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Council to discuss new traffic lights

December 4, 2000

The East Lansing City Council will discuss the installation of a traffic light on Abbott Road, the approval of a contract to improve streets downtown and the commemorating of the city’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The council is expected to approve a traffic signal on Abbott Road. The East Lansing Transportation Committee voted on and recommended the installation of the light.

The light, which would be installed at Abbott Road and Library Lane, would slow traffic and make it easier to turn out of the post office and library. The city recently installed a pedestrian-activated light on Abbott Road north of the Central Fire Station.

East Lansing Engineering Administrator John Matuszak said the city budgeted $40,000 for the pedestrian lights to be installed.

He said the lights should be installed in those places for the safety of pedestrians and bikers, and the lights would only prevent accidents.

“The lights that are already installed will slow traffic which will also help drivers and pedestrians to pay attention,” Matuszak said. “It will be good to get the lights installed and have people aware of other motorists.”

The council will also discuss the improvements and resurfacing of a few streets downtown. Milford Street from Albert Avenue to the dead end on Milford and Lexington Avenue from Albert Avenue to Beech Street will be resurfaced.

East Lansing Mayor Pro Tem Beth Schwarze said the city has a regular street maintenance program that fixes and checks streets in East Lansing.

“Frankly, the neighborhoods with students are pretty highly used and are low income areas,” Schwarze said. “We would not be able to keep the streets as nice as we do if the federal government didn’t help out low income cities.”

The city will commemorate Jan. 15 as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The city offices and MSU will be closed. MSU started closing for the holiday in 1999.

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