Mission Street Improvement Plan; Survey Due 5/31/2024

The City of Mt. Pleasant has contracted with Progressive Companies, based in Grand Rapids, to lead development of an improvement plan for Mission Street. Addressing traffic congestion, pedestrian and bicycle safety, universal accessibility and enhancing access to businesses along Mission Street have been identified as priorities in city plans and strategies going back more than 20 years.

The city is leading this effort, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and with funding from the State of Michigan Redevelopment Ready Communities program. Mt. Pleasant City Manager Aaron Desentz is optimistic about the effort, “While the city has been a part of multiple efforts to enhance Mission Street in the past, this represents the first time the city is leading the charge to develop truly detailed designs and plans with an emphasis on meeting the needs of the entire community.” Jack Hofweber, the Mt Pleasant Transportation Service Center Manager for MDOT highlighted the importance of developing a plan for Mission Street now, which is under the State’s jurisdiction, “With a detailed plan that has community buy-in, MDOT will be better equipped to seek funding opportunities and plan for a future reconstruction of the corridor.”

The city is convening a steering committee to review potential designs and plans for Mission Street. The group is composed of local business owners, elected, and appointed officials, representatives from Central Michigan University, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Disability Network of Mid-Michigan, the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, the Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. The planning process will conclude with a formal update to the city’s 2020 Master Plan.

To launch this effort, the city is releasing a community survey. Just follow this link [https://tinyurl.com/mstreetmp] to complete it. Paper copies of the survey will be available at City Hall (320 W. Broadway Street) and information about it will be posted throughout the community. Survey deadline is May 31, 2024. There will be three $50 gift certificates from businesses located along Mission Street that will be drawn from the list of those who complete the survey and share their email address. The first meeting of the project steering committee is April 22nd at 12:30 p.m. in City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.