May 24—TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City Commissioner Mitch Treadwell knows what it’s like to feel unsafe while riding his bike around town.
Last week, on his way to Monday’s city commissioners meeting, Treadwell was struck by a car while riding his bicycle at the intersection of Seventh and Union streets. He said it’s very close to where he lives and it’s a path he’s walked many times.
According to the accident report, witnesses told police that Treadwell was in the crosswalk when the car hit him. He was taken to Munson Medical Center and was later diagnosed with a severe concussion and neck and back pain following the accident.
“This highlighted issues of there being no stop sign or traffic lights for pedestrians or bicycles, and an issue of visibility,” he said. “So I started looking for other routes, but I can tell you that there is no perfect solution and what works for me may not work for someone else.”
Treadwell said his bicycle – which is his main form of transportation around the city – was destroyed.
“This accident and subsequent reassessment of how I get from point A to point B has helped highlight several issues that even I, as someone who primarily travels by foot or bike, may not have conceptualized,” he said. “It made me look more closely at the potential dangers that pedestrians and cyclists may face while navigating the city.”
The car was found at fault in the accident and issued a citation.
Traverse City Police Department Highway Patrol Captain Adam Gray said in the summer months, as the population around the city increases, so do the amount of traffic incidents.
According to traffic data from the Michigan State Police, this increase is happening everywhere.
Since last week, 14 people have died on Michigan roads, making a total of 332 this year, MSP said. More than 120 were seriously injured, making a total of 1,537 people injured statewide in 2024, to date.
“It is important to always remember to obey traffic signals, walk in crosswalks and wear a helmet when riding a bike,” Gray said. “If you are cycling at night, remember to wear reflective strips and/or have headlights and taillights so cars can see you.”
For Treadwell, Monday’s accident serves as a catalyst to remind people to stay safe as pedestrians and cyclists, as well as make Traverse City’s streets safer.
As a member of the city’s Master Plan Leadership Team, and working on its Mobility Action Plan, Treadwell said he has been part of discussions about how to maintain the city’s reputation as a bike- and walk-friendly place.
“But that doesn’t mean we still don’t have progress to make,” he said. “A lot of discussion has been going on in places that don’t have bike lanes or may have gaps in our sidewalk network or may be busy intersections without a crosswalk or other safe way for pedestrians to cross.”
Drafts of the plan show that some possible improvements include adding more HAWK signals, which behave like a traffic light so pedestrians can cross a busy street. Other suggestions include more flashing lights, like those along Front, Eighth and Woodmere streets, that alert drivers to crossing pedestrians but don’t necessarily stop traffic, according to the plan.
Looking to the future, Treadwell said he and other members of these committees hope to fix this and create a safe transportation plan for Traverse City.
In the immediate future, he said he wanted to share his story to warn people on both sides of the road – drivers or cyclists and walkers – about what can happen if someone is traveling carelessly.
