Should an East Lansing motorist strike an East Lansing pedestrian on an East Lansing street at an unsafe speed, it seems contrary that anyone but an East Lansing resident rectify the situation.
But more and more, as East Lansing streets and others around the state increase or lower speed limits, local officials have very little to do with any modification whatsoever. The decision to increase a speed limit is made at a state level, researched by state police and finalized by the Michigan Department of Transportation. In many cases of speed-limit alteration, it's conceivable that people who don't regularly use a local thoroughfare are held responsible for its new image.
Backward, right? Exactly. But don't assume local municipalities need to be in complete charge of the road from city border to city border. That measure obviously is too costly and requires more resources than localities possibly can provide for construction, repair and governance. In that regard, the transportation department and the state, county and local police perform a daunting task to various levels of satisfaction. Where the city fits in, though, is in the research.
State Rep. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, introduced a bill Tuesday that would give city governments a voice in speed-limit modifications. The bill was the result of increasing the speed limits of two state-owned roads in East Lansing without city input.
As East Lansing City Councilmember Vic Loomis said, "For every one person that has either written me or e-mailed me saying that (the speed limits) should be increased, there are 10 saying it shouldn't."
Precise numeration of these letters aside, Loomis' point reflects what we believe many city residents must feel. If the matter affects our city, at least let our city have a say in the decision.
We are the ones who walk up and down Grand River Avenue on a daily basis. We are the ones who navigate roads until they're familiar and we are the ones who negotiate drops in speed limit or the sudden darting pedestrian. The title and receipt for these roads is in the state's name, but in practice and action, these roads belong to those who use them most often. The same goes for several other publicly owned entities, and the louder the local voice in the matter, the better.
Support of Whitmer's bill, though, is not a commentary on what constitutes safety. Like Loomis said, every decision has its supporters and its detractors, no matter how sweepingly general or inane it might seem. The State News is not the institution to say what makes for a safe road, nor are we the editorial body to say how fast you should travel.
Speeding always has, and always will be, a personal decision that is hard to decisively police. But if East Lansing knows something is unsafe, or if East Lansing knows that a speed limit change will result in public outcry, the city is obligated to do its part in transgressing possible flare-ups.
Potential problems in speed change are entirely avoidable issues easily bypassed by local involvement. Again, it is never the city's responsibility to caretake roads; it only should be the city's responsibility to see that its streets are best suited to the community and its members.
East Lansing isn't a community that's unsafe at any speed just yet. But Whitmer's bill could be a step in the right direction to prevent that.
