The Rapid recently announced a route change due to the recent closing of the KMart on 68th Street.
Effective Monday, Jan. 16, the Route 1 southbound buses will no longer travel through the parking lot to the bus stops by the former KMart building. The Route 1 buses will travel west on 68th Street from Division Avenue to Clyde Park and then right on Clyde Park Avenue to Meijer located on 54th Street.
According to The Rapid, riders will still have access to the Orchard Plaza located on 68th Street via the current bus stop on 68th Street at the drive by Taco Bell, 695 68th St. SW, as well as a new bus stop located at the corner of 68th Street and Clyde Park Avenue.
Route 1 southbound travels Central Station up Granville Avenue to Fulton Street and then down Division Avenue across 54th Street, looping through Meijer at 54th Street and heading west on 54th Street and then south on Division Avenue to 68th Street. The route then heads east on 68th Street to Clyde Park and returns to the Meijer on 54th Street where the northbound Route 1 starts.
Those traveling along Byron Center Avenue might have noticed a new addition – a traffic signal at 68th Street and Byron Center Avenue.
The new signal was recently installed by the Kent County Road Commission, which has jurisdiction of maintenance over the intersection, in the last couple of weeks. According to Road Commission officials, there is no firm date when the traffic signal will go in “stop and go” operation, but it should occur later this month.
As for why the traffic light was installed on the three-way intersection, KCRC Assistant Director of Traffic and Safety Shirley Wollner said when the intersection was built, it was anticipated that it would meet the signal warrants and was built with adequate lanes for a single installation. Byron Center Avenue was built in 2004 and 68th Street was constructed in 2005.
“The Kent County Road Commission (KCRC) conducts Safety Audits for upcoming construction projects, and a 2017 resurfacing project is planned on Byron Center between 68th Street and 84th Street,” Wollner said. “As part of the Safety Audit, KCRC conducted a signal warrant study for the Byron Center Avenue and 68th Street intersection.”
The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, published by the Federal Highway Administration, sets forth the the warrants which are designed to reduce the arbitrary use of four-way stops, traffic signals and the traffic control devices, according to Wollner. Among the measures are traffic volume and traffic crash data.
The signal arrant study for Byron Center Avenue and 68th Street showed the volume did meet the requirements or the traffic signal. The traffic study showed that in an eight-hour period 1,105 vehicles traveled Byron Center Avenue with 106 on westbound 68th Street. This demonstrates that the volume on the major street, Byron Center Avenue, is so heavy that it is those on the minor street, 68th Street, to suffer excessive delay or conflict when entering or cross the major street, according to the report from the Kent County Road Commission on the 68th Street/Byron Center Avenue traffic light.
Wollner said there was a crash pattern of left turn crashes as well but those did not meet the criteria for the signal. Over a five year period from 2010 – 2015, there had been eight left turn crashes out of 13 total.
The Cutlerville Days parade will start around 10 a.m., right after the Brian Diemer 5K is finished.
“I said we should have some type of community activity,” said Wes Douma. And from there, the Cutlerville Days – which is June 10 and 11 – was born.
Started in 1972 as part of a July 4th celebration – in 1974 the event was moved to the second weekend in June where it has remained ever since – Douma said the event’s humble beginnings were part of a conversation at the Cutlerville fire station where he was a volunteer. It was debated on what to do and finally it was decided to have a parade with Douma being told “you’re in charge,” he said with a laugh.
“That first year, we about beat our brains out trying to find people for the parade,” he said. “I think we ended up with 12 entries, three of which were fire equipment.”
This year Douma and his wife Mary will be the grand marshals for the hour-and-half parade that kicks off Saturday’s day-long activities for the Cutlerville Days. The parade starts, according to Dr. Paul France, one of the organizers of this years event, as soon as the last runner from the Brian Diemer 5K crosses the finish line, or around 10 a.m.
“‘Come for the race, stay for the fun’ I believe is the Brian Diemer’s motto,” France said.
There are a number of kids activities throughout the day Saturday during Cutlerville Days.
Actually, the Cutlerville Days gets an early start this year as classic cars of all types line up along Division Avenue between 60th and 76th streets for the Tom Stehouwer Auto Sales Cruise In. Running from 6 – 9 p.m. Friday, June 10, there are rally points at Sweet Rewards Ice Cream, 6969 S. Division Ave., and Tom Stehouwer Auto Sales, 7000 S. Division Ave.
The event goes into full swing on Saturday when the annual Brian Diemer Family of Races 5K Race starts at 9 a.m. at Legacy Christian School, 67 68th St. SW, with runners winding through the neighborhoods of Cutlerville. Following the race is the parade along 68th Street with the Brian Diemer Family of Races Youth Races taking place at Legacy Christian School.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be all kinds of activities at Cutler Park including the Ultimate Frisbee Showcase, the Sheriff Department TAC Team and equipment display, an American RV Community Exhibition, food booths, craft show, and carnival.
There is a short break from 3 – 6 p.m. as the evening activities are set up. Starting at 6 p.m. is the Children’s Petting Zoo and at 6:30 p.m. the cover band In the Moment takes the stage at Cutler Park. An ice cream social runs from 8:30 – 10 p.m. with fireworks capping off the evening behind South Christian.
The event itself has gone beyond anything that Douma or any of the other founders could have imaged. “Once you get the ball rolling, a thing like this grows by itself,” he said.
The Rapid recently announced a route change due to the recent closing of the KMart on 68th Street.
