E-M:/ Report from I-75 MDOT hearing

["Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>]

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Enviro-Mich message from "Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>
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	id WAA03630; Wed, 18 Aug 1999 22:37:06 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: <luckyf@concentric.net>
From: "Todd Scott" <luckyf@concentric.net>
To: <michbike@mail.msen.com>, <mmba@cycling.org>,
        <enviro-mich@great-lakes.net>
Subject: RE: Expansion of I75 in Oakland Co
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 22:22:17 -0400
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I just got back from the MDOT public meeting in
Troy regarding I-75.  In a nutshell, here's what's
going on:

* A consulting firm is being paid $400k to study
and propose changes to improve traffic congestion
in the I-75 corridor.

* MDOT has over $100 million to spend on capacity
improvements and another $50 on evaluation studies.

* State Rep. Pappageorge (sp?) made the point that
the State should spend transportation monies on 
relieving congestion in developed areas to reduce
the flight of businesses and residents to less 
crowded, rural areas.  (However, I didn't appreciate 
the way he prefaced his point with a condesending 
"You can tell those environmentalists...")

* Public input is still being collected so please
give your opinion by calling 977-gofix75 or by 
sending written comments to:

  I-75 Corridor Study
  2210 Lancaster
  Bloomfield Hills, MI  48302

If you give them your name and address they can add
you to their mailing list for information on future
meetings.

[Cyclists:  What can you tell them?  Do you have a hard
time getting across I-75?  M-59?  Do these highways
greatly limit your safe riding area?  Do they encourage
you to drive places when you'd rather ride because there's
no safe alternative?  Do you want them to keep the 
potential rail-trail right-of-way over I-75 near South
Boulevard?  Please let MDOT know.  If you don't let them
know, you have no grounds for complaining later.]

What did I tell them?  I stole some ideas from others 
and said that no matter what solution is chosen (e.g. lane
expansion, light rail) non-motorized transportation must
be a part of the solution.  The three biggest barriers
to non-motorized transportation (NMT) in this area are Woodward,
the Grand Truck Railway, and I-75.  I told them how the 
latter forces NMT onto busy and unsafe mile roads.  I gave
an example of how my bike commute used to cross I-75 at 
14 Mile and how I'd been hit a couple times there.  I 
mentioned how these barriers separated the communities.  I
also added that the parks above I-696 were one means for
reducing this separation.

Afterwards I spoke with Andrew Zeigler, a Regional Planner
for MDOT in the Metro region.  He seemed very receptive to
non-motorized public input and strongly enouraged me to 
provide more detailed input on possible improvements to this
region's transportation situation.

Todd Scott
MMBA SE President






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