Welcome

This is the Engage Ann Arbor site for the city's North Main Street Transportation Study.

Background

This project will be a one year study (2025-2026) to be performed by Toole Design in partnership with the City and Ann Arbor DDA.

The study location will be N. Main Street from Huron St. to W. Huron River Dr.

Why is this project being done?

  • The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is planning a reconstruction project on N. Main St. (US-23 BR) in 2030 or after, from Huron St. to the ramps of M-14.
  • N. Main St. is an important freeway connection for the more than 80,000 commuters to Ann Arbor, that leads directly into the heart of the city. The abrupt departure from the high-speed interstate design provides an environment for speeding, poor safety outcomes for vulnerable road users and leads to dangerous driving behaviors. As a primary entry point into the City and Downtown, N. Main Street should be a welcoming gateway.
  • This corridor is considered a City priority safety location (Tier 2) given the number and severity of crashes. Drivers exiting the interstate system and entering the city currently engage in behaviors that contribute to the poor safety outcomes. The corridor should provide clear design cues that encourage lower speeds and greater awareness of people biking and walking, supporting safer driving behavior in a multimodal environment.

Work to be done

  • Project Management - ongoing
  • Existing Conditions Assessment - ongoing
  • Public Engagement - in development
  • Data Collection - ongoing
  • Concept Development

Costs and funding source (Council Resolution R-25-245)

  • Cost sharing agreement with the Ann Arbor DDA
  • City share will be from the Alternative Transportation Funds

Existing Conditions Assessment

  • This stage is currently evaluating:
    • Crash data
    • Traffic volumes
    • Existing plan documents
    • Collecting current traffic volumes, speed, and multimodal volumes along the corridor

Road Safety Audit

  • Evaluation of corridor utilizing MDOT Road Safety Analysis (RSA). An RSA is a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multi-disciplinary RSA team.
  • The RSA report is being developed and will be available on Engage once completed.

To be determined. Check back soon!

The North Main Transportation Study location will be N. Main Street from Huron Street to W. Huron River Drive.

Get Involved

Discovery Charrette

The City of Ann Arbor will organize a charrette for the North Main Street Transportation Study to support collaboration, rapid feedback, and interactive design.

Charrettes provide a structured yet flexible framework for bringing together project staff, agency partners, stakeholders, and community members to collaboratively explore issues, generate ideas, and refine solutions.

Our process will have two phases. Each phase will consist of a four-day charette. The Discovery Phase will involve listening, learning, and sharing information about existing conditions, design principles, and early ideas. In this phase, the project team will use intercept surveys and stakeholder coordination to document the lived experience of the public and shape the next phase.


Discovery Charrette (March 9th - 13th, 2026)

Join us this March at the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA) office and make your voice heard. Tell us about your experiences traveling throughout the corridor. Attend all the events or just one, whatever fits your schedule!


Charrette Schedule:

Intercept Survey/Pop-Up Events

    • Monday, March 9th at 5:30PM - 7:30PM
    • Main St/Huron St and Main St/Depot St
    • To reach people who might not normally be engaged, the project team will be conducting intercept surveys with people walking through the area at this time. If you’d like to participate, please take our survey in the 'Survey' tab.

Public Open House

    • Tuesday, March 10th at 5:30PM - 7:30PM
    • Ann Arbor DDA Office (415 N 5th Ave, 2nd Floor)
    • The Open House is designed for anyone who wants to understand the project and contribute their experiences or ideas for North Main Street. Attendees can:
      • Ask questions of the project team
      • Review early materials and corridor conditions
      • Share what works well — and what needs improvement
      • Help shape the priorities moving into concept development

Public Open Studio Drop-In Sessions

    • Wednesday, March 11th at 2:00PM - 5:00PM and Thursday, March 12th at 1:00PM - 3:30PM
    • Ann Arbor DDA Office (415 N 5th Ave, 2nd Floor)
    • Throughout the week, informal Open Studio hours will provide additional opportunities for community members to stop by, speak directly with the planning team, and offer input at a convenient time.


Design Charrette (May 18th - 21st, 2026)

Save the date! This charrette is schedule to take place May 18th - 21st, 2026. Check back soon for more details.

Survey

Check back soon! The N. Main Street survey will be available February 23rd, 2026 - March 20th, 2026.