This is one year study, performed by the City of Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, with Toole Design, will focus on the design and user experiences of North Main Street from Huron Street to West Huron River Drive.

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.
  • North Main Street 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 promotes speeding, poor safety outcomes for vulnerable road users and leads to dangerous driving behaviors. As a primary entry point into the city and Downtown, North 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 Downtown Development Authority.
  • 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.

The project team is working with Toole over the next weeks on the following tasks:

  • Explore additional design ideas that came up during the Discovery Charrette
  • Evaluate the different design concepts against the study’s design objectives
  • Create public materials that highlight the different design concept treatments

Get Involved

Discovery Week

North Main Street Transportation Study: Community Events

The City of Ann Arbor will host a series of community events for the North Main Street Transportation Study to gather feedback, share information and work with the public to improve the corridor.

The engagement process will occur in two phases, each featuring a four-day series of events. The Discovery Phase was completed in March, and the Design Phase will take place in May.

  • Discovery Phase — March 9–13, 2026: Listening and learning about current conditions, community experiences and early ideas. (Completed)
  • Design Phase — May 18–21, 2026: Developing and refining design concepts based on community feedback.

March 9–13, 2026

Community members were invited to attend one or several events to share their experiences traveling along North Main Street.

Most events took place at the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Office, 415 N. Fifth Ave., Second Floor.

Public Open House

Tuesday, March 10 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Presentation at 6:15 p.m.
Location: DDA Office, 415 N. Fifth Ave., Second Floor

Community members learned about the project and shared ideas for North Main Street. Attendees were able to:

  • Ask questions of the project team
  • Review information about current corridor conditions
  • Share what works well — and what needs improvement
  • Help shape priorities for the next phase of the project

Open Studio Drop-In Sessions

Wednesday, March 11 | 2–5 p.m.
Thursday, March 12 | 1–3:30 p.m.
Location: DDA Office, 415 N. Fifth Ave., Second Floor

Community members were invited to stop by to speak directly with the planning team, review materials and provide feedback at a time that worked for them.

*Directions to DDA Offices

Discovery Survey Responses

Discovery Week Recap

Design Week

North Main Street Transportation Study: Community Events

The City of Ann Arbor will host a series of community events for the North Main Street Transportation Study to gather feedback, share information and work with the public to improve the corridor.

The engagement process will occur in two phases, each featuring a four-day series of events. The Discovery Phase was completed in March, and the Design Phase will take place in May.

  • Discovery Phase — March 9–13, 2026: Listening and learning about current conditions, community experiences and early ideas. (Completed)
  • Design Phase — May 18–21, 2026: Developing and refining design concepts based on community feedback.

Design Phase Events

May 18–21, 2026

Save the date. The second round of events will focus on developing and refining design concepts based on community feedback. More details will be shared soon.