Dear Editor,

I have been a resident of Clarkston for nearly 40 years. I am an avid reader of The Clarkston News along with many other local papers. I frequently see complaints regarding the traffic in downtown Clarkston with complaints about the speed limit. I truly just do not comprehend the misdirected worry about public safety. I currently reside in a house along M-15 and can tell you the amount of car related accidents that result in casualties is beyond worrisome. Within the last four months alone there have been more than three deaths within a two-mile stretch along M-15.
I truly cannot understand how anyone in Clarkston does not think this is an issue.
My entire family is terrified to turn into their own home because the traffic around them is so aggressive. I cannot explain how often while turning into my own home, on my own street, I am honked at for simply slowing down to less than 55 MPH. Myself and my entire family (not to mention guests who may come over) are consistently honked at, or the car behind us will not slow down and go around us on the shoulder, leaving us with our blinker on at the mercy of the car behind them, to see we have slowed down.
To give you a specific example, my nephew was trying to turn into my own driveway in order to come to my wife’s birthday party, and his car was totaled. My nephew, with witnesses to verify, slowed down well before our driveway, while having his blinker on, and the car behind him did not notice. The car behind him clipped the corner of his car while swerving out of the way leaving the car behind him not enough time to slow down, so he was rear-ended (photo above). After he was hit by the car behind him, his car did a complete 180 degree turn, to have the car coming the opposite direction rear end him for the second time. I cannot explain to you how happy I am my own nephew was only rear-ended twice. If this situation had even varied slightly, there is not a doubt in my mind that he would have died.
The amount of casualties that have happened within the two-mile stretch of my house have been beyond concerning. I will start with a timeline we are all familiar with, the beginning of the COVID pandemic in the United States. Within this one two-mile stretch, there have been a minimum of three casualties alone. That is only casualties. It does not include the amount of cars that have been rear-ended either turning into their homes or turning into the new 15th Street Tavern along M-15.
As a city, I truly feel our concern is in the wrong area.
There are consistently not only residents, along with others, that are trying to make their way home or to our own businesses to make contributions to our own town, who end up in agony. The amount of concern here that is lacking from the community is appalling as a long-time Clarkston resident. While I don’t think the issue here is the speed limit, I think the true issue is the lack of a middle lane here. If there was simply a middle lane, residents and consumers trying to simply better our own town, would be less at risk of either losing their own lives, suffering from serious injuries, or damaging their vehicles.
I would like to make note of the fact the township finally added a car-counter to the street along M-15. However, this was only added to assess the situation during a global pandemic. I think it is obvious there was less traffic during this time, primarily due to the fact there were less residents going out on the road to work. I sincerely do not believe this was an accurate representation of the actual traffic on this road.
While I understand there is possibly a concern regarding the speed limit in downtown Clarkston, I do not believe there have been any lives taken which is obviously not the case elsewhere.
I believe adding a middle lane along M-15 would reduce the amount of accidents and lives lost along M-15.

Sincerely,
Clarkston News Reader
M-15 Resident, Independence Township