By Citizen staff reporters
After multiple M-15 accidents, local residents want changes.
State road safety is a problem being tackled by Michigan Department of Transportation officials in access management workshops around the state, like the one held Sept. 23 in Goodrich.
Consultant teams Hubbell, Roth & Clark and Carlisle-Wortman analyzed access and safety problems along the M-15 corridor from I-69 in Davison Township to I-75 in Oakland County, presenting written findings along with aerial maps highlighting issues and recommendations (see below).
Local planning commissioners and property owners turned out, questioning the status of the future M-15 widening project.
Due to traffic gridlock being addressed on M-24 in Lapeer and Oakland counties, expanding the M-15 corridor into a five-lane boulevard is a project that’s still 10 years away.
Interim safety improvement is a concern, said Bill Shreck, MDOT Bay Region communications representative, who examined M-15 near Bristol Road following the fatal accident that claimed three family members in April.
Enforcement may be the best approach to safety issues on M-15, where traffic capacity is becoming an increasing problem, Shreck said, although some changes in structure’such as realigning two roads that cross M-15 or combining driveways exiting onto the road’may prove helpful.
‘It doesn’t increase traffic capacity, but it makes it easier for the road to handle the capacity it has,? said Shreck.
Engineering recommendations, along with local feedback from Thursday’s meeting will be reviewed by an M-15 task force Oct. 21 and presented to local agencies in November to consider for adoption by December.
Although the recommendations will require further study, the measures are realistic, says Shreck, citing the traffic light study soon to be conducted at M-15 and East Hegel Road.
‘Some of these, such as realigning the roads, you can do with safety funds. The $20,000 to $100,000 (projects) are a little easier to fund.?
A Sept. 28 Brandon Township open house by the Michigan Department of Transportation presented plans that could assist communities on M-15 in controlling access growth along the M-15 corridor.
‘Our focus is to maintain existing roads,? said Hugh McNichol, transportation planner from MDOT.
‘MDOT gives the tools for the Band-Aid, it’s up to the community to coordinate it.?
‘To make the road work better,? said McNichol.
Topics of issue in Brandon Township are driveway spacing, commercial driveway access, center and left turn lanes, and consolidation of residential driveways from Glass to Allen Roads, where possible, according to Dick Beaubien, engineer for Hubble, Roth & Clark, Inc.
Beaubien said that while many M-15 impediment issues through Brandon Township have been addressed, and corrected, there are several developmental and ordinance issues the planning commission should consider.
‘The suggestion is that planning commissions should look to future developments and where driveways should go, which will most likely not effect existing ordinances,? Beaubien said.