PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich — As rush hour traffic buzzed by the Plainfield Township Fire Department, dozens of people were inside the department's training center to learn more about the future of the township's busy corridor.
"Plainfield Township has been working with [the Michigan Department of Transportation] over the past year to plan for some improvements on Plainfield Avenue, which is planned for 2025. MDOT has been planning to do a resurfacing project, and so we are coming alongside them to do some safety enhancements as well," said township manager Cameron Van Wyngarden.
"We're talking about adding some potential medians in areas to prevent some left turns to avoid collision areas, closing some driveways that have been problem points in the past, realigning some interchanges, and adding some greenscape to really soften the appearance of this corridor, which also should help with, with safety as well, as we look to keep traffic at a reasonable pace and keep people from exceeding the speed limit."
Van Wyngarden said many collisions happen when people try to use the middle turn lane to turn left at the same time going in opposite directions. He said the fire department knows exactly where the problem spots are and that their findings are consistent with the stories they've been hearing from drivers.
The work will happen between I-96 and Airway Street, which is just north of Lowe's. Designs will be finalized soon but there is still an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the plan. If you'd like your feedback to be heard, you can view the plans on the township's website and then fill out an online survey.
This road construction plan is just one part of a larger "Reimagine Plainfield" plan that will unfold over the next few decades.
"We're working to not just redesign the actual roadway, but we're working with businesses to see how we can work to enhance the business environment. We're really pushing for a lot more mixed use on the corridor. There's a huge need for additional housing in the greater Grand Rapids area. We see this as a big potential to add housing," Van Wyngarden said.
"We're seeing a bit of a pullback in the commercial sector, and so there's not a lot more commercial space that is needed. In fact, we do have a decent number of vacancies that could be filled in the corridor as it exists today. So we don't need more commercial development, but we certainly need more residential development."
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