Looks like the public service department has updated their project map for the year. They say the project is for "Pathway Construction & Bike Lanes along Collins Rd." So I guess that means that the road is going to be widened? That's the only reason that would make sense for the tree cutting since I don't recall them ever talking about the Bear Lake Pathway running down Collins.
BTW, looks like they've finally set a date for the two-way conversion for the downtown avenues. They have it planned from May to August.
I like this idea, I have had similar ideas about what to do with that huge area. It would be good to include all of "Frandor" in a new street and sidewalk plan. I could see a "Main Street" going from north to south through the Frandor parking lots up to Saginaw and down to Michigan Ave, line the new lanes and blocks with sidewalks trees and grass, make Morgan and Vine [which I think are city streets]built to be the east-west "Main Street". I could also see a small pedestrian lane that would go behind the eastern Frandor building, this could open store fronts on the east side of the building with views and of the new wetlands and park next door. I would also like to see a reconfiguration of all of the tangle of crumby streets ,curb cuts and drives that surround this area. Pat G. has a real opportunity to create a renewed urban center /"downtown" here to go with our downtowns of Lansing and East Lansing. I hope if he does it will be of top quality.
Looks like the public service department has updated their project map for the year. They say the project is for "Pathway Construction & Bike Lanes along Collins Rd." So I guess that means that the road is going to be widened? That's the only reason that would make sense for the tree cutting since I don't recall them ever talking about the Bear Lake Pathway running down Collins.
Got some info back from the city. The bike lanes are, in fact, going to be on street, and will require the three-lanes to be reduced to two with left-turn lanes at the few intersections along the route. This will require a bit of widening near the intersections. This still doesn't explain, though, why they'd be clean-cutting all the way down Collins if the road is only being widened at the intersections.
Apparently, this was attached to the Bear Lake pathway only about four or five months ago. Construction on both parts of this project are due to start in April or May.
@MichMatters Looks like the city is just getting overzealous with the tree cutting again, it's disappointing to see. Never the less the roads in this area really needed some attention and the roundabout should be nice, so I'll try to look at the positives.
@gbinlansing Just to give a really rough idea of how the Sears site alone could be subdivided, I drew up a oversimplified site plan. The red streets are existing ones to be improved, green is the approximate locations of new streets and the blue shaded areas represents all the developable land Gillespie would get out of this. Keep in mind these are large blocks, large enough to stick a low slung parking garage in the middle and build around them or build a Skyview-sized building or larger on each one. The site could be subdivided more than I've shown and still make sense.
I look forward to seeing how this will work out. There is room for a whole new neighborhood over there.
I have not seen the new tree cuts I guess they may need to change the name of the street from Forest Road. It's always the trees get it first around here.
They have made some really awful utility cuts on the North Side lately, those trees were very old and beautiful.
Oh, it looks terrible with all the trees cut. I would rather have a separated bike path that fits on the outside of the trees and road without widening the road at all.
Okay, I got an update. It sounds like the number of trees removed is much fewer than I thought. The city says only 8 are being removed along Collins at the intersections, 13 removed along Forest for the pathway (between Collins and the freeway), and 15 around the traffic circle. I thought they were clear-cutting down Collins, and that doesn't appear to be the case? I've got to take a drive down there, soon.
Collins is far from scenic and tree-filled, but if they'd clear-cutted it would have been about the principle, for me. I just think the forestry department seems to be a tree-cutting department, and I'd like to see the default to be to only remove trees when absolutely necessary. In this case, this seems to have been the view. Still, I'm going to take a drive to see it in person.
Yeah as you head north on Collins from Dunckel the tree-cutting is very noticeable. Approaching the Forest/Collins intersection it is wide open. I can't say that I'm going to be using the on-street bike lanes on Collins with vehicles approaching me at 40+ mph from behind. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing how it all looks when it's complete.
That's interesting, though, because it's only apparently 8 trees and there aren't tons of trees along this part of the road to begin with. But I guess that might also explain it: There are fewer trees to being with so when any are missing you notice them. I've written them back to see if there are any plans to add replacements along the routes where appropriate.
Yeah, I'm not a big bike lane person unless they are protected lanes, but I'll definitely be using the Bear Lake Pathway.
I also think it feels pretty bare over there now coming around the bend, at least that was my first impression. I'll have to make it over there again. I'm having a hard time picturing why it was necessary.
Comments
https://develop.metrolansing.com/discussions/discussion/comment/14816/#Comment_14816
Looks like the public service department has updated their project map for the year. They say the project is for "Pathway Construction & Bike Lanes along Collins Rd." So I guess that means that the road is going to be widened? That's the only reason that would make sense for the tree cutting since I don't recall them ever talking about the Bear Lake Pathway running down Collins.
BTW, looks like they've finally set a date for the two-way conversion for the downtown avenues. They have it planned from May to August.
Got some info back from the city. The bike lanes are, in fact, going to be on street, and will require the three-lanes to be reduced to two with left-turn lanes at the few intersections along the route. This will require a bit of widening near the intersections. This still doesn't explain, though, why they'd be clean-cutting all the way down Collins if the road is only being widened at the intersections.
Apparently, this was attached to the Bear Lake pathway only about four or five months ago. Construction on both parts of this project are due to start in April or May.
@gbinlansing Just to give a really rough idea of how the Sears site alone could be subdivided, I drew up a oversimplified site plan. The red streets are existing ones to be improved, green is the approximate locations of new streets and the blue shaded areas represents all the developable land Gillespie would get out of this. Keep in mind these are large blocks, large enough to stick a low slung parking garage in the middle and build around them or build a Skyview-sized building or larger on each one. The site could be subdivided more than I've shown and still make sense.
I have not seen the new tree cuts I guess they may need to change the name of the street from Forest Road. It's always the trees get it first around here.
They have made some really awful utility cuts on the North Side lately, those trees were very old and beautiful.
Collins is far from scenic and tree-filled, but if they'd clear-cutted it would have been about the principle, for me. I just think the forestry department seems to be a tree-cutting department, and I'd like to see the default to be to only remove trees when absolutely necessary. In this case, this seems to have been the view. Still, I'm going to take a drive to see it in person.
Yeah, I'm not a big bike lane person unless they are protected lanes, but I'll definitely be using the Bear Lake Pathway.