Open house March 4 to discuss traffic flow, pedestrian safety improvements in Charlevoix

GAYLORD, Mich. - Staff from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Gaylord Transportation Service Center (TSC) will present and discuss plans for improvements to traffic flow and pedestrian safety in downtown Charlevoix at an open house meeting.

Who:
Community members
City representatives
Local businesses
Interested residents
MDOT staff

When:
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
4 - 6 p.m.

Where:
Charlevoix Public Library Community Room
220 Clinton St.
Charlevoix, MI 49720

Accessibility:
Attendees who require mobility, visual, hearing, written, or other assistance for effective participation should contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or [email protected], preferably at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting. Forms are located on the Title VI webpage. Requests made after this timeframe will be evaluated and honored to the extent possible.

Project information:
In addition to gathering traffic counts, measuring delay, observing driver and pedestrian behaviors, and reviewing traffic crash reports, MDOT commissioned a study of the downtown in 2021. During that study, MDOT's consultant surveyed pedestrians and drivers about pedestrian and traffic concerns in the downtown area.

While developing its proposed plans to address ongoing concerns, MDOT conducted a follow-up online survey in November/December 2025 with three questions. Nearly 400 people responded before the survey closed on Jan. 1, 2026.

Common concerns raised during both surveys included:

• Poor visibility at mid-block crossings
• Tension between drivers and pedestrians, tourists and locals
• Inattentive pedestrians
• Drivers not yielding
• Delays due to bascule bridge operations frustrating drivers
• Jaywalking
• Near misses