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AAA Michigan Road Improvement Project Launched in Grand Rapids

15 July 1998

AAA Michigan Road Improvement Project Launched in Grand Rapids

    DEARBORN, Mich., July 15 -- An AAA Michigan/City of Grand
Rapids joint project designed to improve urban roadway safety was unveiled
today (July 15) on the northwest corner lot at the intersection of Franklin
and Division roads.  A 2.5-mile section of the Division corridor is the first
street in Grand Rapids to benefit from the AAA Michigan Road Improvement
Program, launched last year in Detroit.  Plans call for $200,000 worth of
intersection improvements over a two-year period, to include safety
enhancements such as re-timed traffic signals, larger signal heads, and a
center left-turn lane.
    The AAA Michigan Road Improvement Program is the first of its kind in the
nation.
    "The AAA Michigan Road Improvement Program represents an historic first
step in public/private partnerships designed to enhance traffic safety," said
Larry Givens, vice president Corporate Relations.  "With the cooperation of
city, county and state officials, we are combining financial resources and
expertise to improve the quality of an aging infrastructure and raise the
level of safety."
    According to Givens, traffic engineering data has shown that sound
investments in road improvements at selected sites can reduce crashes and
injuries, resulting in substantial societal benefits.
    Modeled after a road improvement program begun by the Insurance Company of
British Columbia (ICBC), AAA Michigan's initiative targets 11 high-crash
locations along the Division corridor.  Phase I includes Wealthy, Franklin,
Delaware, Hall, Cottage Grove, Griggs and Burton streets.  Phase II will
include Cherry, Oakes, Weston and Fulton streets.
    The goal of the AAA Michigan Road Improvement Program is to reduce the
frequency and severity of motor vehicle crashes at high-risk locations.  Costs
for Division corridor improvements are being shared between AAA Michigan and
the City of Grand Rapids for Phase I, and between AAA Michigan, the City of
Grand Rapids and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for
Phase II.
    In Detroit, at the first intersection where the project was piloted, the
Auto Club achieved a 50-percent reduction in crashes and a 70-percent
reduction in injuries.  Total societal savings for the Division site are
estimated at $15 million annually.
    Pilot project partners include: AAA Michigan, the 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), and
Wayne State University Civil Engineering Department.