East GR residents hoping to 'work with city' on safety following fatal crash

The conversation surrounding pedestrian and bicyclist safety is nothing new in East Grand Rapids, but it's been met with more urgency after a fatal crash in the city on June 18.

Those who live there are hoping the conversations turn into action.

“At the back of our minds, we’re always wondering if there’s going to be a text or if we’re going to hear sirens," said Kyle Brinks, a resident of East Grand Rapids since 2020.

It's the nightmare situation no parent ever wants to think about, but standing on the corner of Breton Road SE and Berwyck Road SE, Brinks found himself playing out that scenario Tuesday afternoon.

“We consider this the most dangerous area in East Grand Rapids for pedestrian safety," he said.

That intersection is where a 67-year-old riding a OneWheel was killed when colliding with a car on June 18.

While the investigation continues, people like Brinks are pushing for change.

“I have a daughter that’s starting middle school next year, and now she’s going to be riding her bike a mile down this street," he said. "We’re, quite frankly, terrified.”

RELATED: 'We need to do more': East GR residents reinforce concerns after fatal crash

Those concerns, and more, were shared at Monday's city commission meeting, the first since the fatal crash.

Commissioners themselves acknowledged a need to make adjustments.

“As more e-bikes and more pedestrians and runners are on these roads and sharing them with cars, we need to come up with good, new solutions for how we bring those all together," said First Ward Commissioner Ryan Burdick.

City Manager Shea Charles said improvements were already under consideration before June 18, like applying for a Safe Routes to School grant, updating the Master Plan from 2018 and identifying areas to study within the city, including Breton Road SE.

"We continue to look at new technologies," Charles told FOX 17 Tuesday. "Are there opportunities for different approaches beyond what we have today?”

Also, residents will be voting on a millage renewal come Aug. 6, one that Charles said would address pedestrian safety if approved.

“Any time we do an improvement, any sort of road work, pedestrian safety is always part of that work," he said. "Looking at those opportunities to enhance those crossings, things of that nature.”

While the community and city might have different perspectives on the issue, the end goal is the same.

“We want to work with the city on this," Brinks said. "We want, in 48 days, for us to pat each other on the back and say, ‘Hey, we did it. We made a real change.’”

Brinks brought up the 48-day timeline because that's how many days there are between Tuesday and the start of the next school year on Aug. 19.

Charles said he anticipates to have some changes in the Breton Road SE corridor before then. He told FOX 17 once they get final designs, they'll be presenting them to the city commission for consideration.

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