Detroit Roads Suck So Bad That AAA Contributes to Michigan Road Improvement Project...What's Going On?

Two Detroit Corridors Will Benefit From AAA Michigan Road Improvement Project

    DEARBORN, Mich., July 9 A joint road improvement project
between AAA Michigan, the City of Detroit, Wayne County and MDOT will bring
badly needed safety enhancements to two of Detroit's most dangerous corridors.
    As part of a long-term project begun in 1996, AAA Michigan will donate
$250,000 in seed money for the latest in a series of urban safety
improvements, targeting 11 intersections on a three-mile stretch of Wyoming
(from Seven Mile to Schoolcraft) and 13 intersections on a five-mile stretch
of Schaefer (from Seven Mile to Joy).
    The total Wyoming/Schaefer corridor project cost of $2.7 million will pay
for safety enhancements such as re-timed traffic signals, larger signal heads
and center turn lanes.  Costs will be shared by project partners.  Engineering
design is provided by Wade-Trim of Grand Rapids.  The estimated completion
date is December 2001.
    "With the cooperation of city, county and state officials, we are building
on our earlier successes to improve the quality of an aging infrastructure and
raise the level of safety," said Richard J. Miller, manager of Community
Safety Services for AAA Michigan.
    According to Miller, traffic engineering data has shown that sound
investments in road improvements at selected sites can reduce crashes and
injuries, resulting in substantial societal benefits.
    Since this first-of-its-kind program was launched in 1996, project
partners have completed safety enhancements to 40 locations in Detroit and 29
in Grand Rapids.  AAA Michigan has allocated $2 million for the long-term
project, which has reduced crashes between 30 and 50 percent in high-risk
urban corridors within each of these large metro areas.

    Schaefer/Wyoming Project Details
    *  Schaefer corridor = 13 intersections (Seven Mile to Joy).  This
corridor experiences approximately 500 crashes a year, 30 percent of which
result in injury.
    *  Wyoming corridor = 11 intersections (Seven Mile to Schoolcraft).  This
corridor experiences approximately 375 crashes a year, 25 percent of which
result in injury.
    *  According to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG),
the intersection of Wyoming and Puritan is ranked 16th in crashes caused by
red light running (in Southeast Michigan).  The addition of larger traffic
signals and all-red intervals should help reduce this type of crash.
    *  According to the Detroit Police Department, the intersection of
Schaefer and Joy has been averaging 40 crashes per year.  At this
intersection, the most common type of crash is left-turn crashes.  The
addition of a left-turn lane, protected left-turn phasing and all-red
intervals should help reduce these crashes.
    *  In addition to signal and pavement marking enhancements, Schaefer will
be widened from four lanes to five between McNichols and Puritan.  This
widening will create a two-way left-turn lane which will help reduce the large
number of crashes caused by vehicles rear-ending stopped vehicles waiting to
make left turns.
    *  Approximate project cost = $2.7 million.
       AAA Michigan share = $250,000.
       City of Detroit share = $630,000.
       MDOT share = $1.8 million.
    *  Estimated Benefit/Cost Ratio based on 30-percent crash reductions over
10 years = 8:1.
    *  Estimated annual societal benefit = $2.3 million.

    Partners in the AAA Michigan Road Improvement Demonstration Program
include: City of Detroit, City of Grand Rapids, Southeast Michigan Council of
Governments (SEMCOG), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Wayne
County Department of Public Services, Michigan State Police Office of Highway
Safety Planning (OHSP), Wayne State University Civil Engineering Department,
G.D. Hamilton Associates, Wade-Trim and AAA Michigan.