Public Input Wanted at Complete Streets Interactive Event in Birmingham

Do you have a vision or opinion for what the Woodward Avenue should look and feel like both inside and outside of Birmingham?

Bring them to the The Woodward Avenue Action Association's (WA3) three days of interactive community events from May 20-22 at 555 S. Woodward (on the building's west side, facing Old Woodward). The charrette is part of the WA3's Woodward Complete Streets master planning effort, and is the second in a series of five planned for communities along the Woodward corridor.

The series starts with a general presentation Monday that will help set up Tuesday morning's walking audit/tour through downtown Birmingham with Walkable and Livable Communities Institute expert Dan Burden, who will lead the workshops. A cumulative presentation concludes the charrette on Wednesday.

Every day of the event, experts will be available to answer questions from the public during 'drop-in' hours.

"We're really trying to to make it as accessible and available to every as possible for education and to give us input, " said Jason Fowler, WA3 and Woodward Complete Streets Program Manager, from his office Wednesday. “We really want everyone's voice to be heard on shaping this project." 

If You Go

All events are free and no registration is required. All ages are welcome, and more information is available at the project's website.

Monday, May 20

• Community meeting & presentation: 5–7 p.m. 
• Drop-in hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Tuesday, May 21 

• Walking Audit and Interactive Design Workshop: 9 a.m.-Noon 
• Drop-in: Noon–8 p.m. 

Wednesday, May 22 

• Plan Concepts Presentation: 5-7 p.m. 
• Drop-in: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

A Complete Effort

Though the focus of these events will be Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, all area residents and community stakeholders are encouraged to attend. Fowler said he expects residents to provide what they like, don't like about the corridoor, what can change, and the approach to design the project, which Burden has already called the single-largest Complete Streets planning effort ever undertaken in North America. 

The Woodward Complete Streets master planning initiative is designed to make the entire 27-mile Woodward corridor more accessible for users of all modes and abilities. The community-driven project is being led by the WA3, in conjunction with consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff and a steering group comprised of representatives and elected officials from Wayne and Oakland counties. The 11 municipalities along Woodward, MDOT, M1 Rail, SEMCOG and associated advocacy groups are also represented.

“By engaging the residents and businesses along the corridor, as well as industry experts in this visioning process, we can develop a wide variety of innovative solutions and create a successful master plan,” Fowler said. 

Upcoming Complete Streets meetings in other communities: 

• Bloomfield Township/Pontiac – June 3-5 
• Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Royal Oak and Berkley – June 10-12 
• Downtown Detroit through Highland Park – June 17-19 

What do you want to know about the Complete Streets effort in and around Birmingham? Tell us in the comments.