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How A Kalamazoo Corridor Could Change

WMUK

Two of Kalamazoo’s most important thoroughfares – Michigan Avenue and Stadium Drive - do little to accommodate non-motor traffic. But a series of meetings tomorrow through Friday could be the start of an overhaul.

They’re meant to gather public input on how to make the corridor foot- and bike-friendly. Deputy City Manager Jeff Chamberlain says the talks reflect an ongoing change in how people move through downtown.

WMUK's Sehvilla Mann recently spoke with Chamberlain, who says plans to connect the two ends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail through the downtown are still evolving – and this week’s discussions could help.

He acknowledges that plenty of work lies ahead to make Kalamazoo more foot- and bike-friendly. But as he explains in the interview, the current situation could have been much worse, if a 1950s plan for downtown had gone forward.
 

Sehvilla Mann joined WMUK’s news team in 2014 as a reporter on the local government and education beats. She covered those topics and more in eight years of reporting for the Station, before becoming news director in 2022.
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