A total of 41 stretches of gravel roads in Oxford and Addison townships will have their speed limits increased significantly as a result of a new state law which takes effect in early November.
‘All of them are going to change ? all the ones that are currently the 25-mile-per-hour residential districts,? said Craig Bryson, spokesman for the Road Commission for Oakland County.
Twenty sections of gravel roads in Oxford and 19 sections in Addison, all currently posted with 25-mile-per-hour speed limits, will become unposted 55 mph roads effective Nov. 9, according to Bryson (for a complete list of the affected roads see page 16).
‘None of them in either of those townships qualified for 25 (mph speed limits) under the new restrictions and very, very few of them qualified for any posted speed limit at all, which means they’ll go to prima facie 55 (mph),? Bryson said.
‘It’s a horrible law,? said Addison Clerk Pauline Bennett. ‘Twenty-five (mph) is too slow, I agree, for a lot of these roads, but 55 (mph) is just way too fast.?
For Addison residents wishing to learn more about the speed change, there will be a meeting 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the township complex on Rochester Rd. in Lakeville. State Rp. Him Marleau (R-Lake Orion) and a representative from the Michigan State Police will be there to explain the new law and answer questions.
The posted speed limits on two gravel road segments in Oxford Township will increase from 25 to 45 mph under the new law.
Those sections include a half-mile portion of a one mile stretch of W. Drahner Rd. between Coats and Baldwin roads and the entire half-mile segment of Thomas Rd. between M-24 and Davison Lake Rd.
Approved in April, Public Act 85 of 2006 changed the restrictions for prima facie speed limits, reducing the areas that could be posted with 25 mph speed limits.
Both state Rep. Marleau and state Sen. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) voted in favor of this act, also known as House Bill 5240.
On roads where there is no posted speed limit, or on gravel/unpaved roads, the speed limit is known as prima facie, which equals 55 mph by default, but is subject to drivers? judgement of driving conditions.
Under the current law, 25 mph speed limits on gravel roads could be established in ‘residential districts,? which were defined as areas that are not business districts and where for at least 300 feet, the road frontage was mainly occupied by ‘dwellings or by dwellings and buildings in use for business.?
This allowed the county road commission to post 25 mph speed limits on roads that no longer qualify for this speed under the new law.
Bryson said the old law offered a ‘much looser requirement than the new one? for 25 mph speed limits.
Now, in order for a gravel road to be posted 25 mph, it must have 60 or more vehicular access points along the road within a half mile.
Vehicular access points are defined as side streets, driveways or private roads that intersect with the gravel road.
Roads having 45 to 59 access points within a half mile with be posted at 35 mph.
Thirty to 44 vehicular access points within a half mile earns a posted speed limit of 45 mph.
Anything less than 30 access points will have no posted speed limit and be considered 55 mph.
‘Oxford Township has 22 road sections currently posted for 25 mph residential,? Bryson said. ‘Two of them will go to 45 (mph). The rest will go to 55 (mph) or prima facie, which means A unposted or by default 55 (mph).?
The one mile of W. Drahner Rd. between Coats and Baldwin roads has 35 access points within a half-mile qualifying it for a 45 mph speed limit. The other half of this one-mile stretch will become unposted, 55 mph.
A half-mile of Thomas Rd. between M-24 and Davison Lake Rd. has 37 access points also qualifying it for 45 mph.
A 0.6-mile stretch of Baldwin Rd. between Oakwood and Davison Lake came close to qualifying for 45 mph with its 30 access points, but did not meet the new requirements.
It was a different story in Addison.
‘In Addison, none of them qualified for any speed limit, so they all go to prima facie,? Bryson said. ‘Addison has 19 road segments that are currently posted at 25 (mph) and every single one will go to prima facie 55 (mph).?
‘Frankly, I am stunned by the fact that bill would go through considering the roads where I live in Addison Township curve, some are S-shaped, they have high crowns where other roads intersect, vehicles slide on the gravel,? said Addison resident Bill Devine. ‘I just can’t even imagine anyone traveling through there at more than 30-35 miles an hour.?
Devine is worried the speed changes represent a safety hazard to horseback riders and children walking along the roads.
‘We don’t have sidewalks,? he said. ‘How does a child get from their house to their playmate’s house (without walking on the side of the road)??
‘It’s a tragedy from the standpoint of safety,? Devine added. half-mile of Thomas Rd. between M-24 and Davison Lake Rd. has 37 access points also qualifying it for 45 mph.
A 0.6-mile stretch of Baldwin Rd. between Oakwood and Davison Lake came close to qualifying for 45 mph with its 30 access points, but did meet the new requirements.
It was a different story in Addison.
‘In Addison, none of them qualified for any speed limit, so they all go to prima facie,? Bryson said. ‘Addison has 19 road segments that are currently posted at 25 (mph) and every single one will go to prima facie 55 (mph).?
‘Frankly, I am stunned by the fact that bill would go through considering the roads where I live in Addison Township curve, some are S-shaped, they have high crowns where other roads intersect, vehicles slide on the gravel,? said Addison resident Bill Devine. ‘I just can’t even imagine anyone traveling through there at more than 30-35 miles an hour.?
Devine is worried the speed changes represent a safety hazard to horseback riders and children walking along the roads.
‘We don’t have sidewalks,? he said. ‘How does a child get from their house to their playmate’s house (without walking on the side of the road)??
‘It’s a tragedy from the standpoint of safety,? Devine added.

Gravel roads that will no longer be 25 mph in Oxford Twp.
Baldwin from Oakwood to Davison Lake
Barr from Indian Lake to Lakeville Rd.
Coats from Stanton to Oakwood
Davison from Baldwin to Ludwig
Delano from Ray to Davison Lake
Drahner from Baldwin to Coats*
Drahner from Coats to Sanders
Drahner from Oxford Lakes Drive to Barr
Gardner from Noble to Davison Lake
Granger from Baldwin to Seymour Lake
Hummer Lake from Baldwin to Metamora
Indian Lake from M-24 to Barr
Metamora from M-24 to Davison
Newman from Stanton to Drahner
Oakwood from M-24 to Appleman
Ray from M-24 to Oxford
Ray from Oxford to Addison Twp.
Sanders from Drahner to Seymour Lake
Shipman from Baldwin to Coats
Stanton from Baldwin to Newman
Thomas from Oakwood to M-24
Thomas from M-24 to Davison Lake*

* Italics denotes a road segment will change to a 45 mph speed limit under the new state law. All the rest are going to 55 mph.

Gravel roads that will no longer be 25 mph in Addison Twp.
Barr from Indian Lake to Lakeville Rd.
Bettis from Drahner to Rochester Rd.
Brewer from Rochester Rd. to Dequindre Curtis from Lakeville Rd. to Leonard Rd.
Drahner from Barr to Rochester Rd.
Frick from Rochester Rd. to Dequindre
Hagerman from Frick to Lapeer Co.
Haven from Noble to Lapeer Co.
Hosner from Drahner to Lapeer Co.
Indian Lake from Barr to Lake George
Lake George from Romeo Rd. to Lapeer Co.
Mack from Rochester Rd. to Dequindre
Moffat from Lakeville Rd. to Mack
Oakwood from Oxford Twp. to Lake George
Ray from Oxford Twp. to Lake George
Rowland from Curtis Rd. to Rochester
Texter from Mack to Frick
Townsend from Romeo to Mack
Yule from Lakeville Rd. to Dequindre
To contact state Rep. Jim Marleau call (517) 373-1798 or e-mail jimmarleau@house.mi.gov
To contact state Sen. Mike Bishop call (517) 373-2417 or e-mail senmbishop@senate.michigan.gov