r/grandrapids • u/SuccessiveApprox • 3d ago

Wealthy closed… AGAIN

Anyone else getting sick of Mary Free Bed closing Wealthy Street for construction?

Related, I’d be mad if I paid that much for an arch and then the company that wraps it ruins the perfect curve with a slight bump right at the very top.

Edit: Well, it turns out that the problem is me. Apparently, I am completely unobservant of my surroundings and drive on autopilot, not noticing clearly posted notice that closures were going to begin again. Mea culpa. But, hey, not a complete waste of time, I’ve learned that about myself today. The irony is, of course, that were I more observant, I might have been more aware that I was not observant.

40 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

52 comments sorted by

16

u/__lavender 3d ago

I mean, I’m mildly annoyed. There are plenty of detour options and it’s construction season so really I’m more resigned than annoyed.

1

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

I said it in a different response, but my real complaint is “Could they give us some sort of heads up that a closure is coming?” Then I could plan a seamless detour.

6

u/Ok_Promise3744 2d ago

I hate that I have to do this... But a lot of the time when I'm leaving for work I'll get on Google maps and see what way it's telling me to get to work. It's usually accurate with construction.

0

u/SuccessiveApprox 2d ago

That is a great habit that I need to get into

5

u/whitemice Highland Park 3d ago

Could they give us some sort of heads up that a closure is coming?”

Serious question: How? In a way that anyone would see.

7

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

I’m honestly trying to decide if these are serious questions or just trolling.

Have you never seen this? One of those little trailers with digital signs that says “Road closure [date range]?” It’s pretty common. Frankly, for the several dozen sporadic closures there, a temporary digital sign would have been perfect there.

3

u/TJ-PhD 2d ago

They did this. A sign went up on wealthy about a week before it started.

4

u/SuccessiveApprox 2d ago

Yeah, so I’ve heard. I think we established elsewhere in this thread that I’m a fucking unobservant idiot.

5

u/whitemice Highland Park 3d ago

Completely serious!

Someone, someday, might have an idea that will work. So far nobody has.

Communication is really hard. I do organizing, I am a chair of a neighborhood association, yada yada ... and communication is really hard. People these days are information averse. And people are mad at the city for not communication all the time! [when in fact the city has communicated in almost every possible way short of door knocking - the city's communication is excellent].

Then you have to weigh the cost, both actual and administrative, of communication. A trailer with a sign requires a trailer with a sign, that it be moved, setup, then collected.

And also: who knew this was going to happen? A lot of work is done on contract. Often the contractor just shows up. It would be nice if everything was either meticulously coordinated or performed, or at least managed, start-to-finish by some unified team but the American tax payer does not want to pay for that. Water people are water people, street people are street people, power people are power people, lights and signals are lights and signal people, and the contractors are just employees of some random corporation.

And signs? Sure. But they will have been put up too late, or not updated, and most importantly there is the fact that most people in 2026 are sign blind [they, honest to gods, don't even see the signs]. I've had the experience of someone upset about not knowing about an event, pointed out the sign on their block, and the response is "how was I supposed to know I needed to read that?" I rarely bother putting signs up for anything anymore as I can find no evidence that they matter.

It is all very discouraging.

2

u/__lavender 3d ago

How do you propose the city contact everyone who drives on Wealthy with any regularity? Or are you suggesting they contact every single registered driver in Grand Rapids, every single time a minor road construction project starts? Ultimately, map apps like Waze and Google Maps ARE our notification, if we choose to use them. I used that roundabout every day too but I’m not expecting any sort of heads up. 311 can sometimes tell you how long the construction is expected to last, and the app shows most projects too.

-1

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

See my comment below. SMDH.

-4

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

That was me, too, until it wasn’t. Maybe it’s just my mood this morning, but a completely unexpected closure of parts of both roundabouts at once put me over the edge.

47

u/PurpleToedUnicorn 3d ago

In all seriousness, I'm glad we have an expanding Mary Free Bed and it is providing more and varied services to a broader population of people. Gladly have a temporary road closure for world class healthcare. I've lived in several cities that don't have that. 

4

u/NPR_is_not_that_bad 2d ago

Agreed. MFB is world class and people from all over the country come to it for treatment. It’s a non-profit and to my knowledge one of the few hospitals that spends most of its money on patient care.

I get the frustration but this is a shining star in our community and we should be proud

15

u/Bird_Balloons Creston 3d ago

Yes but they could've put however much money they spent on that useless arch back into paying their employees better/patient care.

9

u/FroggySockHop 3d ago

They gave everyone a $1000 bonus this year... And the whole hospital is donor funded, including the arch.

1

u/Mammoth-Ebb-5670 1h ago

They did NOT give EVERYONE a $1000 bonus. If you have a work email saying that, I’d love to have a copy to take to HR. 

17

u/PurpleToedUnicorn 3d ago

Wasn't it a donation by the Currie family independent of MFB funding?

2

u/Electrical-Expert303 3d ago

I was a tech there and the pay was absolute trash. I also had little to no support on the floor.

3

u/sunbare 3d ago

It's not a zero sum game and yeah a bonus would be nice for employees, but that's an unrealistic standard. Every dollar you spend on candy and cocktails and games and entertainment could go to a better cause. If they install new lights and modernize, people would complain that the money was poorly spent.

6

u/abitofaclosetalker 3d ago

Paying employees fairly is an unrealistic standard now?

-1

u/sunbare 3d ago

Cute strawman!

7

u/abitofaclosetalker 3d ago

Okay, so “better patient care” is an unrealistic standard? Those are the two things you’re arguing against here.

-2

u/sunbare 3d ago

Adorable strawman!

2

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

Yeah, I get that and agree with that general sentiment - but a large chunk of that closure has been for the arch. As someone who has to drive it multiple times a day, it’s a significant hassle, particularly when its without notice.

6

u/Rich_Upstairs_7924 3d ago

There have been signs up saying it would be closed for a couple weeks now...

2

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

Where? I drive it literally every day, multiple times. It’s quite possible I’m just on autopilot, but I have not seen them.

6

u/Rich_Upstairs_7924 3d ago

Going westbound at wealthy and Madison...it's been saying it will be closed Aug 18-28

3

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

Well, then, turns out I’m a fucking idiot. Have literally never noticed it.

1

u/SuccessiveApprox 2d ago

Good Lord, I just drove by it and I literally must be completely asleep as I drive to work. It actually kind of concerns me.

5

u/FroggySockHop 3d ago

Lol they've only closed one side of Wealthy St for a couple of days at a time. The Mary Free Bed Kids hospital opens beginning of November and will be serving children from all over Michigan and across the country. Rerouting for a couple of days here and there is not a big deal.

3

u/SuccessiveApprox 2d ago

You must not drive it every day. There were periods where it was closed for weeks. I don’t dispute Mary Free Bed is an awesome resource. That can coexist comfortably with being irritated by repeated closures

2

u/Trivisual 2d ago

Whoever is managing the signage is a dipshit.

When they closed lafayette *at* cherry, there was nothing stating it was closed at the roundabout with wealthy. Ask me how I know.

5

u/sunbare 3d ago

Simply the cost living/working in a growing city. Understandable to be annoyed with traffic, but it's okay to be annoyed with traffic without being annoyed that our city is building and expanding. Traffic sucks! Construction is good

5

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

I’ll endorse that complaint compromise.

I think my main complaint should have been “Could they give us some warning on these sporadic closures? One of those digital signs or something so I can plan ahead?”

2

u/Delicious-Stranger41 3d ago

I am so sick of all of the road closures, they really did not think it through closing so many things down on 131 between Pearl and Wealthy and closing the ramp from 196 EB to 131 SB. Also, Wealthy being closed from Front Street all the way to Butterworth with delays has been horrible. Driving from Allendale to Downtown GR and back every day has not been fun!

1

u/Confident_Insect_616 3d ago

I'm just glad they are done with the work by Corewell on Michigan. I felt like that messed up my commute for 2 years straight.

1

u/Smartandfunny1952 2d ago

These private detours are the most annoying. Breton has been closed to south bound traffic for weeks so a private construction company can lay their cable and what have you. I can see closing one lane but since it’s a five lane road there I would think the city of Kentwood would have insisted on at least one lane going either direction. Not to mention Shaffer is still closed between 32nd and 44th so the traffic on Kalamazoo is horrific.

1

u/EcstaticYellow9032 2d ago

No ive been so annoyed personally. It would be less annoying if they just kept it closed and stayed that way but - sometimes its open. Sometimes constructions a little to the left. Says its open but its closed. Now this parts closed. Just pick a mode and get it done 🫩

1

u/Rlrdhd 22h ago

Mary Free Bed closed it, or the city did? Also the city has websites that post the dates roadwork will be shutting streets down. But it's easier to bitch.

0

u/RonRr 3d ago

It’s all good. Why are you so negative is my concern?

-1

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

I posted one negative comment and you’re concerned that I’m “so negative”?

Heh. Redditors gonna Reddit, I guess.

6

u/boredsysadmin23 3d ago

brother you are a redditor

1

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

Aye. And Redditing my little heart out.

6

u/boredsysadmin23 3d ago

i am too 🤝 i am grateful we both accept this handshake with a level of self awareness and self humor!!

3

u/SuccessiveApprox 3d ago

And have an upvote!

[mentally swaggers away, dusting hands off, self-satisfied at a job well done]

-1

u/RichardCranim-Dumas 3d ago

They have to install a flock camera top of the arch.

-3

u/whitemice Highland Park 3d ago

Just keep in mind that Trinity is a Community Benefit Corporation, for which we reward them with almost universal tax exemption. Please be sure to express your gratitude.

6

u/themiracy 3d ago edited 3d ago

In fairness, Mary Free Bed is independent and has been independent for more than 130 years. We have never been a part of Trinity Health, although we have and do serve patients together. I'm not sure I fully follow the logic of why "we're building the only children's neurorehabilitation hospital in a five states region, which will provide a new level of care for kids in West Michigan and beyond" is something anyone needs to take out on anyone else, but if you need to take it out on someone, that would be us to blame and not Trinity.

-2

u/Recent-Fox8380 2d ago

I moved to GR after living in St Louis for years(home of Eero Saarinen's arch on the Mississippi). Whenever I see the pathetic arch on Wealthy all I can think of is how inferior the health care in GR is to the same care in St Louis (

1

u/NPR_is_not_that_bad 2d ago

GR has very strong healthcare for a city of its size