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Southfield council approves design phase for Southfield Road boulevard project
Summary
The council voted to advance design work for converting part of Southfield Road into a boulevard, citing traffic- and pedestrian-safety goals; council members said public safety agencies will review designs during the coming design phase.
The Southfield City Council voted Jan. 12 to approve moving forward with the design phase for the Southfield Road boulevard improvement project, a multi-year effort city staff said is intended to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety. The motion to approve the consent agenda item for the boulevard design was moved by President Pro Tem Hogue and supported by Councilwoman Haines; the vote was recorded as carried.
Leah Schultz, the city engineer leading the presentation, described the concept as a corridor-wide safety and mobility project that would add a center median, provide pedestrian refuge islands and reconfigure certain intersections with indirect left turns often called "Michigan lefts." "The primary purpose is traffic safety, and it gives us an opportunity to re-envision this corridor with non-motorized improvements as well," Schultz said.
Council members pressed for clarity about emergency-vehicle access and signal timing. The engineer and city administrator said the design phase includes signal re-evaluation and modeling so that fire trucks, ambulances and heavy freight can be accommodated. The city administrator described the step as a design commitment to position Southfield for federal and county funding, and estimated the federal scheduling and funding process could take years: "Process is typically 5 to 7 years," he said.
Members also noted a near-term funding deadline: staff said the item needs approval now to proceed to an Oakland County federal-aid committee meeting next week that adjusts project funding queues. Pro Tem Hogue and other supporters said the city can participate in the design work without committing to later construction funding and that the design phase will include public engagement and opportunities for police and fire to weigh in.
The vote advances the design contract and authorizes staff to pursue the next design-phase actions; final construction, funding and specific geometric details will be subject to later approvals, permitting and public meetings.
