Groveland Twp.- The often congested intersection of Oakwood Road and M-15 will remain without a traffic signal.
On Feb. 23, the Michigan Department of Transportation notified both Groveland Township and the Village of Ortonville that after the results of a lengthy study the intersection did not warrant a signal.
‘That intersection is a disaster waiting to happen,? said Robert DePalma, Groveland Township supervisor. It’s the worst one in Groveland Township. We’ve been trying for over a year to get MDOT to install a light there.?
In January 2003, DePalma along with Ortonville Village Manager Paul Zelenak requested a traffic data study of the intersection by Traffic Improvement Association.
Brandon and Groveland townships along with the Village of Ortonville are all members of the TIA, which provides traffic data to municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and school districts in order to assist in solving community traffic problems.
The study was initiated by DePalma and Zelenak as a twofold effort to provide a traffic signal at the intersection to encourage Oakwood traffic to enter M-15 at that light, rather than through downtown streets from Mill to M-15.
TIA Traffic Engineer Bob DeCorte did the study and found that while they were unable to estimate the amount of traffic diverted through town, data did suggested that a light at the Oakwood intersection appeared to meet at least four of the 11 MDOT warrants to justify a signal.
DeCorte recently warned however, that if signals are installed at intersections where they are not necessary they could cause further trouble.
‘We have to be very careful where we install lights,? DeCorte said.
‘Stopping traffic causes accidents, delays, and substantial inconvenience to motorist’s, when not necessary.?
‘It’s a safety concern that could cause heavy traffic elsewhere.?
Following the 2003 TIA study recommendation, MDOT launched their own study of the intersection in April 2003.
MDOT requirements included a minimum of 900 vehicles per hour, traffic conditions such that minor street traffic suffers undue delay in entering the major road, for one hour each day, and four hours of peak were realized.
‘It’s a safety issue,? said Zelenak. ‘There are pedestrians, school buses, old buildings, and businesses in the downtown area.?
Zelenak was hoping to collect data to support reducing set weight limits in the downtown area, in order to preserve the roadway infrastructures.
‘We don’t want heavy trucks heading downtown,? he said.
After turning down the request for the light, MDOT traffic engineer Allen Schneck expressed understanding of Zelenak’s concerns about the volume of traffic routing through the village, but stated traffic reassignment cannot be based on speculation, but on hard numbers.
‘As communities develop motorists tend to take a path of lease resistance, but that may not be the easiest path,? said Schneck, referring to the downtown traffic.
‘In time as development increases a signal may meet the developmental criteria.?
Schneck added that MDOT is responding to community requests for the M-15 corridor relief that DePalma and Township Supervisor Ron Lapp pushed for a including a turning lane at M-15 and Glass, the Grange Hall turning flare, and improvements near Bullfrog’s Restaurant, all designed to improve traffic flow.
‘Those projects were done as a result of their requests to resolve potential conflicts,? said Schneck. That is part of the reason we just studied M-15 and Oakwood but at this time it does not meet the warrants.?