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News

Traffic plan lays out changes to Gratiot

Published: Wednesday, April 1, 2009

18 comment(s) | Email to a friend | Print version | | RSS=20 Feeds

By Mitch Hotts, Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Traffic safety for the 26 miles of Gratiot Avenue running through = Macomb=20 County=E2=80=94 from the Eight Mile border through Richmond on the north = end =E2=80=94 could be=20 improved through a series of modifications, planners said = Tuesday.

Under=20 a concept known as access management, planners are recommending a number = of=20 physical changes along Gratiot's major intersections and driveways to = reduce the=20 amount of crashes and improve traffic flow.

"We've heard a number = of=20 people say they won't shop along Gratiot because it's always too = congested,"=20 said Brad Strader of LSL Planning in Royal Oak. "We want a more = thoughtful=20 approach on placement of driveways and medians near busy=20 intersections."

Gratiot has been the scene of two major accidents = in the=20 past year =E2=80=94 in

Chesterfield Township and most recently in = Roseville =E2=80=94=20 that killed seven teenagers.

Under the access management = scenario, some=20 driveways to businesses would be closed, median access would be altered = and=20 other driveways leading to multiple stores would be = consolidated.

It's a=20 long-term project that would have more impact on northern Macomb = communities=20 that have not yet been built out, officials said.

All nine = communities=20 along the strip have signed a letter of agreement to participate in the = program,=20 with financing coming from the private sector, municipal downtown = development=20 authorities and the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Two = workshops=20 were held earlier this week, one for the area north of M-59 on Monday = evening,=20 and one for the area from Eight Mile to M-59 on Tuesday.

All of = the=20 communities are now expected to incorporate the principles into zoning=20 ordinances for new businesses seeking site plan approval or for changes = to=20 existing property in the southern end.

For the project, planners = used two=20 years' worth of accident reports along Gratiot to target high-accident = areas and=20 then set out to determine potential solutions to traffic factors that = played a=20 role in the crashes.

Researchers found 75 percent of the crashes = relate=20 to motorists making left turns. Medians are a useful turn for accident = safety,=20 but some of the access points may be closed or altered, planners said. = Likewise,=20 if a gas station has four driveways, the plan calls for shutting some to = reduce=20 the amount of cars entering and exiting the facility.

Sarah = Binkowski, a=20 traffic engineer for the Parsons-Brinckerhoff firm which worked on the = project,=20 offered an example of potential changes.

For the southbound lanes = of=20 Gratiot at the Interstate 94 exit in Roseville, a dual left-turn lane = would be=20 added to cut down on the number of rear-end collisions being reported = due to=20 confusion over getting to the freeway.

On the northbound side, a = median=20 turnaround would be moved further north to reduce motorists coming off = the=20 freeway from trying to cross all four lanes of Gratiot to make a = left-hand=20 turn.

Also, the project will make allowances for changes if some = type of=20 a bus rapid transit system comes to fruition for Gratiot, said Jennifer = Evans of=20 Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).

More = information on=20 the project is available at http://www.accessgratiot.info/.

Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no = way do=20 they represent the view of macombdaily.com.

warrentim wrote on Apr 1, 2009 8:17 AM:

" How about we just adjust the timing = of the=20 traffic lights to allow for better traffic flow? This shouldn't cost = much, if=20 anything at all, and will make traveling on Gratiot much better. = "

Report Abuse

Chesterfield wrote on Apr 1, 2009 8:21 AM:

" A drunk driver and a vigilant killed = 7=20 teenagers...not traffic congestion. "

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ND wrote on Apr 1, 2009 9:32 AM:

" Traffic congestion was not the = problem that=20 killed the teenagers. Always looking to change what already works. I = hate one=20 entrance used for getting to several different establishments. It's the=20 worst!

There is no valid reason to make structural changes to = Gratiot.=20 However, timing the lights better would help both the traffic flow and = save on=20 gas.

Do the right thing for a change and not waste the taxpayer's = money.=20 "

Report Abuse

BG Richmond wrote on Apr 1, 2009 10:06 AM:

" The two crashes referenced in the = news story=20 were due to drunk driving. They had nothing to do with the traffic flow. = Typical=20 liberal government looking for ways to spend money on useless things. = Try=20 retiming the trafic lights for better flow. How about improving the = street=20 surface itself? "

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Right 2 Bare Arms wrote on Apr 1, 2009 10:22 AM:

" The three major areas of interest = should be=20 Gratiot / I696, Gratiot / I94-Masonic & Gratiot / 23 mile. The I94 = off ramp=20 to Gratiot was great back in 1965 when it was designed but today drivers = come=20 off and expect the right to cross ALL fours lanes to make the turn a = round south=20 of Masonic. They never pay attention to signage.
The ramp should = come to a=20 stop at the foot of Gratiout and then allow drivers to make turns there. = "

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Grid lock wrote on Apr 1, 2009 11:04 AM:

" We need more round-abouts. How about = one at=20 each mile road? Then no one will use the road. "

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MichiganJRay wrote on Apr 1, 2009 11:27 AM:

" TO GRID LOCK:

You certainly = have that=20 one correct. All it takes is one nervous nellie and you're stuck. = "

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CooperBanksMackenzie wrote on = Apr 1, 2009 12:17 PM:

" Great, just what we need. More buses = on Gratiot=20 that just pull into traffic whenever they want. They don't even wait for = there=20 to be an opening in the lane they are trying to merge in to. I'm excited = to get=20 side swiped by a bus. "

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Gratiot Driver wrote on Apr 1, 2009 12:27 PM:

" Understand that the simple plans to = adjust will=20 not be done. It will be explained that Gratiot needs a major renovation = to=20 create jobs, costing millions ,and for us to foot the bill.Wanna save = millions=20 ???? Adjust the timing of the lights.Accidents are alwayas going to = happen.This=20 timing the light thing is too easy.But all the complaining here will = NEVER get=20 the attention of the Road Comission. "

Report Abuse

I like.... wrote on Apr 1, 2009 3:11 PM:

" ....the slow downs and back up's. It = makes it=20 easier to cruise the hookers. "

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joebob wrote on Apr 1, 2009 3:39 PM:

" Gratiot didn't kill those teenagers. = A drunk,=20 and road rage were the culprits. "

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cc38 wrote on Apr 1, 2009 4:45 PM:

" Gratiot needs to be resurfaced. The = potholes=20 are sickening. "

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Good idea wrote on Apr 1, 2009 5:17 PM:

" Please don't let the same engineers = that worked=20 on Hall Rd,(aka Hall A*s Rd)work on Gratiot. I drive out of my way to = avoid Hall=20 Rd and go to the shops on Gratiot. The only big problem area is the = entrance on=20 to I-94 where people are forced to wait on Gratiot to get in to the = enterance=20 lanes during rush hour. The exit problem from I-94 could be solved with = a=20 traffic light. "

Report Abuse

blah wrote on Apr 1, 2009 5:18 PM:

" Just more of a reason to bankrupt = this state.=20 Why don't these idiots actually put the money where it is needed to = build MI=20 back up. See what happens when you give the government a "credit card"!=20 "

Report Abuse

Oh Boy wrote on Apr 1, 2009 5:43 PM:

" I hope the same contractors hired = aren't the=20 ones whom did 23 mile road from schoenherr to jefferson what a joke, it = took so=20 long to get done they put people out of business! its so hard to get out = of the=20 south side lanes on both sides of 94, not to mention the intersection of = gratiot=20 and 23 mile was once one of the worst intersections in the country. = Spendocrates=20 to the rescue what will they tax us for to fix this.....AIR "

Report Abuse

Make it across wrote on Apr 1, 2009 6:15 PM:

" Have you ever tried to cross from the = east-side=20 to the west-side "or visa- verse on foot?It's like playing the computer = game=20 FROGGER!!! "

Report Abuse

Biking Girl wrote on Apr 1, 2009 7:08 PM:

" Better just improve the sidewalks and = bike=20 paths/routes. Nobody will be driving cars soon because nobody will have = a job to=20 buy a car - so improvements to the roads won't matter much. OK - maybe = the buses=20 will need better roads. "

Report Abuse

governors answer wrote on Apr 2, 2009 12:17 AM:

" governor's answer to new jobs = "

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Traffic plan lays out changes to Gratiot

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