The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) has completed a federal-grant-funded Safety Action Plan for its roads, which included an extensive review of crash data and input from the public. The plan resulted in the identification of areas of concern and the creation of an initial list of 11 high-priority road projects that are intended to enhance safety and that meet the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program criteria.
The Safety Action Plan is intended to complement the agency’s long commitment to safety, which has resulted in Oakland County having the safest roads in Michigan nearly every year. The Safety Action Plan process was funded through a 2022 $470,000 federal SS4A grant. The process involved a detailed review of historical crash data for roads and intersections across the county as well as a public engagement component.
The Safety Action Plan is intended to help guide future RCOC road-improvement project selection and position the agency to be able to secure additional funding for the projects through a variety of sources, including the federal SS4A program.
The Safety Action Plan public engagement component included in-person and virtual public meetings in which members of the public offered input on specific road locations or concerns as well as input from the Safety Action Plan Committee, which included representatives of cities, villages and townships in the county, Oakland County general government, and transportation and law-enforcement agencies.
Once the study process identified roads and intersections that had higher crash injuries, the process then involved reviewing potential safety improvements based on the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
list of proven safety countermeasures. The countermeasures for road segments vary from low-cost options, such as adding additional traffic signs or enhanced pavement markings to complete roadway reconstruction. Intersection options ranged from adding traffic signs, installing traffic signals, changing signal timing or adding turn lanes to constructing roundabouts.
RCOC will now either schedule (for low-cost projects) or seek funding for the initial 11 high-priority projects identified through the process. These project locations are:
- 13 Mile Road at Franklin Road in the Village of Franklin.
- Bogie Lake Road at Cedar Island Road (western intersection) in White Lake Twp.
- Bogie Lake Road at Cooley Lake Road (western intersection) in Commerce Twp.
- Middlebelt Road at Square Lake Road in West Bloomfield Twp.
- Milford Road at Rowe Road on the Milford Twp./Highland Twp. border.
- Commerce Road at Keith Road/West Acres Street in West Bloomfield Twp..
- Bird Road from Bald Eagle Road to Glass Road in Groveland Twp.
- Square Lake Road at Dequindre Road on the Troy/Sterling Heights border.
- Milford Road at Davisburg Road in Rose Twp.
- Waldon Road at Pine Knob Road in Independence Twp.
- Rochester Road at Predmore Road in Oakland Twp.
For questions, email the RCOC at dcsmail@rcoc.org
