pad from the side of Meijer at Marfitt Road. Marfitt is the street that bounds Meijer of Lake Lansing Road on its west side. This inexpensive item provides a direct link from the side of Meijer for the Independence Village senior residence (behind the camera) directly across the street from the store. For these residents, several hundred additional feet can literally make the difference for them between being able to walk to the store and having to be taken there. The City of East Lansing keeps this crossing clear of snow

II.	Coolidge-Saginaw (see map)
A.	A new strip development at the Southeast corner of Saginaw/Bus.-69 and Coolidge in East Lansing. . The intersection corner is off to the left of the lower part of the picture. There is a pedestrian entry point that does not depend on the driveway. It is in front of the red car. A direct entry for pedestrians from the corner would be preferable, but this is not far. This property has no bicycle parking, which is required by City ordinance.
B.	This is a view looking south from the same location as the picture above. In this direction there is a sidewalk path for pedestrians that leads into the shopping area. It is far from the corner, but is not as far away as the automobile entrance.
C.	This is a direct view from the Corner of Coolidge and Saginaw into the retail establishments.
III.	Michigan-Harrison (see map)
A.	A pedestrian crosses Harrison Avenue on the north side of Michigan Avenue. Although the Harrison Roadhouse has the decorative landscaped triangle, it provides a paved diagonal walkway for its customers to reach the property directly. This will be visible in following pictures.
B.	Many pedestrians use this intersection. MSU's Kellogg Center is to the south. (right lower). Quality Dairy is to the west (left upper). Brody Residence Hall complex is diagonally across. Signalization for pedestrians is good and so are crosswalks when painting is recent. The problem at so many locations is that facilities are good for crossing the street but not for entering property. (see landscaped triangle).

C.	Here's a view of the same Harrison-Michigan location from the south side of Michigan Avenue. The cut-through path starts in front of the pedestrians’ left foot. The path is made of bricks and still would not serve a wheelchair.
D.	This gives a clear view of the cut-through path from inside the restaurant parking lot.

IV.	Abbott North of Saginaw (see map)
A.	This new bank opened in a neighborhood location in 2004. Although it’s address is Abbott, (the major street on the right) there is no concrete path from the Abbott sidewalk to the building. A pedestrian on Abbott must walk around to Woodland pass to enter where cars enter from the side street. (Woodland Pass) The driveway is outside this picture on the left. There is also no bicycle parking , although East Lansing ordinance requires one.
B.	This is a closer view of the bank site from Abbott. Now the driveway entrance is off to the right of the picture.
C.	This is another view of the bank from Abbott, where you can see the distance to the entrance on Woodland Pass. .
V.	Lake Lansing-Abbott (see map)
A.	This unit displays the longest indirect entries and the severest contouring of a landscaped triangle in the presentation. And the developments are new. This view is looking north to the corner of Lake Lansing Road and Abbott. It is alongside a new shopping strip. This picture is taken from the closest sidewalk connection from the corner for access to the commercial property. And it’s not really a sidewalk connection because it relies on entry via the motorists’ driveway. This strip opened in 2005 after these pictures were taken.
B.	This is the opposite view to the previous picture. It looks south along Abbott Road toward Lake Lansing Road. This is the nearest entrance to the shopping strip on its west side. The Northeast corner of the intersection has fiercely contoured landscaping. The entrance is likewise a driveway, not a pedestrian accommodation.
C.	This is the direct view directly towards the stores from the Northeast Corner of Lake Lansing Road and Abbott. No climbing equipment is provided.
D.	This is a view towards the Northeast Corner of Abbott and Lake Lansing roads from inside the commercial parking lot.
E.	This is view from the East of the Northeast Corner of Lake Lansing Road and Abbott. The spot is the nearest entrance to the parking lot in that direction.
F.	This is the specific new southwest corner of Lake Lansing Road and Abbott. Although the corner appears to meet ped specifications, the "lip" between curb and sidewalk would jolt a wheelchair user.
G.	This is the SE corner of Abbott and Lake Lansing looking at the commercial strip. The difference since the date of the picture (still under construction) is that there is now grass instead of mud, but there is still no walking path from the corner to the stores.
H.	This is a direct view of the southeast corner of Lake Lansing Road and Abbott from the nearest driveway in the Easterly direction.
	Lansing & Lansing Township
VI.	M-43/Groesbeck, west of Frandor (see map)
A.	This is an apartment complex on M-43 on the east side of Lansing in the Groesbeck area. The pavement on the right is a service drive. There is no sidewalk to the bank location immediately to the east. A fence and stiff vegetation separate the two sites.
E.	This is another view of the apartments. To the owner's credit, there is a sidewalk along their service drive.
F.	This is a look west from the cited apartments. The sidewalk is inundated at one location from melting snow.
G.	This is the bank building as viewed from the apartments on M-43 on the East Side of Lansing.
H.	Here is another view of the bank building that shows how there can be no place to reach next door on foot alongside a major highway in a city.
I.	This is a view eastward on Westbound M-43 at the Groesbeck Golf Course. Citizens have “voted with their feet” and created a muddy path. But there is still no sidewalk. This is close to the apartments in the earlier set of pictures. CORRECTED! As of September 2006, this location has a sidewalk!
J.	This is a view of the above picture in the opposite direction. . CORRECTED! As of September 2006, this location has a sidewalk!
VII.	West Saginaw (see map)
A.	This church on Westbound M-43 West of MLK dumps its snow onto the sidewalk.
B.	The front of the church in the picture above.
C.	This is the intersection of M-43 and Old Saginaw on the West Side of Lansing. There is no sidewalk on this (north) side of the street.
D.	This is a major highway on the west side of Lansing. No sidewalk on this side.
E.	Another location on Lansing’s West side near the previous picture, showing no sidewalk on the south side of the highway.
F.	This is an intersection of M-43 with a collector street on the west side of Lansing. The pedestrian accommodation is good, but snow is piled up in such a way as to block the sidewalk. This is a common result of the sidewalk plow clearing the sidewalk, and then the street plow pushes snow onto it.
G.	As the Highway heads into Eaton County, there is no sidewalk on its north side.
H.	Just east of Lansing Mall, a big pile of parking lot snow carries over onto the sidewalk.
I.	Here is one person that must be is glad that there is a sidewalk in this location. Nearby is a store that sells mobility devices for persons with disabilities. What happens when he wants to follow this sidewalk all the way to Lansing Mall? (see above picture)
J.	There is only so far you can go on the M-43 sidewalk in Eaton County. It is to here.
K.	Moving Eastbound into Ingham County, there is no sidewalk on the south side of M-43.
L.	Here is another View of eastbound Saginaw in Eaton County. Without a sidewalk, when snow covers the grassy areas it is a barrier to a pedestrians’ following the road and to entering businesses.
VIII.	US-127/M-43/Bus-69 Frandor Interchange (see map)
A.	This is facing east on Business Route 69 (Saginaw) at Clippert. A pedestrian that passes the strip's parking lot can walk on a rock garden or in a busy highway.
B.	This is a view across the highway from the same location as the pic above. Although there is a sidewalk along the north side of Business-69, the property owner dumps snow across the sidewalk where a pedestrian would approach the bridge over US-127.
C.	This is a view west from the corner of westbound M-43 at Clippert, the same location as the two pics above. There has never been a sidewalk at this location , so it is completely legal to pile up the snow here. There is a full pedestrian signal at this location but nowhere from which to use it when there is snow.
D.	This is a view of the bowling alley at Clippert and Saginaw. If you survive the walk across the highway you still can’t walk directly into the bowling alley.
E.	This is another view of picture of view C, with a live bicyclist. . It is hard to know where the bicyclist went to get around the snow. It obviously wasn’t achieved by continuing with the line of the sidewalk of the sidewalk on the bridge. At least there is a sidewalk on the bridge.
F.	This is a view looking west from the south intersection of US-127 and M-43. The freeway bridge is behind the view. This is another case of a sidewalk on the bridge and no sidewalk . This is the north side of westbound M-43. There is a sidewalk on the south side.
G.	This is the view eastward across US-127 on M43 Eastbound. It is the opposite view from the location of the previous picture.. Again, without a sidewalk it is legal to pile up snow here . The lack of a sidewalk has long-lasting effects. When first zoned, properties are often rural. By the time they develop without sidewalks, the infrastructure is already in place and right-of-way purchase would be expensive. - This is now frighteningly brought out at US-127 and Lake Lansing Road. (not pictured in this feature). A bridge built in (probably) in the 1960’s becomes the path between shopping areas in 2002 when Eastwood Towne Center is built. There is no place to walk on the bridge (at M-43 there are sidewalks over US-127, but not always leading to the bridges) which has a lot of service life remaining. Fortunately, new ordinances and specifications are requiring right-of-way set asides for walking even where there is no present need. - Art Slabosky

IX.	CATA Transit Center on Grand (see map)
A.	This is looking south on Grand from Kalamazoo next to the CATA transit center in downtown Lansing. Although the steaming sewer outlet does not prevent a person from walking around on the sidewalk, there is a Sidewalk Closed sign. (as shown in next picture).
B.	A closer view of the steaming sewer by CATA, with no visible need to close the sidewalk.
C.	This is a view westward on Kalamazoo Street from the CATA transit center. As a building is being renovated for new housing, the sidewalk that links transit riders to downtown is temporarily closed off behind the fence.
D.	Same direction as the picture above, from a slightly different location. Pedestrians are visible crossing in mid-block because of the sidewalk closure.
E.	This is the same closed sidewalk as above, as viewed from the West—closer into downtown Lansing.
F.	This is a view southward from Kalamazoo street down Washington Avenue near the downtown CATA center. This building is being refurbished for new residences. In the meantime, it’s no-peds on this block.
G.	Another view of the same building as in the previous picture under renovation with the sidewalk closed.

X.	Lansing Government Complex (see map)
A.	A view of the Michigan Department of Transportation (Van Wagoner Building) from the corner of Chestnut and Ionia. There is an intensely marked crosswalk across Chestnut and a marked on across Ionia. This is a clear walking path. The small amount of snow, however, can hinder wheelchair travel.
B.	The north corner of Ottawa and Chestnut in downtown Lansing viewed from the Michigan Department of Transportation Building. Good crosswalk, good sidewalk, questionable snow removal. The street is state trunkline. sidewalks probably belong to the city, and the property behind the sidewalk is private. Snow removal at the pictured corner is iffy.
C.	This is a view of the Michigan DOT building from the north corner of Ottawa and Chestnut. (the previous picture). The pedestrian crossing is very good. The State removes snow promptly for employees who park north of the building or who take the bus or walk to work. The entrance for wheelchair users is reached via a ramp that is out of view.
XI.	Michigan-Pennsylvania (see map)
A.	This set of pictures shows how even on a continuous shopping street, a city allows a developer to build a commercial site with no direct access from the corner to pedestrians. This is from the corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan Avenue in Lansing. Eastern High School is just to the north. Sparrow Hospital is across the street. The site is as usual adorned by the decorative landscaped island that forms a barrier to entry. Note that the large sign is Roadside” size. It is big enough so that a car on a highway going 65 mph can see the sign and pull off in time. The typical driver speed here is 35.
B.	This is the view of the corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan from the nearest driveway to the south.
C.	This is the view from the corner of Michigan avenue to the driveway to the south from which the previous picture was taken. The driveway is just before the church.
D.	This is the view of the southwest corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan from across the street to the East. A proper crosswalk and pedestrian pushbutton signal is all there to help someone walk to the point where the landscaped triangle forces them to follow a circuitous route.
E.	A woman and a girl on an electric wheelchair approach the above corner. This is a pedestrian that can’t just step across the grass on the triangle.
F.	The corner from the above picture provides a proper wheelchair ramp for wheelchair operators to cross the street. After that, they face the long-way around to reach the store.

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* Notes: Captions for these pictures are written by Art Slabosky. Graphics were produced by John Lindenmayer. The term M-43 is used because it is an easier referent than road names for the state highway that is known variously as Saginaw, Grand River or Oakland. It is a one-way pair in most of the City of Lansing. From I-96/I-69 west of Lansing Mall, to US-127 by Frandor, I-69 Business Route and M-43 are the same road. East of Frandor the routes split back up into two one-way roads. In East Lansing and Meridian Township, Saginaw is always Business I-69 and Grand River is always M-43. An index of pictures can be found here.

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