Ann Arbor residents voice noise concerns along M-14
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Concerned Ann Arbor residents took to Wines Elementary School Wednesday evening to voice their concerns on several capital road projects.
There was one issue that some parents said they wanted addressed sooner rather than later.
Parents, residents and members of the Ann Arbor community are worried about the noise near their homes and Wines Elementary School from M-14.
"There's very significant noise, up to 90 decibels, which is akin to a construction site where people need to have protective earwear," says Robert Gregg, a parent who says he plans on sending his children to Wines Elementary in the coming years.
Gregg says he hopes the issue will have a solution by that time.
He says he's led the way on a petition that garnered over 1,000 signatures from residents and parents, which he says the Michigan Department of Transportation has been receptive to. But Gregg says he hasn't seen solutions.
"Our children are subjected to that every single day on the playground, and they could also hear that in the classrooms, which affects learning outcomes as well," he said.
"Anyone who stands by the freeway can recognize there's noise there," says Greg Losch, University Region engineer for MDOT.
Losch and other members of MDOT were in attendance Wednesday, fielding concerns from area residents. They said they are open to working with residents to the best of their abilities, as they have been.
MDOT members said until there is a capitol project underway, there is nothing they can directly do to address noise concerns.
"We have to first qualify for the federal programs before we can use federal money," says Losch.
MDOT officials say they encourage community members to continue voicing their concerns. Gregg says he's fortunate they have been receptive, but as he mentioned, he'd like to see solutions.