Latest news with #MichiganDepartmentofTransportation
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Zipper merge: MDOT podcast will discuss safety, rumble strips, construction
With construction underway on Michigan roads, it's a certainty you'll need to merge down to one lane at some point: State officials are urging drivers to "zipper" merge, a method to navigate congested highway work zones. The Michigan Department of Transportation recommends the zipper merge amid construction, allowing drivers to use both lanes as long as possible and then take turns merging into one lane. State transportation officials on this week's Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, will discuss zipper merging during a conversation about efforts engineers take to balance mobility and safety during active road work. Lindsey Renner, division administrator for Construction Field Services at MDOT and a former supervisor of the Work Zone Safety section, also will explain the challenges involved and discuss innovative methods such as rumble strips, speed trailers and law enforcement employing a "Ghost Rider" program to identify distracted drivers. Here's what to know. The Talking Michigan Transportation podcast features conversations with transportation experts inside and outside MDOT and will touch on anything and everything related to mobility, including rail, transit and the development of connected and automated vehicles. You can listen to the current and past podcast episodes online. A zipper merge is when traffic merges into one lane on a road, alternating to use one lane through construction. If you're entering a zipper merge on the road, look for signs advising drivers to use both lanes take turns, MDOT said. MDOT uses the zipper merge in construction zones where there is a bottleneck, typically on roads in congested, urban areas, the department says. It's important for drivers to follow instructions on signs and treat other drivers with respect to make the process safe and effective, MDOT says. Drivers should never block lanes or try to control the flow of traffic during a zipper merge. The Michigan State Police have recommended the process numerous times. "When approaching a construction zone in which a lane is reduced, remember to use the zipper merge. To keep traffic moving, drivers should use both lanes, with drivers taking turns alternating into the open lane," MSP said in a 2022 post on X. Law enforcement officials from the Michigan State Police patrol for distracted drivers in unmarked vehicles. The initiative uses unmarked spotter cars with a law enforcement officer in the passenger seat monitoring for distracted drivers. Once spotted, a visible law enforcement unit is radioed in to conduct a traffic stop. 'Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near crashes," said 1st Lt. Mike Shaw, public information officer at the Metro Detroit Michigan State Police, in a post on X. "Distracted drivers are a threat to themselves, their passengers, and anyone else on the road to include pedestrians and bicyclists." Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MDOT podcast on construction safety, zipper merge, rumble strips
CBS News
6 days ago
- General
- CBS News
MDOT invites I-75 travelers to respond to survey on HOV lanes
The Michigan Department of Transportation is asking motorists who use the high-occupancy vehicle lanes of Interstate 75 to participate in a survey on how the feature is working for them. The HOV lanes on I-75 are in Oakland County, between 12 Mile Road and South Boulevard. During the designated hours, which are weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., vehicles must have at least two people occupying the vehicle in order to use the lane. Emergency vehicles, transit buses and motorcycles also can use the HOV lane, regardless of how many people are rising. The survey is open until June 30 to anyone who live or works nearby, and travels along the HOV feature. This 14-mile section has the first HOV designated lanes in Michigan. The intentions were to reduce congestion, promote carpooling and improve travel time.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Monthslong construction project gets underway on Plainfield Avenue
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A $4.6 million construction project means drivers will have to navigate lane closures on Plainfield Avenue this summer. The Michigan Department of Transportation says crews are resurfacing about 2.7 miles of Plainfield from just south of I-96 in Grand Rapids to a little north of Airway Street in Plainfield Township. They will also resurface the highway ramps, build four median islands, improve the sidewalks and do some landscaping, including planting trees. The project gets underway Tuesday and is expected to run through late November. Drivers should expect lane closures, intermittent ramp closures and some total closures at night. When total closures are in effect, traffic will be detoured down 4 Mile and Coit Avenues. Inside Live traffic conditions The median island construction isn't expected to begin until after school is out, Plainfield Township says. Two of them are going in near Woodworth Avenue (near Meijer) and two near Jupiter Avenue (near Lowe's). At least some of them will have a place for pedestrians to pause while crossing the street. The project is a collaboration between MDOT, the Kent County Road Commission and Plainfield Township with the goal of reducing crashes, easing traffic and improving walkability under the Reimagine Plainfield initiative. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
On the move: Turtlefest and crossing signs return to Benzie County
A sign from Turtlefest 2024 next to a stake showing where the official Michigan Department of Transportation sign stands during peak turtle-crossing season. (Courtesy: Emily Votruba) This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Emily Votruba's love of animals was sparked early, during childhood summers at her grandma's cottage on Old Mission Peninsula. She'd watch frogs in the nearby pond and worry about how ultraviolet radiation from the hole in the ozone would harm them. But when she moved back to Michigan in 2010, she started thinking about turtles. After living in New York City for over a decade, she wasn't used to driving. Here, she was confronted with a lot of roadkill. Roads across the country have diced up habitats, devastating animal populations and their ecosystems. Driving on those roads, it can be almost impossible to avoid sprinting deer or scurrying squirrels. But turtles are, well, slow. And to Votruba, it seemed they were unnecessary casualties in the otherwise unavoidable collisions between cars and wildlife. 'I saw one right on [M-22] in the village that had just been run over in the middle of the road and was still there,' she said of a sighting a few years ago. 'I'm pretty sure it was still alive. It had a cracked shell, was mostly crushed, but was not dead yet.' In the village of Elberta, the speed limit is 30 miles per hour or less, but Votruba said people often go faster. And there are sections of Elberta's roads that are especially dangerous, like a bend on M-22 near the Betsie Valley Trail. 'Coming around that corner, it would be so easy to just hurt a turtle (or) hurt a person who was trying to help them,' she said. So Votruba got together with fellow county residents Mark and Carol Carlin to do something about it. The Carlins own The Elberta Mercantile Co. and are also DJs at the community radio station WUWU 100.1 FM. Motivating them was 'a combination of traffic safety and turtle safety coming together, and also being concerned about the people like us who like to help turtles,' she said. The grassroots group held the first Turtlefest last year. People made turtle crossing signs to post at key areas. They also worked with the Michigan Department of Transportation to install an official turtle crossing sign in that area. The signs go up at the start of turtle crossing season in the spring and come down around the end of July. The Portage Lake Watershed Association and the Benzie Conservation District have also put up signs at some key crossing locations. Turtlefest 2025: Turtlefest takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 24 at 654 Frankfort Ave. in downtown Elberta. You can expect sign painting, food for sale and more. It's free to attend. Michigan is home to 10 turtle species; three are threatened within the state according to the state Department of Natural Resources: the wood turtle, the spotted turtle, and the eastern box turtle. One — the Blanding's turtle — is of special concern. A recent DNR newsletter outlined the dangers of the road for these reptiles. Turtle eggs and young face high predation, but as they get older their survival rate increases drastically, so their conservation depends heavily on adult survival, wrote state fisheries biologist Tom Goniea. Turtles are on the move in the spring and summer. Females look for nesting sites and males 'just kind of wander this time of year,' Goniea wrote, asking drivers to slow down and keep an eye out for the reptilian travelers. Since the signs went up last year, Votruba said, many people have told her they're excited to see more awareness around the issue. 'I think a lot of people feel like they're the only one who cares,' she said, and knowing they're not alone in that feeling is powerful. 'If that message gets out there, then maybe it makes it safer for everyone who's interested in helping the turtles.' How to help turtles Stay alert around bridge crossings and roads near water If you see a turtle in the road, slow down and try to avoid hitting it if it's possible to do so safely If you decide to help a turtle cross the road and it's safe to do so, move the turtle in the direction its head is pointing — it knows where it wants to go Be gentle with the turtle, don't pick it up by its tail If a turtle is on the side of the road, make sure it's not digging a nest for eggs before trying to move it Unless the turtle is in immediate danger, leave it alone
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
May 5-9: Tyrone officials may apologize to planners, Pinckney to discuss Mugg & Bopps
LIVINGSTON COUNTY — In 2025, The Daily is providing a weekly round-up of the biggest topics in upcoming municipal meetings, giving our readers a chance to engage with their local officials on the projects, appointments and decisions that hit closest to home. These round-ups are written on Fridays, and will not include an agenda if one hasn't been posted by 1 p.m. Municipalities are not required by the Michigan Open Meetings Act to provide an agenda in advance of a meeting, but they are required to provide notice. Please visit your local municipality website for the most updated information. Here are the biggest topics for meetings Monday-Friday, May 5-9: General Government and Health and Human Services Meeting: 6 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the Livingston County Administration Building The agenda includes: An update on the vaccine waiver program from the Livingston County Health Department Consideration of a resolution to concur with the Livingston County Aeronautical Facilities Board to enter into a grant agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation's Office of Aeronautics for crack and joint sealing at the Livingston County Airport. Consideration of a resolution to concur with the Livingston County Aeronautical Facilities Board to enter into a grant agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation's Office of Aeronautics for the purchase of a refurbished Ground Power Unit for the Livingston County Airport. Consideration of a resolution authorizing a contract for service between Smiles on Wheels and Livingston County to provide dental assessments in compliance with the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Program. Read the full agenda: How to participate remotely: By calling 646-568-7788, entering ID 399 700 0062, and entering password LCBOC. You can attend via Zoom online at Personnel Committee Meeting: 6:15 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the Livingston County Administration Building The agenda includes: Consideration of a resolution approving the reclassification of the Juvenile Register Consideration of a resolution authorizing the reclassification of the Central Records Clerk at the Sheriff's Office Consideration of a resolution authorizing the job review of the office manager at the Livingston County Building Department Consideration of a resolution authorizing the release of de-identified healthcare claims data to Opioid Clinical Management, Inc. Consideration of a resolution authorizing an agreement with Nationwide Retirement Solutions related to the SECURE 2.0 Act. Consideration of a resolution approving appointments to the Huron River Watershed Council. Consideration of a resolution approving appointments to the Materials Management Planning Committee. Read the full agenda: How to participate remotely: By calling 646-568-7788, entering ID 399 700 0062, and entering password LCBOC. You can attend via Zoom online at Budget Committee Overview and Potential Water Rate Increase: 6 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the Pinckney Village Offices An agenda was not immediately available. How to participate remotely: Microsoft Teams: ID: 288 860 452 091. Passcode: 7ff6Nr3i. Planning Commission Meeting: 7 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the Pinckney Village Offices The agenda includes: A discussion of the Master Plan. The is unfinished business from a prior meeting. A review of a possible Mugg & Bopps and Dunkin' Donuts in the former Rite Aid at 75 Dexter St. Village President Jeffrey Buerman previously confirmed the project to The Daily. Read the full agenda: How to participate remotely: Microsoft Teams: ID: 257 196 295 579. Passcode: hg2CSu. Downtown Development Authority Meeting: 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 9, at the Pinckney Village Offices An agenda was not immediately available. How to participate remotely: Microsoft Teams: ID: 269 582 965 775. Passcode: cy222fo2 Downtown Development Authority Meeting: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 7, at Fowlerville Village Hall An agenda was not immediately available. Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Brighton City Hall The agenda includes: Consideration of an appeal for code enforcement regarding the permitted use of the R1 Single-Family Zoning District. A notice of violation issued for advertising the property as a short-term rental is being challenged. Read the full agenda: Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting: 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, at Marion Township Hall The agenda includes: Consideration of Zoning Board of Appeals Case No. 02-25. Read the full agenda: Board of Trustees Meeting: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Marion Township Hall An agenda was not immediately available. How to participate remotely: Board of Trustees Meeting: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Oceola Township Hall An agenda was not immediately available. Board of Trustees Meeting: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Hartland Township Hall An agenda was not immediately available. Board of Trustees Meeting: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Cohoctah Township Hall An agenda was not immediately available. Board of Trustees Meeting: 7 p.m. Monday, May 5, at Genoa Township Hall The agenda includes: A public hearing on the proposed Special Assessment Roll for the Edwin Drive Road Maintenance Special Assessment Project. Consideration of a request for approval of Resolution No. 5 – confirming the Special Assessment Roll for the Edwin Drive Road Maintenance Special Assessment Project (Summer Tax 2025). A public hearing and consideration of recommendations for final approval of the amendment to the Summerfield Pointe Planned Unit Development Agreement, as well as a final condominium site plan and an environmental impact assessment for 12 attached condominiums and 102 detached single-family homes. The project is located on Lawson Drive, north of Grand River Avenue. The request is petitioned by Healy Homes of Summerfield, LLC. Consideration of a request to accept the resignation of Trustee Bill Reiber and to approve appointing Trustee Rick Soucy as the alternate representative to the Brighton Area Fire Authority Board with a term ending November 20, 2028, as requested by the Township Supervisor. A discussion regarding planning and zoning educational opportunities for citizens. Read the full agenda: Board of Trustees Meeting: 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, at Green Oak Township Hall The agenda includes: Consideration of request to purchase three patrol vehicles. Consideration of adopting Ordinance 01-2025, Zoning Amendment Ch. 38-Art. IV-Supplementary Regulations-Sec. 38-203, Event Barns. Consideration of Resolution No. 09-2025, ARPA Funds. Read the full agenda: Board of Trustees Meeting: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Unadilla Township Hall An agenda was not immediately available. Board of Trustees Work-Study Session: 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Hamburg Township Hall The agenda includes: Consideration of a wage increase for the Senior Center Director. Consideration of a wage increase for the Accounting Specialist. Consideration of a wage increase for the Deputy Treasurer. Consideration of the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Anticipated Salary Step Progression Plan. Read the full agenda: Board of Trustees Meeting: 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Hamburg Township Hall The agenda includes: Consideration of hiring Abigail Huck as a police officer. Consideration of rescheduling the May 20 budget work session from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and to schedule a work-study session to immediately follow. A closed session to discuss a personnel matter. Read the full agenda: Public Safety Committee: 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, at Hamburg Township Hall An agenda was not immediately available. Board of Trustees Meeting: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Deerfield Township Hall An agenda was not immediately available. Board of Trustees Meeting: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Tyrone Township Hall The agenda includes: Consideration of a public meeting Code of Conduct. This is unfinished business from a prior meeting. Consideration of a law enforcement services agreement with the Livingston County Sheriff's Office. Consideration of upgrades to the historic Tyrone Township Hall. Consideration of resolution revoking charges and issuing an apology to planning commissioners. According to the resolution, the township board 'formally rescinds and nullifies any and all charges of non-feasance made against members Jon Ward, Richard Erickson, Garrett Ladd, Kevin Ross and Bill Wood in December 2024." The board will also apologize to the planning commissioners 'for any embarrassment, humiliation, stress or other burden placed upon them as a result of the wrongful and illegitimate charges of non-feasance." The apology stems from a letter, according to reporting from WHMI, generated by former planning commissioner and Trustee Chris Ropeta, Supervisor Greg Carnes and Trustee Dean Haase that made arguments of non-feasance against commissioners. The letter suggested it was approved by trustees. Consideration of appointing an ex-officio to the planning commission. Read the full agenda: — Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@ Follow him on X @SalsaEvan. This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: May 5-9: Big meetings in Tyrone Township, Pinckney, Genoa
