State plans for increased speed limits on US-12 in Saline not a done deal
Not so fast, says Michigan State Trooper Lt. Gary Megee - the proposed new state-mandated speed limits for sections of US-12 aren’t aren't a done deal.
Following the announcement three weeks ago that the state planned to increase speeds on portions of Michigan Avenue in Saline, Megee told the City Council that a final determination for the new speeds had not been made.
“The numbers I gave the chief (Paul Bunten) aren’t the final report,” Megee said. “We haven’t finalized anything with MDOT yet.”
City Manager Todd Campbell said previously that the city had been contacted and told that increases on the section of US-12 from Industrial to Hopper, would go from 45 mph to 50 mph and the section from Kevling to Harris would increase to 40 mph.
In addition, he said the section from Lewis to Mills would increase to 40 mph and from Mills to the outskirts of town, the speed would be 45 mph.
The area through the downtown would continue to be 30 mph.
Councilman David Rhoads said he was concerned about changing speed limits in just a few short blocks, referring to proposed changes on US-12 from Lewis to Mills, while from Maple to Hopper, he said, "there are a boatload of entrances and exits on that section."
Megee said, “MDOT and MSP always work with communities” regarding any speed changes, then explained that setting speed limits is “counter intuitive,” because “artificially low speed limits” aren’t safe for drivers, pedestrians or bicyclists.
He said slower speeds lower driver and pedestrian expectations and if cars are traveling faster than the posted speed limits, it becomes a safety risk for everyone.
“Anyone would feel safe at 25 mph, but in reality, if people are going 40 mph faster,” there’s a safety risk. It’s important make the the road match the driver’s expectations.
The Michigan State Police review speed limits on road segments across the state every 10 years, Megree said, while speed studies have shown that sections of US-12 have speed limits that are too low.
“Speed limits have little to do with the speeds that people are driving,” Megee said, adding that “We shouldn’t penalize the motoring public for traveling a safe speed.”
In reaction to the proposed change in speed limits, the Saline City Council was set to adopt a resolution in opposition to the increased speeds, but pulled it from consideration last Monday night when Megee said he’d be back in contact with the city in two weeks with the final report.
Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.
Comments
Lac Court Orilles
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 : 12:20 p.m.
U.S.-12 from Clinton to Ypsilanti has the most drunk drivers anywhere in the State of Michigan. Increasing the speed only allows these party seekers to crash into your car at a much higher speed. When will intelligence ever become a factor in setting speed limits? (RE: been hit by two of these party animals on U.S.-12 just East of Saline.)
dm61
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 : 4:36 a.m.
This should be a done deal. The speed limit in the areas described above are too low currently, they simply enable the Saline Police to have an easy speed trap (watch for them at Rentschler Farm and by Weller's/Curtis Park). The counsel's concerns are not valid in my opinion, raising the speed limit in the areas listed in the article will not affect the (extremely small amount) of pedestrian traffic in downtown Saline. Speed limits in Saline are too low in general, Woodland Drive for example should not be 35-30mph it should be closer to 40mph with an exception made during school hours, Ann Arbor Saline is also too slow from Woodland Drive all the way down to Bennet Street (currently 30-25mph), same with all of Industrial Drive (all of these locations are closely monitored by the police who seem to have nothing better to do than sit in their cars with a radar gun). Also, I completely agree with grimmk, Michigan Ave needs to be two lanes from US-23 all the way into Saline, for some reason it seems like their is always someone who insists on doing 40 miles an hour where it's 55 or 30 where it's 45 when there is no reason to go so slow, and more often then not it's a senior citizen in their 1990's Buick (mandatory road tests for those over 65 anyone???).
dm61
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 3:50 a.m.
Well hopefully you'll get a ticket for impeding traffic once the speed limit is raised to 50, since you "will not exceed 45 mph on U.S.-12." I have no problem with you doing 45 right now (if we're talking about past Industrial where it's 55 then that's a different story), because that is the speed limit. I don't expect people to speed, I just expect them to do the posted speed. Also don't assume that I'm an aggressive driver just because I take issue with people who hold up and disrupt traffic because they have to do 5 under, I don't push people, I don't flash my high beams, I don't blare my horn, I deal with people driving like idiots and grin and bear it. Also it's unfortunate that you've been hit by drunk drivers, but let's face it the vast majority of drunk drivers are either speeding or going under the speed limit, they rarely do the posted limit. Raising the speed limit is not going to enable drunk drivers, and to say otherwise makes absolutely no sense.
Lac Court Orilles
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 : 12:25 p.m.
Mr. Aggressive Driver, I will not exceed 45 mph on U.S.-12 and no I am not a senior citizen driving a Buick. Look for a big white Hummer with a US Marine sticker in the window obeying the speed limit next time you leave Dan's Tavern after downing six or seven.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Tue, Nov 29, 2011 : 4:55 p.m.
It's important make the the road match the driver's expectations... --------- Wow. Does this mean US 23 needs to have an 85 mph speed limit?
Jamie Riddle
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 : 2:51 p.m.
Or I-696 should have a speed limit of 90+ MPH. It seems like you can never can fast enough on 696 for traffic.
grimmk
Tue, Nov 29, 2011 : 3:23 p.m.
Won't make a difference. You will always be behind someone doing 40 in a 55 zone or 35 in a 45. SO AGGRAVATING. People drive all sorts of crazy on Michigan Ave. And then it backs up for miles during rush hour. It needs to be more then just a single lane one way. It needs to be a double lane so people can pass the slower folks and it won't get so jammed up at the lights.