The number of car crashes continues to drop in the city of Kalamazoo, according to data released Monday.
Kalamazoo saw a nearly 10% reduction in crashes in the first seven months of the year, compared to the same period last year.
That builds on a previous 27% decline from pre-pandemic levels.
City Traffic Engineer Dennis Randolph said this is thanks to the “Streets for All” initiative that emphasizes slowing traffic by shrinking lanes, changing yield signs to stop signs and other safety measures.
“I'd like to keep pushing it down forever," Randolph said of the number of crashes, "but practically speaking, I think we should be able to keep pushing those numbers lower and lower for at least the next three, four, five years."
According to Randolph, shrinking lanes has been especially effective at slowing down drivers.
“It gives drivers a good target to drive in. But also those lane widths tend to slow drivers down even a couple miles an hour, which is a makes a big difference in crashes.”
Protecting pedestrians and cyclists are also a focus of the traffic safety initiative, according to Randolph.
He said for pedestrians, this has meant the installation of flashing crossing signs and pedestrian islands.
Randolph said the flashing signs have led to a noticeable increase in drivers stopping for pedestrians, adding that even drivers who don't stop tend to slow down for pedestrians.
“If we can manage to slow people down even a few miles an hour, the probability of them dying or being severely injured drops significantly.”
Randolph noted that pedestrians should still look before stepping into a crosswalk, even one with flashing lights, since drivers don't always stop even though they are required to.
Bikers have also seen safety improvements, according to Randolph, with the city reorganizing the flow of city streets to better accommodate cyclists.
He encouraged cyclists to ride with traffic.
The good news for the city comes amid troubling news for the county overall on bike safety. Data recently released by the Michigan State Police showed Kalamazoo County had the highest number of fatal bike-car crashes in the state last year.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
