I did sit in on the road commission meeting this week. We all know Morris Rd. is open now – yay. (Don’t you love the new handicap ramp to nowhere on the northeast corner of the intersection? I need to get a picture of that. They had to put the ramp in under the terms of the safety grant.)
Commissioners approved a Traffic Control Order to post the Morris Rd. bridge just south of the tracks, between Peppermill east and Peppermill west for a 60 ton gross vehicle weight limit. That bridge was built in 1967. Wasn’t posted previously.
A resident suggested that the road commission consider all the speed limit changes on one of the well-known “routes” – going along Morris to Bowers to Roods Lake to Haines & Daley. Yup, 45 – 55 – 45 – 55. Road commissioners responded that it’s due to land uses and the number of driveways and there’s not much they can do, even though it would be nice to make it consistent.
(And while I’m thinking about this matter of changing speed limits…. People complain about certain roads where everyone goes too fast, but it’s next to impossible to change the speed limit – because of the infamous 85th percentile axiom. According to this plan, they set the speed limit at or under the speed at which 85 percent of the people are driving on the road already. No one ever talks about what effect the posted speed limit has on it – I wonder if there’s a study for that. Plus, it seems to me this would apply differently in different environments – say, a freeway or a local primary. Anyway, everyone just seems to accept this state police methodology, but it seems like there ought to be room in the system for exceptions.)
Crews are getting through all the cross-tube work. They’re pretty much finished with primary mowing.
Gary Roy from the County Commission gave an update on county/state matters. He brought some impressive numbers with him:
Income tax revenues down this year 55%
Sales tax revenues down 26%
Revenue sharing not likely to be a bright spot either.
Commissioners handed out a flyer encouraging people to call their state legislators and tell them to support increased funding for “Michigan’s crumbling roads and bridges.” This is a CRAM (County Road Association of Michigan) initiative.
Of course, everyone commented on the inability of the legislature to accomplish much of anything. And then there was the vague concern about what happens when the state freezes because the legislature can’t pass a budget.
Projects approved:
Burlington Twp:
x-tube Millington between Jefferson & Hathaway $1,990
x-tube Haight west of Lake Pleasant, $1,610
x-tube Merrill north of Millington $1,890
x-tube Appleman off Jefferson, $2,100
Burnside Twp:
Pit run and top w/ gravel Park at Brooks $3,000
North Branch:
Ditching in North Branch Township $20,000
Ditch Patrick at flooding area and remove trees $15,000
