By Jeremy Carroll
C & G Staff Writer

CLAWSON — Aimed towards making downtown Clawson more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, city officials met with regional planners and heard from a presenter about making new pedestrian crossings in the downtown area.

The meeting was scheduled as a joint session between the City Council and the Downtown Development Authority on April 29.

“We want to create a more friendly, walkable downtown,” said Joan Horton, acting director of the DDA.

She said the need for pedestrian crossings on both 14 Mile Road and Main Street in the downtown area became evident during summer events last year, including a scavenger hunt with kids and a pub crawl.

“People are going to be crossing (away from the intersection) anyway, so we want it to be nicer and safer,” she said.

City Manager Richard Haberman took the group, made up of city officials, planners and officials from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, on a walking tour of the downtown area, pointing to specific locations being considered for mid-light crossings for pedestrians.

Among the locations were spots near the edges of the immediate downtown area, including the parking lot of ACO Hardware on the eastern part of the downtown area, near the old Brown Bag It store on the western part of the downtown area, near Moose Winooski on the southern part of the downtown area, and near D’Lazo Hair Salon & Spa on the downtown’s northern edge.

“When people are looking at a community, walking and biking amenities are always in the top five of things they are looking for,” Haberman said. “These types of things are all aimed at marketing the city.”

Two lights have been taken down on 14 Mile Road recently, and a third one, east of Main Street, is likely on its way to coming down. During the reconstruction of 14 Mile Road in 2007, the city removed three lights on the west side of Main and replaced only  one because of a grant they received, and studies showed there was not a need for the other lights.

The same situation is occurring on the east side of 14 Mile Road, with the probable removal of a light on the corner of 14 Mile Road and Bellevue. The reduction in lights makes people drive faster, officials said.

“Trucks come speeding down here at 45 mph,” said Horton. “People want to come here, sit and walk around, but no one is going to do that next to a highway.”

The pedestrian crossings will create a calming effect on the downtown area, officials said.

Horton said the on-street parking on Main Street has done a good job of slowing traffic there, but the same is not occurring on 14 Mile Road.

Haberman said a lot of work has to be done before any pedestrian crossings could be considered for the sites, including going through the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Road Commission for Oakland County.

“We are hopeful it would be ready for implementation by next year,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Carroll at jcarroll@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1110.