Development along the M-32 corridor has increased traffic there considerably in recent years, and traffic could get more congested with new development currently underway.

To help plan for that new traffic flow, officials from Alpena Township, Alpena, Alpena County, the Alpena County Road Commission, and the Michigan Department of Transportation recently began discussions about development of a new Alpena Area-Wide Comprehensive Transportation Plan drafted, News staff writer Steve Schulwitz reported recently.

The plan was last updated in 2003.

Among the options that could end up in the plan, Schulwitz reported:

∫ Extending Third Avenue to Tamarack Road.

∫ Construction of a roundabout at the intersection of M-32 and Bagley Street

∫ A second roundabout near Tamarack Road and Walter Street

Nothing is in the plan, yet, and that’s why it’s the perfect time for residents to get involved.

We encourage all residents to show up to the board meetings for the governments involved in discussing the plan (call MDOT or write to state Rep. Sue Allor or state Sen. Jim Stamas, who represent our region). Tell the board what you think of some of the ideas floating around, and tell them if you have any other ideas.

We urge those boards to take those voices into consideration.

Ultimately, engineers should have a big say in what the roadways look like. They could design roads that, while they might seem inconvenient to us, actually keep people safer while still keeping them moving. And that should be the ultimate goal.

But we Northeast Michiganders have to drive that stretch every day, so our voices ought to count for something.

So, readers, talk to your area leaders about the roads plan, and make sure your voices are heard.