The city of East Lansing has filed a motion of reconsideration to the Michigan Supreme Court against the Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT, over speed limits on certain streets.
The case involves speed limits raised by the department in February 2005 on portions of Grand River Avenue and Saginaw Highway.
The limits were raised from 25 mph to 35 mph on areas of Grand River Avenue and 35 mph to 45 mph on Saginaw Highway.
In March 2005, the city sued three agencies over the speed limits, and the Ingham County Circuit Court ruled the speed limits should be lowered to 25 mph and 35 mph.
The decision was then reversed by the state Court of Appeals in favor of the state to raise the speed limits again.
Dennis McGinty, the city attorney, said the city is waiting for the court to reach a decision.
Janet Foran, a spokeswoman for the department of transportation, said one of the factors for the limits being raised was to make the road safer for drivers.
"By raising the limits on the road, we are making it so drivers are driving at a consistent speed," Foran said. "We deem these speeds safe because, by our averages on this road, everyone will be driving at the same reasonable speed."
Another way the state sets these limits is by following the 85th percent rule. This rule means the speed 85 percent of the people are driving at or slower than becomes the speed limit.
East Lansing City Council member Mark Meadows said that using this rule does not help in making the road any easier to drive.
"There is no scientific support for this specific rule," Meadows said. "It does not show whether the roads are safer or better to drive on."
Meadows added that people have a tendency of not driving at exactly the given speed limit.
"Plenty of people tend to drive 5 mph over the speed limit, and this is common in society," Meadows said. "It is also common that people drive 10 or 15 mph over the speed limit, and when the speed limits are raised, this makes these roads more dangerous instead of less."
Foran did name other factors as well — such as the type of traffic that travels on a road — which go into deciding whether or not the limits should be raised.
The safety of this road has been an issue for many years, said Ted Staton, East Lansing city manager.
"There had been significant accidents that included a number of fatalities before the speed limit was requested to be lowered," Staton said. "This is a reason why the city has fought so hard to make sure the limits are not raised."
Meadows said he understands the role of the department, but he also said there are times when a city should handle certain situations.
"I recognize MDOT is needed for a large portion of the state's traffic situations," Meadows said. "The times have changed though, and this is no longer 1925 when a speed change did not have a major effect on the driving conditions on a road."
