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After fatal crash, Sterling Heights taps Safe Streets Task Force to review 15 Mile and Shaner intersection
Summary
Council members and residents pressed for actions after a recent fatal rear-end crash at 15 Mile and Shaner; city staff said the Safe Streets/traffic-calming task force will examine the intersection and other high-accident locations and pursue engineering and enforcement options.
A recent fatal crash near 15 Mile Road and Shaner Road prompted council discussion and a direction to the city's traffic-calming task force to review high-accident intersections, including that site.
Councilmembers described a recent collision in which investigators estimated a vehicle was traveling at a very high rate of speed before rear-ending a stopped car at a red light; the crash resulted in at least one fatality. City Manager Mark Vanderpool told council the incident involved an estimated speed near 100 mph and that toxicology and investigation remain ongoing.
Vanderpool said the Safe Streets/traffic-calming task force is reviewing the city's highest-accident intersections and noted the city has deployed a range of countermeasures across neighborhoods and corridors, including medians, chicanes and turn lanes installed by the county. "We're really interested in making our roadways as safe as they possibly can be," Vanderpool said, adding that 15 Mile & Shaner is in the city's top-20 list of problematic intersections though not the top 10.
Councilmembers and residents proposed potential responses discussed at the meeting: timing and coordination of signals, additional traffic signals for long straightaways, pavement markings or advance-warning flashers that indicate an upcoming signal will change, and stepped-up enforcement in problem corridors. Several councilmembers asked staff to pursue engineering reviews with the county (which controls some signalized corridors) and to brief council on options.
Council members noted that changes such as traffic-signal timing or additional warnings can reduce the incidence of rear-end and high-speed collisions, while acknowledging that some crashes result from extraordinary driver behavior or medical emergencies that engineering measures cannot prevent. The city also noted prior safety investments such as right-turn lanes installed by the county at the intersection.
Staff said the Safe Streets review will include an analysis of collision history, potential engineering changes and recommended enforcement or signaling adjustments. Council asked staff to provide the relevant traffic-analysis pages to all members for follow-up and requested periodic updates on recommended actions.
