Eastpointe receives grant for 10 Mile Road safety study

EASTPOINTE — Last month, Eastpointe was awarded one of eight grants by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, or SEMCOG, to conduct formal safety performance examinations of existing or planned roads and intersections.

Eastpointe was awarded a grant to perform a road safety audit, or RSA, on the stretch of 10 Mile Road between Cushing and Hayes avenues, with a focus on the intersections at Gratiot, Phlox and Hayes avenues.

According to a SEMCOG press release, the audit is aimed at addressing “a history of high-severity crashes and prioritizing equitable access and safety for all users, especially pedestrians and cyclists.”

“Our region has a strong coalition of partners who are committed to putting safety first and creating a safe and equitable environment for all,” Amy O’Leary, SEMCOG’s executive director, said in a prepared statement. “We are taking a systematic approach to creating safe streets in Southeast Michigan by studying some of the locations with the greatest opportunity for impact. Each of these audits represents an opportunity to identify and implement life-saving improvements.”

Corey Haines, the Eastpointe Police Department’s chief, said he was supportive of the study.

“I can say that anytime we can obtain grant money to assist with a traffic and safety study in our city is great news,” he said. “Our department spends a lot of time responding to accidents, taking accident reports and helping injured people involved in these accidents. Anything that we can do to improve the safety of our citizens is extremely important.”

Haines said that in 2023, the department responded to 617 crashes. Of those, 78 occurred along 10 Mile Road, of which 15 were injury accidents. He also reported that there were 30 accidents at the intersection of 10 Mile Road and Gratiot Avenue, of which 12 were injury accidents.

There were also 10 crashes at 10 Mile Road and Phlox Avenue, and nine crashes at 10 Mile Road and Hayes Avenue; however, Haines was unable to determine how many crashes resulted in injuries.

Additionally, Haines said 127 crashes occurred along the Gratiot Avenue corridor in Eastpointe in 2023.

SEMCOG received the funding for the grants in 2022, according to Trevor Layton, SEMCOG’s communications manager. In total, SEMCOG received about $732,000, which covers the RSAs and enhancement to SEMCOG’s safety tools, he said.

“We are budgeting $500,000 for RSAs over the next two to three years,” he said in an email. “Each RSA typically costs $20,000-$25,000.”

In Macomb County, Mount Clemens and Washington Township were also awarded grants. In Oakland County, Birmingham, Lathrup Village and Wixom received grants. Additionally, in Wayne County, Belleville received a grant. In Livingston County, Brighton was awarded a grant.

Layton said the planning for the road safety audit is ongoing, but they are expected to be started by the end of spring or early summer.