>>> PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, CALLED US UPSET
THAT DRIVERS ARE USING THEIR
QUIET STREETS TO AVOID A BUSY
INTERSECTION.
SO WE WENT TO LOOK AT WHAT'S
HAPPENING NEAR 96TH AND
ALLISONVILLE ROAD.
WHAT'S DONE THERE IS A MICHIGAN
LEFT.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.
YOU'RE COMING DOWN ALLISONVILLE
ROAD AND WANT TO GO LEFT.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO FIRST IS GO
RIGHT AND MAKE A U-TURN TO
PROCEED IN THIS DIRECTION.
THIS IS WORKING WELL.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD DISAGREE.
THEY'RE FRUSTRATED AND SAY
PEOPLE INSTEAD ARE TAKING THIS
CUT THROUGH, AND THEY SAY THAT
YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
>> HERE'S THE VIEW FROM CHOPPER
13 OF A MICHIGAN LEFT.
THE INTERSECTION WAS CONVERTED
TO A MICHIGAN LEFT FOUR YEARS
AGO.
>> I THINK IT SHOULD BELONG IN
MICHIGAN.
>> HE LIVES IN CEDAR COVE.
A NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE NORTHEAST
CORNER, AND HE'S ONE OF MANY
HERE WHO SAY SINCE IT WAS
INSTALLED, THE PROBLEMS HAVE
ONLY GOTTEN WORSE.
>> GO BACK TO MICHIGAN.
>> THAT'S BECAUSE HE SAYS
DRIVERS AVOID THE CONFUSING
INTERSECTION BY CUTTING IN FRONT
OF HIS HOUSE.
>> BE HERE AT 7:30, AND 4:30,
WHEN PEOPLE COMING HOME CUT
THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY DON'T BELONG HERE.
>> THE ROUTE IS A PRIVATE ROAD
WITH TWO SPEED BUMPS, AND A STOP
SIGN.
>> THE TRAFFIC COMES THROUGH
HERE, AND CUTTING OFF, AND THEY
DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE
MICHIGAN TURN.
>> SO WE WENT TO THE CITY,
LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION.
WE TALKED TO ENGINEERS, SAYING
CEDAR COVE WAS A SHORT CUT
BEFORE THE MICHIGAN LEFT.
>> THERE WAS CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC
BEFORE AND WE THINK AFTER.
IT'S NOT THE ANSWER THEY LIKE TO
HEAR UNFORTUNATELY.
>> AND INSTALLING ADDITIONAL
SPEED BUMPS IS AN ADDED EXPENSE.
>> IT'S TOUGH TO SELL TO THE
HIGHER UP'S.
>> I CAN'T USE THE WORDS I WANT
TO DESCRIBE ON TELEVISION.
MY ANGER TO FISHER, NOT ABLE TO
RESOLVE THAT.
>> THEY SAY FOR THE ARCHMOTORIST
-- AVERAGE MOTORIST, THINGS ARE
BETTER AT THIS CROSSING.
THE TIME TO TURN LEFT IN BUSY
TIMES WAS 4 TO 5 MINUTES AND NOW
IT'S DOWN TO 2.
THE GRADE OF THE INTERSECTION
HAS IMPROVED FROM AN E TO A B.
>> THE OVERALL TRAVEL TIME IS
LESS THAN WHAT THE MOTORISTS
EXPERIENCED BEFORE THE
CONSTRUCTION.
>> BUT THE NEIGHBORS SAY THE
PROJECT IS A FAIL.
>> WHY DON'T THEY DO SOMETHING?
>> GOOD QUESTION, WE HAVE NO
ANSWERS.
WE GET NO ANSWERS FROM ANYONE.
>> JUST STOP, IT'S A PRIVATE
DRIVE.
WANT YOU TO STAY OUT OF OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> ALL RIGHT, IT'S SOMETHING TO
CONSIDER.
DOES THIS REALLY WORK?
WE TIMED THE TRAVEL TIME, AND WE
DID IT MANY TIMES, REPEATEDLY IN
THE MORNING RUSH HOUR.
WE DROVE TWO CARS AND STARTED AT
THE SAME TIME AND WE FOUND THAT
WHO GOT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION
FASTER REALLY DEPENDED ON THE
LIGHT.
IF MY PHOTOGRAPHER GOT A GREEN,
AFTER THE TURN, THERE WAS NO
BENEFIT TO THE SHORT CUT.
IF HE GOT A RED, THE SHORT CUT
GOT A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE.
GIVEN THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE LIGHT WILL BE, THERE'S A
GOOD ARGUMENT BUT THE CUT WILL
MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE MOVING
THROUGH FASTER, BUT IN THE END
YOU MIGHT NOT.
EITHER WAY YOU'RE AGGRAVATING
THE NEIGHBORS WHO WANT A
SOLUTION AND FOR NOW, THAT
STARTS WITH YOU.
>> IT CAN HELP THEM OUT RIGHT?
>> TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
I TOOK THE CUT, HE TOOK THE
LIGHT.
AND WE ALTERNATED BACK AND
FORTH, THE DIFFERENCE WAS SO
SLIGHT.