Drivers in Brandon and Groveland townships beware: Snowy, icy roads ahead.
Officials from the Road Commission of Oakland County are warning local drivers to exercise caution this winter as they travel M-15 and dirt roads that will likely be a challenge to drive as funding cuts affect snow and ice removal.
‘The critical message is that drivers really need to pay attention and drive appropriately,? said RCOC Public Information Officer Craig Bryson. ‘In the past, they might have been OK on the assumption we had been plowing and salting already, but it’s not safe to make that assumption anymore. We’re doing everything we can, but our resources are much more limited this year.?
Bryson noted this is the fourth straight year of declining revenue, and for 10 years prior to the beginning of the decline, revenue was flat. There is less money in the current fiscal year than the RCOC received in 2000. Funding for the road commission comes from the state gas tax and vehicle registration fees, and a reduction in this revenue has resulted in a reduction in RCOC staff.
In any storm, main roads such as I-75 that are traveled the most will receive attention first, followed by secondary roads such as M-15. Residential streets and subdivisions are lower priority.
In the Brandon and Groveland townships, M-15 is one of the routes impacted by a reduction in RCOC staffing, with the roadway affected from Dixie Highway north to the county line.
‘M-15 is still a state trunk line in that part of the county, a major road, but it might get plowed only once (during a storm),? Bryson said. ‘It will take us longer to get to back roads in the subdivisions. If there is a major storm, it could be four days before we get to the back roads, it’s not outside the realm of possibility.?
On M-15 in Genesee County north of the Oakland County line, Genesee County Road Commission Director John Daly said there will be no reduction in service.
‘Over the last five years we’ve had no layoffs,? said Daly. ‘Our reductions have come along through normal attrition. The state trunk lines are still a priority. If there is a priority it will be determined by volume of traffic. However, keep in mind that local roads and subdivisions will be plowed last.?