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Ferndale reducing vehicle lanes on Woodward for more bike lanes
More space is being added for cyclists on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale. However, this means a reduction in vehicle lanes.
FERNDALE, Mich. - Any residents interested in learning more about road construction plans for Woodward Avenue, which include shrinking the historic roadway's lanes from eight to six and adding protected bike lanes, will find information at a virtual webinar in early February.
The Michigan Department of Transportation is planning to discuss the planned resurfacing for Woodward in Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge during a Feb. 7 Zoom meeting from 6-7:30 p.m.
M-1's construction will span Eight Mile Road to Oakridge Street and will last from late 2022 to 2023.
In addition to the safety improvements and planned asphalt construction, both Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge City Councils approved added work that will implement a road diet at Woodward. Both northbound and southbound directions will lose a lane, which will be replaced by a bike lane with a buffer from traffic.
Both cities will put forward funds for the project, which is partly financed through a transportation grant.
The reasoning behind the road diet is due a reduction in the daily load of traffic that passes through the Oakland County corridor, shrinking from 100,000 cars a day to an average of about 40,000 cars a day.
RELATED: Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge putting Woodward Avenue on a road diet
Representatives from MDOT, businesses, and community leaders will be permitted to watch the presentation