News | Contact | Meeting Notices | Water Advisories Select Language English Spanish HOME I WANT TO... RESIDENTS DEPARTMENTS NEWS ABOUT Public Works 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 electronic meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 11, 2021 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, December 9, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. This meeting will be conducted electronically in order for members, staff, and the public to comply with the Emergency Order under MCL 333.2253 – Gatherings and Face Mask Order issued by Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, on January 22, 2021. 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 (44 KB) and return it to the Traffic Operations Division at: City of Kalamazoo Engineering Division 415 Stockbridge Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49001 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 **assessed in addition to standard permit fee when necessary permits are not acquired before beginning work 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. Public Services cokpublicservices@kalamazoocity.org 415 E Stockbridge Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49001 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 3-1-1 or (269) 337-8000 (269) 337-8533 24/7 Public Services Emergency (Water/Sewer/Streets/Forestry): (269) 337-8148 Click here for Water/Sewer Utility Customer Service Public Works: (269) 337-8601 (269) 337-8533 Wastewater: (269) 337-8701 (269)337-8699 Water: (269) 337-8149 (269) 337-8535 Water Testing Hotline: (269) 337-8550 Brush Collection Bulk Trash Collection Cemeteries Energy Efficiency and Utility Savings Environmental Services Forestry & Tree Management Lead & Copper Program Odor Task Force ProtectYourWater.net Public Works Recycling Right of Way Work Snow Removal Street & Road Work Utility Rates Utility Record Request View from the Curb Wastewater Water Resources Water Advisories Water Main Standards & Specifications James J. Baker, PE, Director, City Engineer Teresa Johnson, MSM, CPPB, Deputy Director Valetta Sellers-Evans, Support Services Division Manager James H. Cornell, Wastewater Division Manager Joe Bonhomme, Water Resources Division Manager Anthony Ladd, PE, Public Works Division Manager City of Kalamazoo Community Local Government Contact Copyright © 2021 City of Kalamazoo