Five places Washtenaw Avenue seriously needs to be improved

Talking about corridor improvement plans is super fun. Just kidding. For most people, following the city council's will-they-won't-they drama with ReImagine Washtenaw was like watching people without math degrees argue over algorithms. Would a proposed median near Huron Parkway allow for the turning radius of a semi? Could increased density due to zero lot line development create more multi-modal transportation use or exacerbate the traffic congestion on Washtenaw? Is anyone willing to smother me with a pillow? 

For better or for worse, these wonkish, seemingly hypothetical questions about traffic management and infrastructure improvements are as concrete as the sidewalks that line (at least portions of) this important corridor. Because while bike lanes and Michigan left medians that could be a decade away may struggle to hold our attention, the idea of a Washtenaw Ave. that isn't an effing disaster should have us all on the edge of our seats. 

Here are a few places that bring the blurry discussion into focus—just a smattering of the many places along the corridor that may be a nightmare now, but have huge potential.

1. The bus stop to nowhere

Try and find a sidewalk on the south side of Washtenaw Ave. east of the 23 overpass. Oh, they're there. Occasionally. But their intermittence doesn't help anyone who wants to walk or bike more than a few yards at a time, and with few safe places for pedestrians to cross, if you happen to be on the south side of the street, you're pretty much stuck. 

One of the worst examples of this is the bus stop across the street from Glencoe Hills, where a few lengths of sidewalk sort of, kind of connect it to a residential driveway. Apparently, that's the homeowners' private bus stop. 

Fortunately, plans are in place to add sidewalks in this area in the next year. And the ReImagine Washtenaw study recommends a mid-block pedestrian crossing so people can actually get to it without darting through the worst traffic ever. See? Planning is fun.

2. Is this supposed to be a sidewalk?

Would you walk with your kid on the sidewalk in front of the gas station on the corner of Huron Parkway and Washtenaw? With just inches of curb between the sidewalk and the busiest intersection on the corridor, or walk through the gas station lot and really hope no one is texting and driving. Oh, and super spot for a pole too. Good luck if you're in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller. 

3. This is not a road, people

Admit it. You've done it. You're at a standstill in front of Denny's and you just need to get to Wheels in Motion (or maybe Pittsfield Blvd. Or maybe Arborland), so you drive through the parking lot. You're in a hurry! You have stuff to do!

And honestly, it's not entirely your fault that you're driving like an b-hole. The maneuvering aisle between the parking in those lots is so wide, it invites people to treat it like a service drive. But guess what? ReImagine Washtenaw recommends actual service drives. So instead of sneaking through the parking lot like a jerk, you could be accessing nearby businesses from one convenient road. But don't plan on using them to skip traffic and go to Arborland. Then you'd still be a jerk. 

4. The Fountain Plaza parking lot maze

The fact that the entire block of Fountain Plaza is punctured with parking lot entrances instead of sidewalks might not seem too bad, considering parking lots are hard, flat surfaces, just like sidewalks. Except cars drive on them. So while it may be a smooth(ish) walk from Norton's Flowers & Gifts all the way down to the UHaul, those pesky vehicles make it hazardous nonetheless. As if getting to the bus stop in the gravel median in front of Big Boy needs to be any more awkward than standing at it is. 

Again, there's good news for the Fountain Plaza area. Improvements are planned to make it safer for pedestrians, including sidewalks up to Fountain Plaza, a pedestrian signal across the plaza entrance and another for crossing Washtenaw. 

5. Sailing the cement seas 

If Washtenaw Ave. has a calling card, it is ginormous, empty parking lots: acres and acres of underutilized cement-covered land. They are wasteful, ugly and make the entire corridor feel downright sad, like someone set a great big table for birthday party and nobody came. One of the best (read: worst) examples of this are the hundreds of never-used spaces in front of the former K-Mart/current At Home. What could you fit in this space? Possibly an entire small town. Definitely two football fields. 

What about affordable apartments in mixed-use buildings that include small grocers, restaurants, coffee shops and other amenities the residents could simply walk downstairs to use? And accessible sidewalks and bike lanes so people living nearby could easily get there without a car too? All without even making a dent in the parking needed by At Home and other existing businesses? Seems like it could be pretty great, right? You're right. It could be.