Safe Routes to School

• Project value$407, 549 (SRTS Grant Award)
• Project schedule2026

Two Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects will make it safer for students to walk and bike to Winchell Elementary and Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2026 in Winchell, and in 2027 on Howard.

These projects are part of a partnership that began in 2019 between the City of Kalamazoo, Winchell Elementary, and Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts to improve safety for students traveling to and from school. The plans were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Safe Routes to School grant was awarded in 2022, but contingent on completion of NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) requirements which took almost two years. 

In addition to the improvements outlined for each school below, the grant also includes funding for an educational/outreach program in each school to encourage students to walk and bike to school using the new infrastructure.

Winchell Elementary

A new sidewalk will be built along the south side of Winchell Avenue between Oakland Drive and Rambling Road. This will help connect the southern part of the neighborhood with the school. Several new crosswalks will also be added to make it easier for students and families to reach the sidewalk safely. This work is expected to begin in the fall of 2026.

Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts

At the intersection of Howard Street and Merrill Avenue, the existing pedestrian crossing currently uses push button-activated flashing beacons (called Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons, RRFBs) to alert drivers when people are crossing. Based on community feedback and continued coordination with Maple Street Magnet School administration, the City is now working to replace these beacons with a HAWK pedestrian signal, which would require drivers to stop when the push button is activated. The existing crossing location would remain.

Additional improvements include keeping the existing speed radar signs, adding median islands along portions of Howard Street, and converting Howard Street from four lanes to three lanes with a center turn lane. These changes are intended to help reduce vehicle speeds, encourage safer driving, and improve safety for people crossing Howard Street. Designs are still being developed and are subject to change.

The Howard Street 4-to-3 lane conversion, previously planned for 2028, has been moved up to 2027 so it can be coordinated with the Safe Routes to School improvements.

The City is working toward bidding the project by the end of 2026 or early 2027, with construction planned for 2027. The goal is to complete the improvements before the start of the 2027 school year. Some engineering work remains, particularly related to the proposed HAWK signal, and City staff will continue to provide updates and coordinate with school staff and the neighborhood as the project moves forward.

August 20 Neighborhood Meeting Presentation Slides(PDF, 2MB)

Trees and Landscaping

Some trees and vegetation along the project areas will need to be trimmed, cleared, or removed to accommodate construction. Tree work happen before other construction activities. In the Winchell project, 12 medium and large trees will be removed, including 11 medium trees (trunk diameters of 6–18 inches) and one large tree (trunk diameters of 19–36 inches). Four large trees and 14 additional trees will be trimmed. Work will also include clearing or removing six small trees (less than 6 inches in trunk diameter), as well as nine bushes and one hedge. After the new sidewalks are installed, any remaining stumps will be removed, and 24 new trees will be planted along Winchell Avenue. 

Plans for Howard Street are still being finalized.

About Safe Routes to School

Safe Routes to School is focused on creating a safe walking and bicycling environment for children as they travel to school and was identified as a need during Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 and neighborhood planning. The City of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Michigan State University, and Michigan Fitness Foundation, worked together in 2019 to complete the Safe Routes to School planning process for Maple Middle School(PDF, 28MB) and Winchell Elementary School(PDF, 31MB). The planning process included surveys, walking audits, and community meetings, resulting in an action plan for each school which is used to apply for infrastructure and programmatic grants from the State.

This project was originally expected to be completed in 2024, but it had to be delayed to meet certain grant requirements.