News From Mayor Greimel

Mayor


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Elimination of Left Turn Lanes on Woodward Avenue at South Boulevard
March 24, 2023

Good afternoon Pontiac!

We are committed to making sure that drivers are safe as they travel Pontiac roads. However, in the last few years, the intersection of Woodward Avenue at South Boulevard has experienced a higher volume of traffic and, unfortunately, an increase in accidents and fatalities involving motorists and pedestrians.

In order to improve safety at the intersection, City Council approved a contract in January with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for re-design construction of Woodward Avenue at South Boulevard. The bulk of the cost for the MDOT reconstruction--$3.88 million--is being paid for with federal safety funds that MDOT has received. The City agreed to pay a small percentage of the $388,600 balance, 12.5% or $48,600. A powerpoint presentation containing all of these details, including maps of the MDOT construction and road detours, can be viewed at: www.pontiac.mi.us/mdotwoodward.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

While the MDOT construction was originally set to begin in several months, our Department of Public Works (DPW) was notified last week that MDOT's start date was moved up to begin this month. The project calls for:

  • installation of what are widely known as "Michigan Left" turns in all directions, which will require drivers to utilize right turns and U-turn lanes in the boulevard in order to turn left.
  • modernization of the traffic signals as has been previously done with several other city intersections.
  • alteration of the southbound lanes of Woodward Avenue, so it is no longer a straight shot, in order to make room for the "Michigan Left" turns.

 

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

During construction, the following restrictions will be in effect:

  • Southbound Woodward will be completely closed to traffic from the railroad crossing on Woodward to the north side of South Blvd. starting March 27 until the end of May.
  • Northbound Woodward will remain open, with one lane of traffic closed and two thru lanes open.
  • Delays are expected during morning and afternoon drive times.
  • Access into businesses will be maintained.

LOCAL DETOURS

MDOT will have posted detours to guide motorists to major roads, particularly trucks, which are too heavy to travel through the neighborhoods. However, local traffic to the nearby neighborhoods may opt to use a few usual detours:

If you are heading north:

Opdyke to Auburn to Woodward

South Boulevard West to Franklin to Rapid to Woodward

South Boulevard East to Sanford North to local streets

If you are heading south:

Rapid to Franklin to South Boulevard to Woodward

To get to local roads you may want to use:

Rapid to Franklin to local streets

MDOT Map 032723

BUS TRANSPORTATION

SMART riders on routes 450 and 462: A detour in Pontiac will begin effective Monday, March 27 through May. Three southbound local stops will be out of service.

 

FAST will not be impacted, but allow extra time. Northbound service will remain unchanged. For more information, log on to: http://www.smartbus.org/Schedules/Service-Bulletins/BulletinId/1683
 
MESSAGE FROM MAYOR TIM GREIMEL
March 17, 2023

Commencement of Sidewalk Trip Hazard Elimination Project

Good Afternoon Pontiac!

We are committed to helping Pontiac homeowners maintain their property at mandated levels of safety, and, in recent weeks, we kicked off efforts to review and repair sidewalks that pose a problem for pedestrians.

The City of Pontiac has hired a contractor who will conduct Sidewalk Joint Displacement Cutting where there is a tripping hazard adjacent to or near a homeowner's property. Affected homeowners were recently notified that the contractor will soon begin work in their area. If it is determined that the trip hazard is too large to remove by displacement cutting, the sidewalk will be scheduled for replacement at a later date.

Once the area posing a trip hazard is repaired/replaced, the contractor will continue moving down the sidewalk to repair nearby trip hazards. When that area of sidewalk has been upgraded, it will be opened to pedestrians. We anticipate that work on any specific portion of sidewalk may take up to a week to be completed.

It is important to note that, under our city's longstanding ordinance, homeowners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalk adjacent to their property. However, this spring's targeted work is being done with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds in income-eligible areas as a benefit to our residents. You can find a map below that identifies the neighborhoods that will benefit from this program this year. Those areas are: Chamberlain Street, Region 3, Region 5, Region 10 and Region 15* (*Contractor will start improvement work in Region 15 until funding is exhausted).

If you happen to encounter these work zones, please consider:

•    pedestrians are urged to use extreme caution in the areas under construction 
•    access to the homes will be maintained throughout construction 

This construction will be completed as quickly as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. Your patience as we continue to beautify our neighborhoods is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns, we ask that you contact the City of Pontiac Engineering Division at (248) 758-3616. With your help and cooperation, this project will progress to a timely completion.

Sincerely,

Tim Greimel
Mayor

Click here to download a map of the streets included in the sidewalk repair program
Click here for a list of streets included in the sidewalk repair program
Update on Efforts to Repair Potholes

Good afternoon.

Southeast Michigan is experiencing another round of snow this weekend; but so far, it doesn’t appear to be as severe as recent storms. Nonetheless, the extreme fluctuations in temperatures and conditions are wreaking havoc on our roads, producing more potholes.
Our Department of Public Works (DPW) crews patch potholes year-round with two exceptions:
    •  when heavy rains in spring/summer hamper production of patching material
    •  when snow or freezing rain requires DPW crews to be out salting roads
 
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Since December 2022, DPW patching crews have put down a total of 143.25 tons (286,500 pounds) of cold patch material. It’s shoveled into the hole and pressed into place by passing vehicles. Under normal circumstances, this filling will stay in place in the hole until that section of concrete is permanently replaced.However, Michigan winters are rarely normal! The freeze/thaw cycles we experience lead to “heaving” of the road surface. This causes the patch material to lift out of the cavity, break up, and be subsequently carried away when roads are shoveled. This reopens the pothole.
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DPW monitors Pontiac streets to determine the location of potholes. We also encourage residents to log concerns by calling our DPW office and by going online to the city's website. Those service requests are forwarded to a Supervisor or Superintendent who then assigns crews to respond, typically the next morning. Whether the complaint involves a small hole or large sections of road, all reports are prioritized so crews can be dispatched. In the street, workers are usually confined to a single lane of road between construction vehicles and focus on the job.
potholerepairSo as you encounter crews patching the road, we ask you to take the following precautions: 

~ Stay alert and avoid distractions.
~ Slow down so you can maneuver past with ease.
~ Be observant and keep moving. 

Potholes are a by-product of Michigan weather and definitely frustrating to all of us as drivers. DPW crews are doing their best to fill them as fast as possible and as they come to our attention. If you know of a pothole that is a traffic hazard, report it by calling (248) 758-3600 or log on to www.pontiac.mi.us/potholes.

The only long-term fix for our roads is to resurface and/or reconstruct them. This year, we will be repairing Franklin Road, as well as Orchard Lake Road between Voorheis and Old Telegraph. Also, a federally-funded reconstruction project for Bagley and Golf Drive will commence next year. While this is a start, it's just the tip of the iceberg. Adequately repairing all city roads in Pontiac will cost more than $200 million. We are exploring all options in search of obtaining the needed revenue. Until then, our best course of action is to repair potholes as efficiently as we can, weather permitting.

Sincerely,

Tim Greimel
Mayor
DTE UPDATE - FEBRUARY 26, 2023

Thank you for your continued patience. Here is your 2/26 morning update. 

 

DTE's public safety and restoration crews have remained in the field and are making strong progress toward our goal of restoring power to each and every customer. Over 4,000 line workers and staff have supported our power restoration efforts, and other DTE employees made wellness checks on our most vulnerable customers, including seniors.

We continue to urge customers to stay vigilant and exercise extreme caution for down wire. Please stay 25 feet away and do not cross caution tape.

Field Crews Continue to Work Around the Clock

  • As of 7:30 a.m., we have restored power to more than 450,000 customers and are laser-focused on restoring the majority of customers impacted by the storm by the end of the day.
  • Yesterday we made significant progress restoring schools. Today, our focus is restoring power to the remaining K-12 schools, so classes resume on Monday.
  • DTE's outage map remains updated with restoration estimates for nearly all affected customers.
  • Today's weather forecast is sunny skies with temperatures in the upper 30s to lower 40s. 
  • Inclement weather is expected for Monday and Tuesday, which could impact our restoration efforts.

 

 
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Good afternoon.

The severe weather has created a number of challenges in the last few days including power outages across Southeastern Michigan. On Wednesday, out of an abundance of caution, City Hall closed in the early afternoon and all youth recreation programs were canceled for the day. Our street response began early and continued through the night to the next morning. Despite the warmer temperatures, residents are still facing fallout from the storms in the form of power outages, tree debris, and downed power lines. I have personally been in touch with DTE and remain in constant contact with our Department of Public Works.

Pontiac Department of Public Works (DPW) Storm Response
The ice storm caused considerable damage, opening new potholes and bringing down tree limbs. DPW has rented a chipper and is driving through the city chipping whatever can be fed into the equipment. Anything too large for our rented chipper will be reported to our contractor for service. This should result in the fastest possible clearing of roadways for travel. Even with a tree contractor working in the city, we anticipate it will take up to two (2) weeks to clear all of the fallen trees and limbs from public areas. If you have an emergency with a broken or fallen tree limb, please contact DPW at: (248) 758-3600 and follow the prompts.

Update on Power Outages
Your safety is our highest priority. We continue to work with DTE to inform them of any downed power lines brought to our attention. We also know that there are large numbers of households still in the dark. DTE crews have been working around the clock and anticipate at least 95% of locations without power will be restored by Sunday. Click here for updates on the status of outages and DTE's progress in your area.

Warming Centers
The City of Pontiac is activating the Robert Bowens Senior Center as a Warming Center this Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to help residents stay as warm as possible this weekend.

The Oakland County Office of Emergency Management also has information on additional centers in the area. Click here to view those locations if you or someone you know needs to warm up.

As DTE crews continue working to restore power, we urge you to continue taking precautions:

  • Look up: downed lines may be on the ground, wrapped in a tree or hiding behind tall grass or weeds.
  • Stay at least 25 feet away from all live lines and anything that may be in contact with them.
  • Report the downed or damaged line to DTE at 800.477.4747.

Again, we want you to be safe, stay warm and know that our DPW crews are working closely with DTE to make sure its crews are able to travel throughout the city, unencumbered, so they can get power restored to all homes as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Tim Greimel
Mayor
Selection of Site for Youth Recreation Program
The CitYouthRecreationSitey of Pontiac is moving forward with the acquisition of the McCarroll School site for a community center that will house the City’s youth recreation programming.

Click here to read the entire article