|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Frequently
Asked Questions
(Click
on the Questions to Reach the Answers)
Q. My property taxes go up every year, so why doesn't the Road Commission fix my road?
Q. Why is my road always the last one plowed after a snowstorm?
Q. Do I need a permit for a new driveway even if I do the work myself?
Q. Why are you cutting down all the trees on my road?
Q. How can I get my road paved?
Q. Can I fill in the ditch and plant trees in front of my property?
Q. What are "all season" roads?
Q. How can I get a Children Playing sign put up to protect my children?
Q.
My property taxes go up every year, so why doesn't the Road Commission
fix my road?
A.
The Road Commission does not receive any property tax funds. Most property
tax revenue goes to the State of Michigan and local school districts to pay
for school operations, while small amounts go to fund general County and
Township government administration, with special voted millages going to
fund certain functions like the County jail, township libraries, Central
Dispatch (911), among others. The only tax money the Road Commission receives
for road maintenance comes from the Michigan Transportation Fund administered
by the State of Michigan. State collected fuel taxes, license fees, and vehicle
registration fees, including all of those that you may pay, make up most
of this fund, which is divided by law among the 83 counties and 534 cities
and villages, with the State keeping about forty percent for their programs.
Currently the Eaton County Road Commission's share of that fund is about
4 tenths of one percent, or about $2800.00 total for each mile of rural Local
County Road last year. While these funds help us provide basic services such
as grading on gravel roads, pothole patching, and snow plowing, this level
of funding doesn't allow us to make significant improvements on most County
Local Roads. The Road Commission actively seeks State and Federal grant funds
whenever available, and encourages participation in road improvement projects
by other agencies and local Township Government. Unfortunately for most local
roads, most grant programs target their funding to the main Primary County
Roads, which in most cases are already paved and in fairly good condition,
and most Township governments operate on a modest budget that can not provide
the large amount of funds necessary to upgrade or pave many roads.
Q.
People are always speeding on my road. How can I get the speed limit
lowered and some signs put up to slow them down?
A. The Road Commission is the agency that
installs and maintains all traffic signs on county roads. State law requires
that the Road Commission must follow the requirements of the Michigan
Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD) or risk loosing state
funding for road maintenance. In order to install Regulatory type signs
like no parking signs and speed limit signs, the Road Commission must
initiate a traffic study of the road in conjunction with the Michigan
Department of State Police (MDSP). The study includes a review of traffic
counts, accident history, speed studies, the character of the area along
the road, and any other information available regarding the problems
in the area. While the Road Commission is a participant in the traffic
study and analysis, the guidelines of the MMUTCD and judgment of the
Michigan Department of State Police largely determine what speed limit
will be adopted. At the conclusion of the study the MDSP issues a written
Traffic Control Order directing the Road Commission to install specific
signs at specific locations on the road, and to record the completed
Traffic Control Order at the County Clerk's office.
Q.
Why is my road always the last one plowed after a snowstorm?
A. The Road Commission organizes snow
plowing operations to service the most heavily traveled roadways first
during and after a winter storm. About 370 miles of County Primary Roads
and certain high traffic local roads in the urban area are plowed and/or
salted first. After those roads are passable, crews move on to clear
local paved roads throughout the county. Typically, local subdivision
streets and rural gravel roads are cleared after all other higher traffic
roads within about two days after the storm. Although our crews may begin
plowing/salting several hours before the morning peak traffic, and continue
operations into the night, extended winter storms or continuing winds
may require crews to continually plow the main high traffic roads and
prevent them from reaching subdivision streets or rural gravel roads
for several days.
Q.
Do I need a permit for a new driveway even if I do the work myself?
A. Yes,
a permit from the Road Commission is required anytime work is performed
in County road right of way. When you apply for a permit you are
helping the Road Commission maintain safety for both yourself and
the traveling public. Most traffic accidents occur at intersections
or where vehicles are entering or leaving the roadway. The Road Commission
inspects each proposed drive location to assure that adequate sight
distance is available, to determine what drainage improvements might
be necessary, and to review the site for other potential safety problems
before a permit is issued. Although there is a charge for a residential
driveway permit, there is no permit fee for most other minor work
in road right of way, although we require that all contractors follow
accepted traffic safety procedures and furnish adequate insurance
coverage to protect both the homeowner and the public.
Q.
Why are you cutting down all the trees on my road?
A. The
Road Commission has a ongoing program to regrade and regravel rural
Local County Roads throughout Eaton County. The roadsides on many
of the roads that are being worked on in this program have become
overgrown with brush and trees over the years to the point that fairly
extensive trimming and cutting is necessary to restore safe sight
distance for motorists along the road and to help prevent vehicle
collisions. As a part of the required work the Road Commission is
creating a minimum 20 foot wide gravel surface with a 6 foot wide
clear zone on each side free of fixed objects like trees that can
cause serious injury if struck be a vehicle even at fairly low speed.
In some areas trees and brush had to be cut just to obtain the 20
foot width for gravel surfacing. Although State law created a public
right of way 66 feet wide for all county roads almost a century ago,
the Road Commission is not seeking to clear, cut, or mow this entire
right of way, and it is doubtful that we would cut all the trees
on your road. We have adopted a uniform guideline for a minimum 6
foot clear zone as part of the road improvement projects now being
worked on. We are also removing dead trees wherever possible to prevent
them from falling into the road, and may remove additional trees
outside the minimum clear zone at the property owners request or
with their approval.
Q.
How can I get my road paved?
A. Most
paved local roads in Eaton County were improved using private development
funds, contributions from Township government, or by special assessment
charges on the properties that access a particular road. The level
of funding provided to the Road Commission by law is not sufficient
to pay for the initial paving of a road. Although Township government
has no responsibility for road maintenance or improvement, and does
not receive any road tax money, they have been very supportive of
county roads over the years, and you may wish to contact them to
see if they have any plans to improve your road in the future. You
can also obtain a Petition to set up a special assessment district
to improve your road from the Road Commission. When signed by the
owners of 51 percent or more of the frontage on a road such a petition
authorizes the Road Commission to set up an assessment district,
prepare plans and estimates of the work needed to pave the road,
and hold public hearings regarding the proposed project. All properties
accessing the road would share in the expense of the project, which
could be spread over a period of up to ten years.
Q.
Can I fill in the ditch and plant trees in front of my property?
A. If
there is a ditch along the road in front of your property you should
not fill it in even if it doesn't drain water along the road. The
purpose of most roadside ditches is to prevent water from pooling
on the roadway during or after a storm, to provide an area for snow
storage from snowplowing operations, and to lower the water table
beneath the roadbed. Filling in even a fairly shallow roadside ditch
can cause serious damage to the road and pavement from frost heave
and, of course, shrubs and trees planted in that area are exposed
to damage from traffic, snowplowing, and sweeping operations. Please
do not plant any trees or shrubs that may become a vision obstruction
or that may grow into a large fixed object that presents danger to
motorists anywhere inside the road right of way. Trees and ornamental
plantings should be set back at least 33 feet from the center of
the road, which in most cases will place them outside of the road
right of way and protect them from traffic damage.
Q.
I don't want you to spray my roadside with herbicides. What can I
do to prevent this from happening?
A.
You can have the Road Commission exempt your frontage from our spraying program
by contacting our office and obtaining a "No Spray Permit". As a condition
of the permit, however, you will need to cut and trim the brush along your
frontage back away from the road at least to the ditch line and perhaps farther
near road intersections and on curves or near driveways. The Road Commission
encourages residents to maintain their own roadsides for safety, and can
assist you in removing any larger trees near the road that may be a problem.
Unfortunately, we are not able to use labor intensive hand trimming methods
on the many miles of county roadside that we maintain.
Q.
What are "all season" roads?
A. So called "All
Season" roads are those that have been designed and built with additional
strength and durability to withstand truck traffic loads all year long,
and thus they are not subject to the reduced loading restrictions that
are placed on most roads during the early spring in Michigan. All residential
subdivision streets, most rural sealcoated roads, and all gravel surfaced
roads in Eaton County are subject to a 25 percent reduction in allowable
loading during the period each spring when thawing of the ground below
the roadbed softens the roadbed and makes the surface susceptible to damage
from heavy loads.
Q.
How can I get a Children Playing sign put up to protect my children?
A. The
Road Commission no longer places or maintains Children Playing signs, although
there are still several of these signs scattered throughout our road system.
Prior to the revision of the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices
(MMUTCD) in 1983, these signs were acceptable for use on county roads. Studies
done nationally leading up to that revision demonstrated conclusively that,
while these signs may make parents and children feel safer, they have absolutely
no effect on driver behavior, and do not slow traffic speeds as might be
expected. To the extent that the signs might make parents or children think
they are safer when the danger is still present, these signs can actually
reduce safety. The best policy is still to be sure to keep children as far
away from the road as possible, and don't allow even older children to play
in or near the road. Although we do not encourage their use, the Road Commission
will issue a permit to a resident to install their own children playing sign
near their home. There is no charge for the permit but the resident must
agree to accept responsibility to place and maintain the sign in a safe manner.
Q.
Why do you spread all that tar and gravel on the paved roads? There
was nothing wrong with the road and now it is a mess?
A. The process you are referring to is sealcoating which most road agencies
in Michigan use as a relatively low cost method of preserving existing pavements.
The tar is actually an emulsion of water and liquid asphalt which penetrates
and seals small cracks in the existing pavement. Sealing these cracks on
a regular basis prevents water from seeping into and softening the base of
the road and over time causing potholes to form. The peastone that we use
for cover material sticks to the emulsion and, after rolling and sweeping,
provides a slightly roughened skid resistant surface to improve safety. Although
sealcoating can preserve and extend the life of the pavement, it is only
a surface treatment and does not fill any existing bumps, holes, or irregularities
and thus does not improve the ride quality. For this reason it is important
to apply sealcoat to a road BEFORE this deterioration occurs, which leads
us to sealcoat roads that are in generally good condition rather than waiting
for them to deteriorate to the point that extensive patching is necessary.