Holland council deadlocks, puts 40th Street crosswalk decision on hold amid safety debate

HOLLAND — The fate of a controversial mid-block crosswalk on West 40th Street remains undecided after the Holland City Council deadlocked on a resolution to remove it. 

The 4-4 tie vote on Oct. 1 failed to resolve the issue, sending the matter back to city staff for a renewed look at options, which must now balance official safety concerns with passionate neighborhood resistance.

The debate pits the Holland Traffic Committee’s recommendation for removal against vocal pleas from residents who say the crosswalk is vital for students walking to nearby Pine Ridge Elementary and Holland Christian Middle School.

City justification: Noncompliance, safety

The proposal to eliminate the crossing, located between Ottawa Avenue and Graafschap Road, was initiated after a resident requested safety improvements. City staff, however, determined the structure was deficient and opted to recommend its removal.

Holland’s Transportation Services Director and City Engineer Brian White said in a message to ONN that the proposal is based on site-specific safety and structural concerns.

“This one popped up on our radar from a request from a resident in the Cobblestone neighborhood, which is south of the crosswalk,” White said. 

He said the primary structural issue is that the crosswalk is currently not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly concerning ramp slopes.”

Beyond the accessibility defect, the recommendation primarily concerns safety issues related to mid-block crossings in high-speed areas. 

White’s report to the council warned that such crossings “create a false sense of security, and motorists are unlikely to stop for pedestrians who believe it's safe to cross.”

White emphasized that the safest alternative for users is to utilize the traffic-controlled intersections at the nearest side streets, Graafschap Road or Ottawa Avenue.

“The thought that our staff level had with regard to the recommendation to remove that mid-block was that the alternative was for the users to use those side streets where there’s stop controls at those intersections,” White said. 

“Safety is always our primary concern here.”

White stressed that the removal proposal is an isolated case, not part of a larger strategy to dismantle non-motorized infrastructure, noting the city has made “great strides” over the last 20 years in improving sidewalks, bike lanes and crossings. 

The crosswalk currently features street signs and curb cutouts but lacks painted lines on the road. Additionally, a paved path on the south side of 40th Street used by pedestrians is officially a “fire access lane for a nearby development,” not a designated sidewalk,” White said.

Residents insist on upgrades, not removal

The proposal has been met with firm opposition from some residents who attended the council meeting and emailed city officials, insisting the infrastructure be kept and upgraded. 

Many argued the city misunderstood their initial request, which was for improvements.

Resident Nathan Biller challenged the city’s data and methodology for the recommendation in an email to city officials.

“When citizens requested safety improvements for this crosswalk, they were seeking to make it better, not to have it eliminated entirely,” Biller wrote. “A single day of observation is insufficient to understand the full usage patterns and safety needs of a pedestrian crossing. This abbreviated 'study' does not justify removing infrastructure that serves the community.”

Biller concluded that the removal would send a detrimental message: "Removing crosswalks sends the wrong message: that car convenience matters more than pedestrian safety and accessibility. This is particularly concerning when the crossing serves families with children walking to school.”

Resident Connor Gentry underscored the crosswalk’s importance to the neighborhood and the city’s overall walkability.

“Please do not move forward with the removal of the mid-block crosswalk on 40th St. next to Holland Christian," Gentry wrote. 

"Outside of the downtown core of Holland, much of the city is not friendly, safe and convenient for pedestrians. Please do not make that worse by removing a piece of infrastructure that is well-used and contributes greatly to the safety of that neighborhood.”

The sentiment was echoed by a teacher at Holland Christian, who sees students using the crossing daily and warned of the dangerous traffic conditions on that stretch of Ottawa Avenue.

“As a teacher who works at Holland Christian and regularly bikes and walks to work, that crosswalk is incredibly useful. I see dozens of my students using it as they cross the street... having a safe place for students to cross is absolutely imperative. If anything, I urge the city to take measures to make that crosswalk more visible and more safe for the students who use it daily.”

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Council stalemate, next steps

The issue remains unresolved after the Oct. 1 meeting. 

A motion to postpone a decision for additional research failed 3-3, followed by a motion to remove the crosswalk, which also failed 3-3. In the end, no official action was taken.

City Manager Keith Van Beek confirmed that the matter will return to the council and reiterated why the city has taken the stance it has.

“The standards that were in place (national and MDOT engineering standards) were different when this crosswalk was installed than what standards are now,” he wrote in an email to ONN.  “This is why everyone seems to agree that the crosswalk should not stay in the current form.

Speeds are governed by state law and are set at 35 mph, which is likely not able to be changed under state standards. As part of the presentation Wednesday night, staff also presented results of the use of this crosswalk and also the crosswalks at the intersections at Ottawa and Graafschaap which have stop signs in all directions. The evaluation of this crosswalk stands alone and does not impact other crosswalks in the city.”

It was not clear just when the city council was set to revisit the topic. 

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.