Large trucks wishing to get from northbound M-24 to E. Burdick Street/Lakeville Road may one day be required to use Broadway Street if Oxford Village officials have their druthers.
On March 22, council approved 4-0 sending a letter to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) requesting three things ?
n Large trucks traveling north on M-24 be prohibited from making right turns onto E. Burdick St.
n An M-24 northbound truck route be designated from Broadway to Glaspie St. to E. Burdick/Lakeville Road
n A traffic signal be installed at the intersection of Broadway and M-24.
Manager Joe Young said continuing to allow large trucks to make right turns off M-24 onto E. Burdick is a ‘definite hazard? because in order to do so they either ‘jump? the sidewalk/curb at the corner or enter the left-turn lane on E. Burdick St.
‘We have a terrible turn situation,? Young said on March 31.
According to the manager, the turn represents a safety hazard to both pedestrians and motorists.
‘Allowing large trucks on (northbound) M-24 to turn right at this intersection is a major concern for the safety of pedestrians waiting to cross the street at the signal when the large trucks jump the sidewalk/curb,? Young wrote in the letter. ‘In addition, the trucks constantly running over the sidewalk area has resulted in the brick pavers depressing from the concrete curb and creating a trip hazard for pedestrians and drainage and ice problems,?
‘Secondly, the large trucks cannot make the right-hand turn without going into the middle/left turn lane of oncoming traffic. This most unsafe situation results in trucks waiting for vehicles to clear through that lane or having the vehicles back up to allow them to complete the turn. Not only is the right turn a major hazard for Burdick traffic, it also backs up traffic flow on M-24 while truck traffic is waiting to complete the right-hand turn,? Young wrote.
As an alternative, the village has requested a traffic signal be placed at the intersection of Broadway and M-24 and a truck route be designated down Broadway for large trucks wishing to turn off northbound M-24 onto E.Burdick St./Lakeville Road..
The route would consist of requiring large trucks heading north on M-24 to turn right onto Broadway and head east to Glaspie St. The trucks would then turn left onto Glaspie and head north to E. Burdick/Lakeville Road, where they can safely turn right and head east.
In his letter to MDOT, Young noted this summer the village plans to reconstruct Glaspie St. from the Department of Public Works area north, ‘making the entire street uniform with full curb and gutter.? The village also plans to place a traffic signal at the intersection of Glaspie and E. Burdick/Lakeville Road, and install a left-turn lane there for northbound Glaspie traffic.
‘With these improvements of surface, turn lane and traffic signal, the truck route would be most beneficial for the downtown area and eliminate the need for the hazardous right turn (at M-24 and E. Burdick),? Young wrote.
Besides eliminating the hazardous right turn, Young said the proposed truck route would hopefully mean placement of a traffic signal at Broadway and M-24 ? something village officials have been lobbying MDOT for for years.
Village officials want another traffic signal in downtown Oxford to help slow traffic on M-24 and make the downtown more pedestrian-friendly by adding another crossing.
‘Our goal ? we want a traffic signal at Broadway,? Young said on March 31. ‘If saying we want it to be a truck route will help us get there, then we’ll do that.?
He noted that when more than 500 residents last year signed the petition objecting to the Polly Ann Trail pedestrian bridge, they also requested a second traffic signal be installed at either Stanton or Broadway.
Young said the village is having its engineers investigate whether Broadway’s surface (re-constructed in 2003) is strong enough to handle large truck traffic, particularly braking and turning at Glaspie, which would put more stress on the road.
‘Trucks tear up intersections when they stop and when they turn,? said Young, noting that’s why the village is also looking into converting the pavement at the Glaspie/E.Burdick/Lakeville Road intersection from asphalt to concrete.
Residents? thoughts and opinions about the proposed truck route will also be taken into consideration, the manager said.
Councilman Dave Bailey said he personally counted about 20 homes along the proposed route.
‘No matter where you put anything, people are going to be affected,? Young said. ‘It’s a choice of which is greater ? the safety risk of trucks turning (at E. Burdick) or the noise issue (of truck traffic on Broadway), if it comes to that point.?
Young said there has been discussion of using E. Drahner Road to Glaspie St. to E. Burdick/Lakeville Road as an alternate truck route. MDOT is planning to extend and widen the northbound right-turn lane of M-24 leading to eastbound Drahner Rd.
However, Young said council is ‘pretty committed? to lobbying for Broadway St. as a truck route.
‘If they go down Drahner that would be better, but again, we’re trying to get a signal (at Broadway),? Young said.