The Public Works Division is comprised of professional engineers and technicians who design, inspect, and maintain infrastructure components in the City. Staff focus on building and maintaining a safe, efficient, and long lasting infrastructure in Kalamazoo. The Division is responsible for street improvements and maintenance, sidewalks, snow and ice removal, forestry and leaf pickup, traffic signs and signals, the snowmelt system, and right-of-way permitting.
The City of Kalamazoo maintains and operates 97 miles of major and 166 miles of local streets, 20 bridges, over 15,517 signs, 134 traffic signals, and 4 flashing beacons at intersections. The City provides routine maintenance services, including snow and ice removal for Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) state trunklines within the City limits. The City also maintain traffic signals and flashing beacons for the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County and jointly share traffic engineering staff between the agencies.
On the second Thursday of each month, the City's Traffic Board meets to hear citizen requests & appeals and to consider recommendations regarding traffic control and parking regulations. If you have a concern or desired change to parking or traffic control, please contact us at (269) 337-8601.
The Traffic Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 14, 2022, at 2:00 p.m., has been CANCELLED due to no agenda items. The next meeting of the Traffic Board will take place on Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Public Services Stockbridge Facility, 415 E. Stockbridge, Kalamazoo.
You can report issues with traffic signals in the City and surrounding area (such as flashing red signals, burned out bulbs, timing & detection concerns, etc) online by using this form. Issues related to streets and signage (such as vision obstructions or potholes) can be reported online here. If you need to request a temporary parking permit, you can do so here.
Forestry & Tree Management
City forestry staff are responsible for maintaining City trees (a tree located in the City's right of way, in a City Park, or on City-owned property). Some common issues addressed by our team of International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborists include broken or hanging limbs, fallen limbs, dead or dying trees, trimming near streets and sidewalks, and planting new trees throughout the city. More information on Forestry & Tree Management is available here.
Right of way work
The public right of way is an easement granted for transportation or infrastructure purposes such as a streets, sidewalks, or alleys (the right of way typically extends beyond the street to include the sidewalk and the curblawn in-between). Any occupation or excavation in the public right of way requires a permit and inspection to ensure individual safety, proper traffic control, and adherence to City of Kalamazoo construction standards.
A permit is required for replacement or construction of any public sidewalk, driveway (residential or commercial), curb & gutter, any utilities, temporary encroachment, storm sewer connection. To obtain a permit, please complete a pdf Right of Way Permit Application (188 KB) and return it to the Traffic Operations Division at:
Or by email to ROWPermits@kalamazoocity.org.
Permit Fees |
|
| Curb and gutter | $100 |
| Driveway (commercial or residential) | $100 |
| Sidewalk | $100 |
| Storm sewer | $150 |
| Temporary encroachment | $150 |
| Utility (non-telecom) | $150 |
| All other work | $100 |
| Late fee** | $100 |
The permittee must notify the City of Kalamazoo at least 72 hours before beginning work and when work is completed by calling (269) 337-8601. Bonding is also required for all activities listed. All permittees may be charged a "plus expenses fee" when personnel time and labor necessary for inspection and follow-up activities goes beyond what is customary, or when outside consultants are required. A list of hourly charges for personnel and equipment normally used by the City is available by request from engineering staff. Charges are subject to change without notice to reflect actual cost of services.
Snow Removal
The City's Public Services personnel plow streets in sequence of majors, locals, dead ends, alleys, and cul-de-sacs, making every effort to have major streets cleared within 24 hours and local streets, dead-ends, alleys and cul-de-sacs within 48 hours of the end of the snowfall event. During periods of heavier snowfall priority is given to major streets, with locals and other streets being plowed as crews are able. The Kalamazoo City Code of Ordinances Section 33-18 requires property owners or occupants to remove snow and ice from public sidewalks adjacent to their properties. You can report issues related to snow removal online here or by calling (269) 337-8601. Please do not report missed streets within the 24/48 hour period. More information on snow removal is available here.
Streets
The City of Kalamazoo maintains and operates 83 miles of major streets, 166 miles of local streets, 20 bridges, over 15,517 signs, 80 traffic signals, and 4 flashing beacons at intersections. More information about street maintenance in the City is available here.