Ann Arbor City Planning Department
January 25, 2005

Traffic Congestion

First of all, I want to start out with my disclaimers. My objection to the location of the new high school is not a NIMBY issue. It is almost a mile and a half away from our home. My two children are grown up and are now attending college and even though our daughter who attended Pioneer does not see a need for a new high school, having the distinction of the largest high school in the State of Michigan does not seem to square with quality education. I am no expert in traffic control; however, I drive by the area almost everyday and have seen some crazy things motorists have done.

I was a parent of a Pioneer High School student for the past four years. For the first two years, we drove our daughter to and from the high school. For the last two years she drove her own car. Pioneer is, as you know, bounded on three sides with 4-5 lane roads that extend for miles. Yet our daughter complained of the congestion leaving the school, especially at lunchtime.

When I found out about the site for the new proposed high school, I was astounded that such a site would even be considered. The design of the school is such that it is land locked on three sides, with the only access on Maple Rd. Traffic will predominantly come northward on Maple and east/west off of M-14. The only east/west approach from the north is via Huron River Drive, a scenic, winding road along the river, often populated with pedestrians and cyclists, that makes for hazardous driving even for experienced drivers. Though there are plans to widen Maple Road, the widening would only cover .4 mile, limited in part by the M-14 overpass. Why there is no access to the school grounds from the east side baffles me. The Traffic Study Group hired by the administrator insists that the traffic concerns can be worked out without utilitzing access off of Newport Road. This defies common sense. Yes, the student population will be smaller but a larger percentage of students will be driving or be dropped off due to its more isolated location. Clearly having another point of entry and egress would make it safer for all.

As parents, I believe our biggest concern is the safety and well being of our children. Our worst nightmare is to get a phone call saying that your child has been in an accident.

I believe that traffic congestion will be a major problem at the new school. I fear that there will be serious traffic accidents and even fatalities with inexperienced student drivers dealing with M-14 and its commuters. With the administration seemingly driven and determined to get a new school built by 2007 as its top priority, it seems to ignore the obvious. As members of the planning commission, your mission is to guide public and private community decision makers in achieving the best possible development for the benefit of the people who live-in, work-in and visit the City. I urge you to examine whether the annexation is indeed good for the City.