US-23 Rebuilding in Tawas City and East Tawas - Iosco County

Based on traffic volumes on this corridor now, and the types of crashes that have occurred in recent years, reconfiguring this section of US-23 from two lanes of through-traffic in each direction to one lane in each direction with a center left-turn lane would provide an opportunity for turning traffic to move out of the way of through-traffic, while reducing many of the conflicts that resulted in crashes on the corridor.

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) website states, “A Road Diet, or roadway reconfiguration, can improve safety, calm traffic, provide better mobility and access for all road users, and enhance overall quality of life.

Benefits of Road Diet installations may include:

• Reduction of rear-end and left-turn crashes due to the dedicated left-turn lane.
• Reduced right-angle crashes as side street motorists cross three versus four travel lanes.
• Fewer lanes for pedestrians to cross.
• Opportunity to install pedestrian refuge islands, bicycle lanes, on-street parking, or transit stops.
• Traffic calming and more consistent speeds.
• A more community-focused, Complete Streets environment that better accommodates the needs of all road users.”

MDOT has implemented lane conversions in other northern lower Michigan communities, including Charlevoix, Gaylord, West Branch, and Petoskey. In all cases, the change has reduced crashes and increased safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, with little increase in travel times.

Right of way for US-23 is limited currently, leaving little room for nonmotorized facilities such as a wider pathway along the lakeshore or streetscape elements such as decorative lighting, benches, trees, landscaping and other placemaking design elements. Reconfiguring the lanes would provide an opportunity for the communities to update the look and feel of the corridor for decades to come.

A lane reconfiguration to three lanes would provide additional right of way that could be used for expanded roadside paths, providing a separated facility for pedestrians and bicyclists. For pedestrians and bicyclists looking to cross US-23, a three-lane configuration allows them to focus on only one direction of traffic at a time, and only cross one lane of traffic. This helps reduce “blocking” crashes, where a vehicle blocks a pedestrian’s or driver’s view of vehicles in adjacent lanes. A three-lane configuration provides a safer and more comfortable experience for pedestrians and cyclists.

On average, travel times along the corridor would increase by less than 10 seconds. While the delays would be minimal, a lane reconfiguration can help reduce crashes and speeds, while providing space for improved nonmotorized facilities and streetscape improvements. 

In emergencies, police, firefighters and EMS personnel can use the center left-turn lane to pass through the corridor, while vehicles in that lane can complete their turn or move to the right as they do in other locations.

While delays for side street drivers may increase, they will only need to watch for one lane of traffic in each direction, instead of two. This can help avoid “blocking” crashes, where a vehicle in one lane blocks the view of vehicles in adjacent lanes. 

While drivers are prohibited by law from using center left-turn lanes in that manner, it does happen. As with other moving violations, drivers who use the turn lane in that way are subject to law enforcement citations and fines. In the current four-lane configuration, drivers often speed in excess of posted limits and engage in aggressive driving. Overall, this type of lane conversion results in slower overall speeds, less aggressive driving and a reduction of crashes. 

Based on current traffic volumes and patterns, increasing the number of lanes in that section is not warranted. Furthermore, if the number of lanes were increased, it would be expected to increase the number and severity of crashes without measurably improving traffic flow.

Speed limits in Michigan are set in accordance with state law (www.Michigan.gov/MDOT/Travel/Safety/Road-Users/Speed-Limits), which requires that they be posted at the speed at which 85 percent of vehicles are traveling at or below, commonly referred to as the 85th percentile speed. So, if 100 cars travel through an area, 85 of them are going at or below that speed.

On state highways, setting speed limits is a joint process between MDOT and the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the two agencies conduct speed studies that determine the 85th percentile speeds. Neither agency can arbitrarily lower speed limits. If a speed study reveals that the 85th percentile speed on a corridor is actually higher than the current posted speed limit, state law requires MDOT and MSP to raise the speed limit in accordance with state law. State law does not allow posting speed limits below the 50th percentile speed.

Speed spot checks conducted by MDOT along the corridor have shown that 85th percentile speeds are generally in excess of posted speed limits, indicating a speed limit reduction is unlikely, and a speed limit increase would be possible. However, a three-lane conversion is generally expected to lower overall speeds.