Sixty-seven people turned out to give their thoughts on M-24 traffic flow, and hear from those in charge of an ongoing access management study, during a presentation by the Michigan Department of Transportation at Orion Township Hall last week.
The public hearing took place on Sept. 21, and included MDOT officials, as well as project manager Jim Hartman from the Corradino Group.
Officials from the M-24 corridor’s five governing bodies, Auburn Hills, Orion Township, the Village of Lake Orion, Oxford Township, and the Village of Oxford, were also on hand.
These officials, representing communities along the stretch of M-24 from I-75 to the Oakland County line, have been involved from day one with the study, as part of a steering committee.
The project started earlier this year, and includes Orion Township Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk, and Lake Orion Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel.
‘It was a very thorough presentation,? Dywasuk said. ‘Easily the best dialogue I’ve seen on M-24.?
Van Tassel echoed those thoughts, saying discussion about Lapeer Road has been long overdue.
‘I thought it was a helpful meeting,? she said afterwards. ‘I think that MDOT and the people from the Corradino Group were open to comments the public made.?
The public hearing included an hour-long open house session, before the presentation, followed by a question and answer session.
‘That kind of format allows people to talk with us one-on-one,? said MDOT Metro Region Transportation Planner Jeff Edwards.
Those in attendance were encouraged to write comments on sticky notes and place them directly on one of several maps put up around the meeting room.
‘We got a number of good comments,? Edwards said. ‘There were quite a few sticky notes.?
Hartman and Edwards then explained the goals of access management to the audience in a detailed presentation.
Access management uses a variety of techniques to help reduce traffic congestion, preserve the flow of traffic, improve traffic safety and preserve investment in roads by managing the location, design and type of access to property.
With the idea of widening M-24 not likely an option, both logistically and financially, Dywasuk said access management is the next best option for the corridor.
He added that a FAST-TRAC system, designed to synchronize the timing of traffic lights and, thus, improve traffic flow, should also be coming to the corridor soon.
Edwards noted that there was a good balance of people from each of the five areas at the public hearing, and Dywasuk added that there were also several business owners on hand.
One area that got a good deal of mention was the Atwater/M-24 intersection in Orion.
‘We definitely need to have some improvements at that intersection,? Dywasuk said.
Van Tassel indicated that a turn arrow for southbound M-24 traffic might be the only solution at this point.
‘One solution doesn’t fit all,? she said, referring to the notion that turn arrows are only to be implemented at four-way intersections.
‘Atwater is only three-ways, so we’re never going to meet that criteria,? she said.
She hopes that the steering committee will take the comments from the public to heart, and consider a turn arrow at that intersection, noting that there have been some serious accidents there in the recent past.
Van Tassel was encouraged by feedback from her previous suggestion to add another lane to Odanah, which could lessen back-ups on northbound M-24 for those currently forced to use Heights Road.
She said the committee has been doing a good job of addressing items not on M-24 that could still have a direct impact on the M-24 traffic flow. The steering committee will meet in the coming weeks to discuss comments that were made at the public hearing.
Edwards said another public hearing is likely to take place before the end of the calendar year.
‘I just hope people stay interested and turn out at the next meeting,? he said.
The next public hearing will be more of a showcase for residents and business owners to see how the changes will be, and have been, implemented.
‘We’re shooting to wrap up by December 31,? Edwards said of the study. ‘But we can go another couple of months if we need to.?