‘The next person that gets killed or seriously hurt (crossing M-24) has got a lot of people in this roomthat they can point to as (it) being their fault.?
Oxford Village Council President Chris Bishop pulled no punches Monday as he and other village officials met with representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and state Rep. Jim Marleau’s (R-Lake Orion) staff to discuss how to make M-24 safer for pedestrians.
The meeting was precipitated by a Sept. 14 incident involving four teenage girls who were hit by a vehicle while jaywalking across M-24 between the Oxford 7 Theater and Starbucks downtown. Another teenage girl was hit crossing at the Burdick/M-24 intersection Oct. 1.
Of particular interest to village officials was how to finally get traffic signals installed where Broadway St. and Stanton/Dennison streets intersect M-24 in the downtown area. The idea being to slow traffic down and give pedestrians safer places to cross.
‘We want action,? Bishop said. ‘It is really that simple.?
However, MDOT representatives said that so far, based on previous traffic studies, neither intersection qualified for a traffic signal using the three most common criteria (or warrants) recognized nationally, which are traffic volume on the side streets, delays turning onto the main road, and crashes.
‘You’re asking us to put a signal in where no warrants are met,? said Greg Johnson, MDOT’s Metro Region Engineer. ‘There are warrants for signals for a reason. We’re not pulling these warrants out of thin air.?
According to the last traffic study conducted in 2005, during the ‘peak hours? (i.e. the morning and afternoon rushes) Dennison/Stanton had about 50-60 vehicles while Broadway had about 100 vehicles, according to Steve Stramsak, MDOT’s traffic and safety engineer for Oakland County.
To get a signal installed, it takes a minimum volume of 140 vehicles on a side street over an eight-hour period, Stramsak noted.
MDOT representatives argued they can’t just install a traffic signal where one is not warranted. ‘Any time you put in a signal you’re actually increasing the chance of having an accident at that location,? explained Stramsak, who was referring to an increase in ‘rear-end crashes? from vehicles having to stop.
Johnson said MDOT has a ‘very strict warranting process? when it comes to installing traffic signals because the agency would be ‘liable? for accidents that occurred as a result of an unwarranted light.
‘If we were to put in a signal without warrants, and there is a fatality that occurs at that signal, it’s not going to be the Village of Oxford, it’s not going to be the Oxford Police Department, it’s going to be MDOT who is responsible for that. I can guarantee you that,? Johnson said. ‘We don’t put up signals where they are not warranted.?
Bishop accused MDOT of making excuses. ‘MDOT seems to be constantly looking for a reason to not install a traffic signal where I think most people, who are local experts because they live here and traverse this town on a regular basis, say that a light would (benefit) this town,? he said.
‘The local experts would have a traffic signal at the end of their driveway if they were delayed more than two minutes getting out,? Johnson retorted. ‘We have national standards that we have to adhere to or there would be signals everywhere.?
Village officials argued the reason the measured traffic volume on these side streets is too low to warrant a signal is because the studies are not getting an accurate count of the actual vehicle numbers, which should include the many drivers who avoid turning onto M-24 due to heavy traffic flow or a belief that it’s simply too dangerous.
‘People avoid those two intersections like the plague as far as making left-turns to go south,? said Councilman Tom Benner. ‘I wouldn’t even think about coming up Broadway and trying to make a left turn at any time of the day . . . And Stanton St. is the same way.?
Johnson said MDOT is willing to do an ‘enhanced (traffic) study? that looks ‘holistically? at the area, meaning it would take things into account like the amount of side street traffic that purposely avoids M-24.
‘People should take the shortest route to get somewhere. If you’ve got people taking a longer route, we’ll figure out why by stopping and talking to people or observing people at different key turning points,? Johnson told this reporter.
This broader study can encompass ‘whatever you guys tell us to look for,? Johnson told village officials. ‘We are not in the business of saying no to communities, but we are in the business of running a safe roadway.
The study could also count the number of pedestrians crossing between the Oxford 7 Theater and Starbucks, and take that into account as well. ‘We’ll come out and we will count pedestrians,? Johnson said. ‘If the kids are crossing at midnight, we will have someone out there counting folks crossing this roadway.?
However, before this study could be done, Johnson said, ‘The first thing we have to do is find the money in our budget.?
Johnson said he would let the village council know before it’s Nov. 13 meeting whether or not there’s funding available. If the money’s there, Johnson said, ‘It may be something that can be done as early as next summer.?
He also noted the village would be included in selecting a consultant to perform the traffic study and writing the scope of services for whomever was hired. ‘We have no problems with that as long as it is based in proper traffic engineering,? Johnson said.
But village Police Chief Mike Neymanowski wanted to know, ‘How can you guys help us right now?? He said there are more than 250 kids downtown every Friday night, many of whom are crossing back and forth between the movie theater and Starbucks.
‘I would hate to see one of these kids get hit again,? the chief said.
Stramsak said he can find out when the yellow, diamond-shaped signs notifying drivers there’s a pedestrian crosswalk on the corners between the theater and Starbucks will be installed. Although the white stripes (or ‘hash marks? as they’ve been called) indicating a crosswalk were painted across M-24 between Dennison and Stanton early in the summer, at the Downtown Development Authority’s request, Stramsak said the signage marking them for drivers was delayed.
‘We had some issues with being a little short of money in our sign budget when the request for pavement markings came in,? explained Stramsak, noting sign funding didn’t become available until MDOT’s current fiscal year began Oct. 1. ‘It is on the list of things to do, but it hasn’t been accomplished as of yet.?
However, it was noted that at its Sept. 25 meeting, the village council voted 5-0 to have that crosswalk striping at the Dennsion/M-24/Stanton intersection removed and ‘no crossing? signs posted there.
‘If you guys want us to take the crosswalks out and put ‘cross at Burdick Street? signs there (with arrows pointing north), we can do that,? Johnson said. ‘Tell us what you’re pleasure is. If it’s crosswalk removed and ‘cross at Burdick signs? or if it’s crosswalk stays and (put in) pedestrian signs, we will walk out of this room, make that call and say make this a priority, whichever one you want.?
‘We want to be helpful. We want this area to be as safe as possible,? Johnson noted.
Because Benner had to leave Monday’s meeting before its end, council was left with only two members present (less than a quorum), making it legally unable to rescind or amend the original motion.
‘As of now, that is our pleasure,? said Bishop, referring to having the crosswalk removed. However, it was noted that, depending on how quickly the pedestrian crossing signs could be installed, council could vote to change its previous motion Nov. 13.