Project Overview

Complete Streets planning is underway for the City of Frankenmuth.  This initiative is funded with equal participation by the Frankenmuth Community Foundation, the Dancing with the Local Stars fund at the Frankenmuth Community Foundation, the Frankenmuth Credit Union Foundation for Our Communities and the Downtown Development Authority.  The total cost of the Complete Streets Plan is $40,000.

What are Complete Streets? Complete Streets are streets for everyone. They are designed and operated to provide safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. A Complete Streets Plan invites and relies heavily upon public engagement, conducts an inventory of available resources and analyzes resource capacities, creates a preliminary plan for discussion and then develops an implementation and active transportation plan.  Complete Streets are customized for each community, providing the optimum configurations for transportation be it by car or truck, horse carriage or bicycle, on foot or on wheels.

Improvements recommended by the process can be implemented over time as funds are available and street projects constructed.  Simple, low cost solutions can be accomplished almost immediately, however, no immediate plans for major reconstruction to enable Complete Streets recommendations are budgeted.  When a City street is improved, complete streets recommendations can be executed.

For more information about the Complete Streets process, contact Sheila Stamiris, City of Frankenmuth DDA, at 989.652.3430 ext 120 or at [email protected]

Steering Committee

A Steering Committee appointed by the City Council will provide leadership during the process.  The Steering Committee includes public safety representatives along with others representing the Frankenmuth Public Schools, the agricultural community, local business, Frankenmuth Township and local residents.  City Staff will assist the Steering Committee in day-to-day management of the process. Steering Committee Members are listed below:

  • Ed Foltz
  • Jamie Furbush
  • Dave Geiger
  • Terry Horstman
  • Jim Howe
  • Cindy Keinath
  • Aaron Lerash
  • Nancy Huchinson List
  • Adele Martin
  • Carol McClellan
  • Chris Sutorik
  • Terry Weiss

Timeline

The project will take approximately six months, inclusive of data collection, public meetings, development of an interactive website, suggested planning and the creation of Frankenmuth’s own custom plan.

The planning process will be facilitated by The Greenway Collaborative, a consulting company who specializes in helping Michigan communities of all sizes create Complete Streets plans for their own particular environment.

The Greenway Collaborative will do much of the legwork, but it is with community input that the plan will become finalized.