MDOT PLANS TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC ON M-139; LANE REDUCTION BEING CONSIDERED

BERRIEN SPRINGS – A state plan to change a well-traveled section of state highway just north of Berrien Springs was met with skepticism at an open house last week.
MDOT officials announced a “road diet” plan for the section of M-139 in early June and will decide later this summer whether to move forward with the project. Coloma Transportation Service Center Manager Pete Peiffer said MDOT will look over residents’ comments and decide then whether to pursue the project, gather more input or abandon the plan.
As described to residents last week, the plan calls for reducing the number of lanes on M-139 from five to three in the section crossing over the U.S. 31 freeway between Lemon Creek Road on the south and Red Bud Trail/Edgewood Drive on the north.
The area has been the scene of numerous accidents over the years, especially with people coming off the southbound U.S. 31 exit and trying to cross three lanes of traffic to head south into Berrien Springs. There have also been accidents and traffic delays at M-139 and Red Bud with people trying to turn onto the highway in both directions.
MDOT officials reported that there have been 34 accidents on that stretch of highway over a five year period.
“I’m hearing people say leave the lanes alone and add a light at Red Bud,” Peiffer said. “We will circle back next month to decide if we want to pursue the plan, get more input or abandon it.”
Peiffer said the thought behind reducing the number of lanes from five to three is to slow down traffic. He acknowledged that having less lanes could make traffic more congested in that area.
Coloma MDOT traffic and safety engineer Gary Loyola said MDOT is looking at five options for that section of M-139 with the first being doing nothing. MDOT is also considering reconfiguring the number of lanes from five to three, changing the caution light at M-139 and Red Bud/Edgewood to a regular traffic light, adding a traffic light where southbound U.S. 31 traffic comes onto M-139 and doing all three-the reconfiguring of lanes and the two traffic lights.
Loyola said the reconfiguring of lanes could happen as early as this fall if MDOT decides to move forward and would involve repainting and restriping the pavement to make less lanes. He said that section of M-139 ended up with the extra lanes because it marked the north end of the U.S. 31 freeway for many years until the freeway was extended northward in the early 2000s.
MDOT communications spokesman Nick Schirripa said he heard a lot of skepticism from residents at Monday’s open house. “People don’t think it will do what we say it will do,” he said. “It doesn’t work everywhere, but it has worked. We can re-evaluate the plans if people are opposed to it. People can still call the Coloma office to make comments.”
Most residents and township officials in attendance at the open house were skeptical of the plan. “I don’t think painting lines will do it,” Barb DeLong said. “They need a traffic light. You cannot turn left from the freeway to go into town (Berrien Springs). I get off at Snow Road and come into town that way.”
“I do not like the idea,” JoAnn Hoover said. “If they cut down the lanes, where can people merge? It’s hard to turn onto M-139 in the morning and at the end of the day. I think having lights would work better.”
Anita and David Lewis live on Lemon Creek Road near Red Bud Trail. They see all the traffic on Red Bud and don’t think reducing the number of lanes on M-139 will work. “I like the idea of a stoplight, anything else they can discard,” Anita Lewis said.
Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township Police Chief Paul Toliver said he’s going to wait and see what MDOT decides. “They’re trying the least expensive way to see if driver behavior can be changed,” he said. “In theory, slower traffic will mean less congestion and accidents. We have had some serious accidents there, especially in the winter.”
Fire Chief Bruce Stover also has concerns and counts himself among those who use the Snow Road exit off the freeway to come into the village to avoid the problem at M-139. “I have concerns about it,” he said. “If they can slow traffic down, it should make it safer but we will have to see if people will follow the lines.”
“I’m in the skeptical camp,” Oronoko Township Supervisor Mike Hildebrand said. “I don’t know if it’s going to help or not if we keep the number of cars the same and cut the number of lanes. The windows to turn would be even smaller.”
“They’re saying it’s a trial run and a temporary solution,” he added. “I’d like to see a stoplight at Red Bud/Edgewood. This area is the hub between South Bend and St. Joseph, this is people’s way home … There are 125 people working at Honor Credit Union (on Edgewood), we want to grow that area and make it be safe.”
State Rep. Dave Pagel not only represents Berrien Springs in the state legislature, he lives in Oronoko Township. He said people he’s heard from seem to be pretty skeptical. “Most people like the idea of a light at Red Bud Trail, I think MDOT wants to try this (reducing the lanes) because there’s little expense,” he said.