Hartland in Hindsight #2- Safer Roads Plan

Life may be a highway, but it is often those close-to-home back roads that drive our day-to-day lives.  Well-maintained roads and pathways are a central component of a community in which individuals and families wish to live, work, and play.

With its exceptional school system and environmental characteristics, Hartland Township has long been viewed as a desirable location to live.  Yet by 2010, Hartland’s population was beginning to level off after a 20-year growth explosion. With the growth Hartland experienced, we found our roads in need of repair, and through our Citizen Survey communications, Hartland residents were voicing their concerns.

The citizen led Safer Roads Task Force was created in response to residents’ concerns regarding the condition of roads within Hartland Township. Roads within the Township are owned and maintained by either the State of Michigan, Livingston County or, in the case of private roads, residents. Although Hartland’s roads can fall under the authority of any of these groups, the Township was called upon through the Citizen Survey, as well as countless conversations with residents, to explore ways in which it might step in to solve some of the more pressing road and pathway issues.

After reviewing road rankings, traffic counts and numerous other factors, the Task Force created an initial plan calling for a ten-year 1.5 mill November ballot question to address roads in Hartland Township. As citizen input was collected, the general population became invested and eager to contribute to improving their local roads, and the “Safer Roads Plan” was approved and funded by voters.

Within three years, the Safer Roads Plan completed all goals and projects, and did so under budget. With the extra money available, funds have been used toward repairs of border roads and in partnerships with the Road Commission. And now, as we enter into the second half of the ten-year plan, preventative road maintenance is in the forefront of our efforts, ensuring our roads stay safe for years to come. The investments we place on our roads today will be the driving force for safer roads in our future!