Monthly Update: May and June 2023
Work for Woodward Moves Phase 2 resumed in March of 2023, which means we are now reaching the halfway point of our goal for late Fall of 2023! Phase 1 spanned from October to December of 2022. We’re pleased to report everything has run on schedule so far, and we’re still on target for the timeline.
As of May 2023, construction on the left side of Woodward has now shifted over to the right side of Woodward for curb repairs. This means a couple of things:
In June, once repairs are underway, work will begin to focus more on upgrading sidewalk ramps to make them more accessible as well as driveway apron repairs. This may involve temporary disruption to side streets, and we will be working to keep the businesses and the public updated as the work progresses.
While there is a chance this timeline changes, we’ll work closely with our construction partner, MDOT, to stay as closely on track as possible. As project updates are available, we will be sharing information through the City of Ferndale's official newsletter, the mayor's e-newsletter, social media channels, and the website.
Representatives for business and commercial property owners can sign up for email and text alerts from the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority online.
Residents interested in staying up-to-date on the project should subscribe to the Mayor's Message e-newsletter to receive monthly updates.
Before you dive into the rest of the project scope below, we wanted to remind you how thankful we are and that projects like this can’t get done without the support of Ferndale’s residents. So please give yourselves a pat on the back for dealing with this process so far, and just know we appreciate you tremendously.
Work in early April will focus on pavement and curb repairs in the left two lanes in both directions of Woodward, as well as repairs to the turnarounds. Work will also begin on the rain gardens located in the median of Woodward just south of Marshall Street. Bike racks will be removed by the City of Ferndale to allow time to clean the streets prior to the repair work.
In late April, the focus will shift to the right lanes of Woodward for road and curb repairs, as well as upgrading sidewalk ramps to make them more accessible. Temporary bus stops will be constructed to ensure those relying on bus transportation can travel safely during construction. For more information on this, check out the press release.
From the end of April until the completion of the project in the fall, on-street parking will not be available along Woodward Ave from 8-Mile to south of I-696. We understand this may cause inconvenience for you, your staff, and your customers. We are confident that the end result of a more safe and more accessible Woodward will be worth this short period of disruption. We appreciate your partnership and understanding as we work to make Ferndale a place that can be enjoyed and celebrated by all.
As parking along Woodward is unavailable, remember Downtown Ferndale still offers a wide variety of public parking options. View them here!
For a full idea of the scope of the project, you can view some of the project renderings by checking out this link and viewing this link.
Download the full road plan here.
Download a satellite version of the plan here. Here is the version for North of Nine Mile Road, and here is the version for South of Nine Mile Road.
We’re building a series of short videos to help answer questions about the project. Check them out on the Downtown Ferndale YouTube page.
Stay up to date on local road paving work in Ferndale here.
We’re building a series of short videos to help answer questions about the project. Check them out on the Downtown Ferndale YouTube page.
Although Woodward is a main thoroughfare in Ferndale, people are intentionally choosing not to walk along Woodward due to difficult and unsafe conditions. This means people are missing the opportunity to explore and enjoy all Ferndale has to offer, including our diverse mix of Woodward-facing businesses.
Woodward Moves will not only provide the much-needed re-pavement of the street itself, but the project also provides the chance to improve our city’s safety, foster economic prosperity for the entire community, and provide diverse and accessible opportunities for people to explore Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge.
Woodward Moves will help Woodward Avenue evolve to meet the current and future needs of residents, business owners, and visitors. The project will allow Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge to enhance the experience along Woodward while maintaining it as a desirable gathering place for the community for generations to come.
Woodward Moves is a partnership of the City of Ferndale, the City of Pleasant Ridge, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT.)
Funding for Woodward Moves is provided by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), City of Ferndale, City of Pleasant Ridge and a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant MDOT and Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).
This $9 million project includes $5.6 million in resurfacing work from MDOT, $1,176,500 from City of Ferndale, $139,500 from the City of Pleasant Ridge, and $2 million in grants. The City of Ferndale local funds for Woodward Moves will come from fuel tax revenue collected from the Public Act 51 of 1951 (Act 51), specifically earmarked to be spent on public transportation projects.
If there is a construction-related emergency that needs to be reported to the city, please contact 911 to report any immediate threats to life or property. For all other matters, please contact Police Non-emergency at 248-541-3650.
Businesses and commercial property owners along the corridor can reach out to the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority for information at info@downtownferndale.com or 248-546-1632.
Kara Sokol
Communications Director, City of Ferndale
248-336-4133
ksokol@ferndalemi.gov
James Breuckman
City Manager, City of Pleasant Ridge
248-541-2901
citymanager@cityofpleasantridge.org
Residents will be regularly updated via a variety of communication channels including the official quarterly City of Ferndale newsletter, social media channels, and the website.
Representatives for business and commercial property owners can sign up for email and text alerts from the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority online HERE.
Woodward Moves is not changing the heart or spirit of Woodward Avenue, but rather evolving the corridor to make our downtown more modern. Modernizing Woodward Avenue will help foster inclusive mobility to bring new and diverse people downtown, increase safety to encourage people to travel Woodward in new ways, and boost economic prosperity by increasing foot traffic and time spent on Woodward.
Community members and leaders have participated in a number of local and regional studies over the years with a focus on making Woodward Avenue a more "people-friendly" corridor. In 2019, the Cities of Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge completed the Woodward Avenue Bicycling and Walking Safety Audit, which made a preliminary recommendation for short-term and long-term modifications to improve safety on the corridor. Of 387 community members surveyed by the Woodward Avenue Bicycling and Walking Safety Audit in 2019, among the greatest concerns on Woodward Avenue were pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular safety and crashes (82%, 82%, and 61% respectively). These significantly outranked concerns about traffic congestion (50%).
People also reported that crossing Woodward Avenue is stressful, with only 49% feeling comfortable or somewhat comfortable crossing in the 2019 Woodward Avenue Bicycling and Walking Safety Audit. The Ferndale Moves 2020 plan reports that 25 out of 34 crosswalks along Woodward (from 8 Mile to I-696) have a stress rate of 4 (the highest rating), based on the number of lanes, traffic volumes, and posted speed limits.
The Cities of Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge collaborated on a "road diet feasibility study" in 2019/2020, which led to meetings in December 2020 and January 2021 to gather community feedback about possible modifications to Woodward Avenue and inform the community about the upcoming MDOT repaving project.
At the February 22, 2021, Ferndale City Council meeting, City Council approved two resolutions of support: (1) to support the road diet project; (2) to apply for a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant in late February 2021 to help fund any community-supported modifications to Woodward in 2022. Review the agenda item HERE.
City staff had anticipated a July 2021 decision about whether we would receive TAP grant funding and MDOT approval for the proposed project; however, State transportation authorities required some additional research and plan modifications, resulting in a short delay. The City worked closely with local MDOT staff to find a compromise that met MDOT’s traffic standards and the community's safety and mobility goals. The Ferndale City Council unanimously approved a revised resolution of support for the project at the September 13, 2021, meeting at 7:00 p.m. (Review the agenda item HERE).
The City of Ferndale was awarded a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant award in 2018 to fund a regional bike share program in summer 2019. The bike share program will be in partnership with MoGo Bike Share and include cities of Berkley, Detroit, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, and Royal Oak.
The Cities of Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge were awarded a $40,000 SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) Planning Assistance grant for a bicycling and walking safety audit on Woodward Avenue. This study is now complete. Please follow the Woodward Moves project page for updated project details (https://ferndalemoves.com/project/woodward-moves-2022).
