Notice a few extra bumps on M-15 lately? They’re traffic counters placed by Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
Information gleaned by those wires wrapped in rubber will be used to design a project currently scheduled for 2019.
Project plans won’t be laid out until after the counters have gathered data for about two weeks, but they could involve road ‘resurfacing or restructuring? from Dixie Highway up to the north edge of Oakland County, said MDOT Spokesperson Rob Morosi.
The counters gauge direction of traffic and number of vehicles at certain times, and help MDOT develop a ‘forecast of the type of traffic going through the area? for future projects, Morosi said.
The counters are ‘not Big Brother,? he said. ‘They can’t measure speed? and are ‘not coordinating with the police.?
But they are letting MDOT know if operational improvements such as traffic lights or turn lanes are needed. When MDOT begins their work resurfacing or restructuring, they’ll complete necessary operational projects at the same time, Morosi explained.
Motorists can expect to see 10 counters along M-15 and Dixie Highway throughout the next couple of weeks, he said.