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Dep. Jake Lesinski speaks to the audience
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
Editor’s Note: We shut off the Facebook comments on this post because Facebook comments don’t impact change in topics such as this. Actual letters written politely to legislators is how change in laws are made. At the end of this article, you will find contact information to those who represent Mason County in the legislature.
CUSTER — Reducing the speed limit on US 10 in the village of Custer is going to require citizens to be vocal with state officials. This was the general consensus of a town hall meeting Monday evening, March 3, at Mason County Eastern’s Cardinal Cafe. The public forum took place during the regular monthly meeting of the Custer Village Council and was held in response to a Feb. 19 two-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of 16-year-old Samantha “Sammi” Jo Bateson, who was a junior at MCE. The crash occurred at the intersection of US 10 and Main Street.
While speed has been ruled out as a cause of the crash, it has re-sparked an on-going effort to reduce the highway speed limit through the village.
The current speed limit is 50 mph. From 1960 to 2011, it was 40 mph. A 2011 speed study resulted in the speed limit being increased. A permanent change in speed limit on a state highway requires approval from the state legislature, under recommendations from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Michigan State Police (MSP).
Last year, the MDOT officials agreed to create a school zone on the highway, which travels next to MCE’s property. A school zone will reduce the speed limit to 35 mph for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon to correlate with drop-off and pick-up times. However, it does not account for the heavy high schooler traffic that takes place around noon when students are coming and going from career technical education on the campus of West Shore Community College. The crash that killed Bateson took place about noon.
Mason County Undersheriff Derrek Wilson addressed the crowd Monday. Sheriff Kim Cole was out of town on a previous commitment.
Wilson thanked everyone for attending.
“This was a tragic accident that has impacted our community,” said Wilson, adding that reducing the US 10 speed limit is a high priority for Sheriff Cole.
Wilson said since the crash, the sheriff’s office has reviewed crashes in that area over the last 10 years. He said the zone that deputies have reviewed includes the US 10/Main Street intersection to an area north about quarter mile and south just past the school.
In that time, there have been 29 traffic crashes. Of those, 11 were connected to the intersection; nine involved animals (likely car/deer crashes); six involved drivers ages 16-20; five had possible injuries; two had suspected injuries; one had a serious injury; and one — the most recent — resulted in a fatality; 24 occurred sometime between Monday and Friday while 17 occurred between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Wilson added that there likely were more crashes in that area that were investigated by the MSP.
In addition to crashes, the sheriff’s office has issued 29 traffic citations in that area in the last 10 years; 23 of them have been for speeding; four have been for failure to yield the right-of-way at the US 10/Main Street intersection; one was for disregarding the stop sign and one was for careless driving (the driver was traveling at 111 mph in the 55 zone outside the village limits before being pulled over in the village).
Meeting attendees asked Wilson why the school zone has not yet been implemented. Wilson said he does not make those decisions, as they are made by MDOT. However, Mason County Road Commission Manager Steve Wessels said he has been informed by MDOT that the delay was because of the power sourcing for the signs.
“I know that reducing the speed there is in the works,” Wessels said. “There are a bunch of hoops they had to go through. There have been conversations about the different designs.” Wessels said the state had been considering powering the signs with solar, but there have been some issues with solar-powered signs. Additionally, parts shipments had been delayed.
“I believe the parts came in and then winter hit us hard,” Wessels said. “It is my understanding that they will begin the work as soon as the weather breaks.”
While the school zone is a start, the general consensus of those in attendance was that it is not enough. The speed limits need to be reduced.
As some of the members of the crowd began making accusations toward Wilson and law enforcement, Anna Bateson, mother of Sammi Jo Bateson, addressed the crowd.
“I love your support,” she said. “But we are going to make noise moving forward. We’re not upset with them (she said, pointing toward sheriff’s deputies), we aren’t upset with our council (she said pointing toward the village council), we are a little miffed at MDOT. We need to make noise. But, we need to be kind to each other.”
Bateson encouraged residents who live along US 10 to place signs in their yards — legally — that encourage the state to lower the speed limit.
“We will have to be loud to our representatives,” she said. “We will have to be united. We can’t point fingers at our neighbors. In Sammi’s memory, let’s move forward. We are all on the same team.”
Deputy Jake Lesinski, who is the MCE school resource officer, said Sheriff Cole has encouraged MCE students — and students from other schools — to start writing letters to their state legislators, to name the stretch of US 10 in the village in memory of Sammi.
Wilson said citizens need to reach out to their legislators in order to have change. He said Sheriff Cole has been in communication with State Rep. Curt VanderWall, State Sen. Jon Bumstead, and Congressman John Moolenaar, each of whom has expressed their support to study the speed limit.
Citizens who would like to see a reduction in speed limit on US 10 should contact their state legislature to encourage him to seek formal legislation to reduce the speeds. Letters should be written politely and directly address the concern of the speed limit. Contact Sen. Jon Bumstead at SenJBumstead@senate.michigan.gov, Rep. Curt VanderWall at CurtisVanderWall@house.mi.gov or Rep. Joseph Fox at JosephFox@house.mi.gov.
To express concerns to MDOT email Cameron Lipko, MDOT traffic and safety engineer at LipkoC1@michigan.gov. and/or Suzanne Mulder, assistant operations engineer, can be reached at MulderS@michigan.gov.
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