[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6357810,"mediaKeyId","2213693-d4aa604ba3bbee38f1974454999c9856","parentId",2213693,"title","Brighton staff warn street millage expires July 2025; council briefed on renewal options and project priorities","audioSeconds",2804,"startMs",12276000,"endMs",15080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213693-d4aa604ba3bbee38f1974454999c9856&start=12276&end=15080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213693-d4aa604ba3bbee38f1974454999c9856/thumbnail_12276000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6357810/Brighton/Livingston-County/Michigan/Brighton-staff-warn-street-millage-expires-July-2025-council-briefed-on-renewal-options-and-project-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357810-f93b4aeb470c21fe638e44c485e8d277/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206096&Signature=WNE2XpWxopxFGa13aZMnu0BjRmyBSbxjShZuXI2GqeROlkAq9BuRbIREeg2IbuUBt9Rp5Td9GKxeWJlcOyIbixgY2BL2zLSLJE8b3TqEN1IVa7OUkOVoqu-GRzkg~akhTbgFa16LBRaVyQMg3EZizM5lvljkeq5ULrH-Zi3Ur8tbx9-KFW~PXgFYuJT-8CdpXikxBzjqffpRSj1XE8z3sh6RZOHPk7z-8iMkLjAUEj-FfBmuCErF3iSqsxyohOoqRXqof4jTSorOUrc0Xssy0f5JlnQ62pEmq1r~ym8CV2EtH2YkAiSAfZwSCR~Q6pIkNFZGJSWd5IxunqfLfgxyiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Brighton Michigan","date","2025-01-25T00:00:00Z","article","City staff told the council that the voter‑approved street millage that has funded major neighborhood and surface projects will end with the July 2025 levy unless voters approve a renewal.

\"The last levy will be this coming July of 2025,\" a city financial presenter said, noting the current levied rate is reduced from the previously approved 2.5 mills because of state rollbacks. Staff laid out election timing options: a quick February deadline would be required for a May 6 ballot; an August 5 date is possible (typically for primaries) and November 4 would coincide with the regular general election. Staff warned of additional election costs for special dates.

Finance staff presented revenue scenarios and said restoring the levy to 2.5 mills would generate meaningfully more revenue over a typical seven‑year term than remaining at the current rolled‑back millage; staff also noted that a longer term would increase total receipts. The city has existing bond debt tied to prior projects; staff said those obligations will remain payable from the fund and estimated the balance available for new projects after debt service at the end of the current levy period.

The presentation summarized past projects financed or enabled by the millage and related bonds—including the northwest neighborhoods reconstruction, Alpine/Third/Fairway Trails and other local work—and listed candidate projects that staff would prioritize if a renewal passed. Staff highlighted that having local funding available strengthens grant competitiveness and gives the city the ability to start projects without issuing new bonds.

Council members asked for a clearer reconciliation of past millage revenue and expenditures and for a short list of high‑priority candidate projects before authorizing placement of a renewal on the ballot. Several council members expressed support for a renewal but differed on term length and whether to seek full restoration to 2.5 mills or to renew at the current rolled‑back rate. Staff said they would refine project lists, costs and proposed ballot language and return to council with outreach materials and a recommended timetable if the council wants to proceed.

Why it matters: The millage funded major street and neighborhood reconstruction projects for several years. Without a voter‑approved renewal, the city will finish the current levy cycle and will not receive new millage revenue dedicated to streets after July 2025; staff told council that renewal decisions affect whether the city pursues pay‑as‑you‑go projects or re‑issues debt to fund large reconstructions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","01252025CCMeeting","oneSentenceSummary","City staff told council that the voter‑approved streets millage will expire with the July 2025 levy unless voters approve a renewal and presented options to renew at the rolled‑back rate or restore the prior 2.5‑mill level.","taxTitle","Brighton, Livingston County, Michigan","taxId",54301,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6357815,"Brighton council weighs Second Street bike lanes; parking, lane width and safety concerns stall immediate action",3923,4987000,8910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213693-d4aa604ba3bbee38f1974454999c9856&start=4987&end=8910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213693-d4aa604ba3bbee38f1974454999c9856/thumbnail_4987000.jpg","/articles/6357815/Brighton/Livingston-County/Michigan/Brighton-council-weighs-Second-Street-bike-lanes-parking-lane-width-and-safety-concerns-stall-immediate-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357815-e71206439547cc7286a5031bdcb60603/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206096&Signature=UlYkSfkfY2sNrBh9KFvvSfMp~KdfnC477d5trrw6ju~bY4tS6g1iaaDxsTnQ7DZ5sgGdBSPKa-Rm12T2OpaOX3kWrAoFlCUvQDl-P-3wqTHB783C3NOoroyL8dSCovgmB3PUL0WjFaxx5o4OczK~1cey21tDUujoCvRYqEkDvtH0saopo83DVNUjo5acFPKLbrgACHxpmEPbyPVMlTFrZUDDzcfdL7-oRASV7gA1s6jNQ0R15yO2b4h6sJuJ5K4U1sEGjo34tvbkG1SZfsF1zwwwQShSHASkdJFvIlRz6y~atpK5~3Ki3S441MKjLuPY-xCyGjNl~pL4eqHWxA~t5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planners brought a range of bike‑lane options for Second Street to the council, but technical constraints — street width, state lane standards and on‑street parking demand — left members without a clear path forward.

\"Second Street from lane width on both sides, you get a total of 37 feet across,\" Community Development Manager Mike Caruso told council. He said that leaves the city only a few feasible options: narrow travel lanes to the MDOT minimum in urban areas, which is generally 10 feet; install single bike lanes with little or no buffer; or place a two‑way bike lane on one side of the street and reserve the opposite curb for parking.

Caruso summarized tradeoffs the council had to weigh: a conventional bike lane next to parallel parking requires a 5‑foot bike lane; that plus two 10‑foot travel lanes and two 9‑foot parallel parking areas would exceed Second Street's pavement width. \"You cannot have parking and bike lanes on each side of the street on Second Street,\" he said. Another option the staff showed was an eight‑ to ten‑foot two‑way bike lane on one side of the street plus parking on the other; Caruso noted that design can work but said a two‑way lane with no buffer is tight for two riders side‑by‑side.

The city police chief told council he treats e‑bikes as bicycles under Michigan law and that, where allowed, e‑bikes can operate on sidewalks so long as they yield to pedestrians. He and other council members also raised enforcement and safety concerns: narrower lanes can slow motorists but may increase the feeling of tightness when trucks or delivery vehicles pass.

Council members discussed alternatives to a painted bike lane, including improved pavement markings to keep motorists centered in their lanes, parking tees to better delineate parking areas, and a shuttle or trolley service to reduce short car trips from nearby new developments. Several members said they favored addressing sidewalk gaps and maintaining existing infrastructure first; others suggested a pilot or temporary striping treatment to test a configuration before committing to permanent pavement or curb changes.

Clarifying numbers from staff: the city said current as‑built drawings show 37 feet of pavement between curb faces on Second Street; staff measured roughly 113 on‑street spaces between First Street and the beginning of DTN property that could be affected if curbside parking is removed. Council did not vote on an immediate change and asked staff to return with options, a pilot approach and outreach plans, including contacting schools and the DTN development to communicate parking and circulation plans.

Why it matters: Second Street is a primary north–south artery into Brighton's downtown. Any change that removes public parking or narrows traffic lanes will affect residents, businesses and deliveries and could change how visitors access downtown.","City staff outlined multiple bike‑lane designs for Second Street but found the street's 37‑foot paved width and state standards create tradeoffs: bike lanes would require removing parking on at least one side or creating a two‑way protected lane; council asked for more study and outreach rather than immediate changes.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6357820,"MDOT details I‑96/Grand River bridge rebuild, 50‑day full detour planned for summer construction",3769,541000,4310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213693-d4aa604ba3bbee38f1974454999c9856&start=541&end=4310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213693-d4aa604ba3bbee38f1974454999c9856/thumbnail_541000.jpg","/articles/6357820/Brighton/Livingston-County/Michigan/MDOT-details-I96Grand-River-bridge-rebuild-50day-full-detour-planned-for-summer-construction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357820-093ba1b0ff660918f25947a996064a95/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206096&Signature=NCIju~zxoa-Cg2ftO8hS2JFidhLcj9BHXxLRufB47OF5mxw6G7Jro8xUHq7A8-TeecddNmYGw~eUSA2mE1Im-fif~R6VQCgglmFLft8sttLRvd1WkFoCCG9XY5Xw~pCsmi1OfheLM47urClV2vi9~NCmUKs4p8nse~ITQh9DR-RwTphy1w0iUOWk5eV58L4yjEmIqFLBWEQM1-eJlVsyS1Z22W1BAuT4Sz2l9zFvGVjvaZmZemrgStsByqdc~v~nWjcnBwpvvaqOfAbDw9fp-ChZb3bxJRieFJU-W73PANWLTTET0QA88RKReho-ybM~8N88FozoopTnUJ8MAbo~9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MDOT design staff told the Brighton City Council that the I‑96 interchange at Grand River will be rebuilt during the upcoming construction season, requiring staged detours and a short period of full closure aimed at completing the most disruptive work while schools are out.

The project will remove the existing bridge, raise the new structure about \"2 and a half feet\" and rebuild approaches, Jack Rick, MDOT design project manager, told the council. He said the state has a contractor under contract—Dan's Excavating with CA Hull for bridge work—and that the work will continue through the construction season.

The plans call for two primary detours. In early stages MDOT will close the westbound loop on‑ramp and reroute traffic to the Spencer Road off‑ramp and back to westbound I‑96. A second detour runs from Hilton Road north to Old US‑23 and back to Grand River or to Spencer Road. For the most disruptive phase, MDOT has required the contractor to perform a full detour of Grand River for a limited, 50‑calendar‑day window during summer months so crews can reconstruct the intersection and related roadway work without live traffic, Rick said. \"We've given the contractor a window between, basically, when the school is out ... for 50 days,\" he said.

MDOT and its construction manager, Jeff Bigelow of Great Lakes Engineering, described the night work and short closures that will precede the summer full detour. Bigelow said the contractor is \"intending to start that 1st week in March, weather permitting,\" and that beam removals will require two to three night closures when traffic is pushed onto the east side of the freeway. During the summer closure, MDOT staff said at least one ramp into the city will be maintained to ensure emergency access and that they have required the contractor to keep emergency services connected.

City and county officials pressed MDOT on traffic management and communications. MDOT said it will install temporary signals and message boards, coordinate signal timing with the county and city, and post detour maps and slides on a project web page; staff also said they will maintain a project Facebook page called the \"I‑96 Brighton project page.\" George Seath from the Brighton Transportation Service Center said the agency will push traffic advisories to the media and the city's communications platforms; MDOT staff also pointed to the state's MyDrive traffic site as a real‑time resource.

Officials repeatedly cautioned that some details are weather‑dependent and that utility relocations by DTE and other private utilities remain on the critical path. MDOT staff said utility work will require at least one week with single‑lane closures on Grand River, and that the contractor will wait for utility relocations before fully mobilizing major bridge work.

Council members and residents asked about impacts to Hilton Elementary School and first responders; MDOT said it will hold an emergency‑responder meeting to coordinate access and will work with Trinity Health, Livingston County EMS and local fire authorities to preserve emergency response routes during closures.

Why it matters: The I‑96/Grand River interchange is a major entry to Brighton. MDOT emphasized the short‑term traffic pain for a long‑term gain—wider bridge opening, improved approaches and safety benefits—and told the council it will expand public notices and use message boards, social media and the city app to reach motorists.

MDOT said detailed staging maps, timelines and slides are posted on the project's web page and that staff will provide updated schedule windows once the contractor finalizes its sequencing. \"We will be able to tighten this up and give you a better idea,\" Jeff Bigelow said; but both he and Rick underscored the need for flexibility since underground utility work and weather can alter schedules.","Michigan Department of Transportation officials told Brighton city leaders that a contractor is in place, the bridge over Grand River will be removed and rebuilt and a 50‑day full detour is planned for the summer months; officials said communication with emergency services and staged detours will limit but not eliminate local traffic impacts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Brighton staff warn street millage expires July 2025; council briefed on renewal options and project priorities

Brighton council weighs Second Street bike lanes; parking, lane width and safety concerns stall immediate action

MDOT details I‑96/Grand River bridge rebuild, 50‑day full detour planned for summer construction