When Laura Moreau recently took a group of fourth graders across Dixie Highway at Davisburg Road, the experience was eye opening.
‘It was frightening ? no sidewalks and no crosswalks,? said Moreau, Springfield Township clerk, at the Oct. 1 Township Board meeting.
‘Traffic really flies coming from the north,? said Trustee Roger Lamont.
A traffic study of the Dixie Highway corridor earlier this year found the intersection the most dangerous in the area, Lamont said.
The board voted 6-1 to approve a $200,000 improvement project for the intersection, funded through Oakland County’s Tri-Party Program.
Road Commission for Oakland County, County Board, and Springfield Township will each pay a third, $66,667 for the county agencies, a dollar less for the township.
‘I think it’s an appropriate project at the appropriate time,? said Supervisor Mike Trout.
The project includes replacing wire-suspended traffic signals with mast-mounted lights, including left-turn signals, camera-controlled, along with button-controlled crosswalk lights, curb cuts, and markings.
The Tri Party Program faced elimination this year in Oakland County’s budget process, but was continued for another year with scaled back funding.
A road commission memo to township supervisors advised municipalities to use accumulated funds.
‘Tri Party funding is going away, and we risk losing it if we don’t use it,? Trout said.
‘We should do it now when we have the funds,? Moreau said. ‘This is a good first step.?
Trustee Dennis Vallad voted against the project, restating concerns from Sept. 10, when the board tabled the project.
‘We discussed pulling the mast arms and crosswalk push buttons,? Vallad said. ‘I think $200,000 is too much.?
‘I think leaving them in is important,? said Treasurer Jamie Dubre. ‘We should do as much as we can with this intersection ? it would cost more to add it later.?
The Dixie Highway project, along with $175,000 for Tindall Road work off Davisburg Road just east of downtown and $55,000 for engineering on Oakhill, spends all $430,000 in Tri Party funds for the township.
Future plans for Dixie Highway include more walkways, perhaps connecting to Independence Township’s safety paths, Trout said.
‘That would require a cooperative effort with Independence Township,? he said. ‘It would have a lot of challenges. It would be costly, but I think we can accomplish pieces as we go ? we have to have a plan and look for funding opportunities.?