m66corridor

M-66 Corridor Study

The M-66 Corridor Study Committee is comprised of a group of local officials from Ionia County, the Ionia County Economic Alliance, the Ionia County Road Commission and several of the individual government units along the M-66 corridor. The M-66 Corridor Study Committee was originally formed in 1996 and evolved to meet the changing demands of the area.

The Corridor Study covers M-66 from Portland Road, just south of I-96, north to the Grand River. The area includes portions of the City of Ionia and Orange, Ionia and Berlin Townships and is influenced by the surrounding townships and communities as well. The study describes other communities including Odessa, Easton and Sebewa townships as well as the entire county. This study was begun in January 2000 and was completed in September 2000 - ongoing discussions and implementation strategies will continue into the future.

The Corridor Study includes several key points. The Study describes not only the actual roadway, but also considers existing land uses, the area's population, proposed development, and other points. Everything that occurs in the area influences traffic on the Corridor. New businesses, houses, and schools increase the amount of traffic passing within or through the Corridor. The Corridor Study also includes many types of public input such as surveys and workshops to identify and prioritize issues, which were used to develop a list of ten goals for the Corridor, which are listed below:

Implement Access Management Plan for the M-66 Corridor Study Area
Improve Traffic Flow Along the M-66 Corridor Study Area
Improve Safety of the I-96/M-66 Interchange Area
Improve Major Intersections Along the M-66 Corridor
Insure Appropriate Speed Limits are Established and Enforced on the Corridor
Increase Safety on Portion of Corridor Known Locally as "the Hill"
Improve Opportunities for Pedestrians and Bicyclists Along the M-66 Corridor
successfully Implement Plan
Improve Safety at Riverside Drive and M-66
Work with Communities to Encourage Proper Planning, Maintenance and Improvement of the
Corridor to Meet the Needs of Projected Growth and Development

Another product of this study is the creation of a three-tiered system of recommendations that address the operational and institutional aspects of the Corridor. Analysis of traffic data for the Corridor was an integral part of these recommendations. The three tiers distinguish recommendations by their ease of implementation.

Tier One- Improvements or strategies that can be implemented immediately or that already have been committed through dedicated funding or prior action. The Tier Two and Tier Three recommendations to be implemented.

1.Passing Relief Lanes
2.Develop and Implement Access Management Standards
3.Develop Internal Circulation to Adjacent Land Parcels
4.Organize a Corridor Multi-Jurisdictional Advisory Committee
5.Align Offset Intersection David Highway

Tier Two- Improvements that are not committed. They may require further study to determine the feasibility and scope, and require jurisdictional cooperation for implementation.

Tier Three- Long term recommendations. These may include large-scale projects that are implemented for the projected future traffic conditions. These improvements will be prioritized with other statewide, regional, and local needs within available funding.

The study was funded with a grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation's State Planning and Research (SPR) Program. Staff from the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission administered the grant and coordinated the planning process with assistance from the Ionia County Economic Alliance, the Ionia County Road Commission and the Michigan Department of Transportation. The Steering Committee also retained the services of Wade-Trim to complete a portion of the Corridor Study.