Signs, Signals & Road Safety

Please submit a request to WCRC to see if your neighborhood is eligible for this type of traffic control. You can click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

Road eligibility for speed humps depend on many factors, including:

1. Road must be paved
2. Road must be classified as a local public subdivision road with a speed limit of 25 mph

Private roads or unpaved roads are not eligible for speed humps through WCRC. Click here for our certification maps to verify if the road is public or private, primary or local.

If your road is deemed eligible for speed humps, you will be asked to circulate a petition among area property owners to make sure this treatment is desired by a large majority of impacted property owners. WCRC will provide more information on the petition process if your road is deemed eligible.

Speed humps are one potential treatment included in WCRC’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP). The NTMP was created in partnership with local law enforcement with the primary goal of providing traffic control solutions that are appropriate and acceptable to both the community and WCRC. Click here to learn more about the NTMP.

WCRC reviews all the roadways within our jurisdiction annually and prioritizes the locations based on the budgeted amount. Please note standard pavement markings have very little reflectivity when water is on the road and can only be applied during favorable temperatures.

To report a pavement marking concern, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

When it comes to changing the passing zones on county roads, WCRC follows the guidelines provided by the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD).

New driveways, subdivision streets or private roads do not warrant a “no passing zone”.

To request a passing zone review, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

Guardrail is a useful roadside safety tool, but it is not appropriate to protect against every roadside hazard. In the wrong applications, guardrail itself is a hazard.

Guardrail is only appropriate when the result of a vehicle striking the guardrail barrier will be less severe than a crash resulting from hitting the unshielded hazard. For example, guardrail is usually not an appropriate solution to a single tree sitting too close to the road since a guardrail is just another fixed object like the tree. Guardrail is appropriate to protect road users from a large water feature or very steep slope.

To determine if a guardrail is necessary, WCRC will evaluate the location and decide based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Roadside Design Guide.

To request guardrail in a new location or report existing guardrail that has been damaged, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

It depends on the road. Parking restrictions on public county roads are determined in partnership with WCRC and the Michigan State Police.

According to the Michigan State Police, “Overly restrictive prohibitions of parking that are not based on a genuine need cause widespread non-compliance and are unenforceable. Overly permissive parking situations lead to decreased capacities, traffic crashes, and a dysfunctional transportation system. Parking restrictions must reflect a narrow band between these two extremes. In all cases, however, the rights and safety of the driver take precedence over the demands of adjacent landowners.”

If requested on a public road, WCRC will to conduct a review looking at the characteristics of the road and community. WCRC will make recommendations based on the study to the Michigan State Police. Recommendations will only go into effect if approved by the Michigan State Police.

To request a parking review, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

Due to limited resources, WCRC will only move large animal carcasses if the remains are located in the traveled portion of the roadway.

If called, WCRC crews will drag the animal far enough off the road as to not interfere with travel. WCRC does not have the resources to completely remove and dispose of animal remains located in the road right-of-way.

Please call (734) 761-1500 immediately to report an animal carcass or any other obstruction that is in the traveled portion of the road.

If a traffic signal is dark, or a stop sign is knocked down, please contact us immediately at (734) 761-1500.

According to the Michigan Vehicle Code, when a signal loses power, the intersection should be treated as a four-way stop.

1. Stop before entering the intersection.
2. Yield to all vehicles in the intersection or approaching on an intersecting road, if those vehicles will constitute an immediate hazard during the time the driver is moving across or within the intersection.
3. Exercise care while proceeding through the intersection.

To make a request for a traffic signal, please click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices). Once a request has been submitted, WCRC engineers will review the intersection to see if a traffic signal is necessary or warranted based on state-wide standards. This review could take months. If a signal is warranted, a funding source must be identified which can be a challenge.

While a warranted traffic signal can improve traffic flow and decrease serious injury crashes, an unnecessary signal can be a source of danger and annoyance to all who use an intersection, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

Potentially, there might be an issue with the timing of the signal or the in-pavement vehicle detectors (present at many but not all intersections). Please submit a request to WCRC for review, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

If the missing or damaged stop sign is on a public county road, please contact WCRC at (734) 761-1500 immediately to report. WCRC crews will respond in a timely manner to replace the missing or damaged stop sign.

WCRC follows the guidelines provided by the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD). The MMUTCD specifies the size, shape and color of all traffic signs.

The process of determining whether or not to install a new traffic sign typically includes evaluating the location in the field, applying our experience and utilizing the MMUTCD to ensure we have a uniform system.

WCRC will conduct a study to determine if a deer crossing sign will be installed. The process of requesting and installing a new sign can take several weeks depending on WCRC’s current workload.

To make a request for a new sign, please click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

Michigan State law governs the methods by which speed limits are established on the county road system. The methods for establishing speed limits are based on empirical evidence and practices that are used throughout the country. These methods are designed to promote uniform operating speed across the driving population and to provide the safest conditions possible.

If requested, WCRC can conduct a spot check to determine if the request is viable and then the Michigan State Police (MSP) will conduct a speed study to determine if the speed limit on a road can be reduced. Typically, this review process may take several months and does not always result in a speed limit being lowered, in some cases the speed limit has actually been increased after MSP conducts its study.

To start the review process, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

Public Roads

Michigan State law governs the methods by which speed limits are established on the county road system. The methods for establishing speed limits are based on empirical evidence and practices that are used throughout the country. These methods are designed to promote uniform operating speed across the driving population and to provide the safest conditions possible.

WCRC follows the process outlined by the Michigan State Police for establishing realistic speed limits. Click here to read MSP’s procedure. Click here to read WCRC’s policy.

Private Roads

WCRC has no jurisdiction on private roads. Speed limits on a private road may be determined by property owners, homeowners’ association (if applicable) or other governing body. Some townships may have a private road ordinance addressing this issue.

If there are already speed limit signs posted on your road, WCRC is not likely to put additional speed limit signs along that section. Signs are placed strategically based on the road segment. Too many signs along a roadway, too close together can be counterproductive; motorists are either distracted by them or don’t read any signs because there are too many. If an existing sign is damaged or missing, WCRC will replace it.

In some cases, residents on subdivision roads may purchase additional speed limit signs for $310 per sign.

Many of WCRC’s roads do not have a speed limit posted. Michigan state law has set prima facie speed limits. Prima facie is Latin for “on the face of it” and is the speed limit under most circumstances. The prima facie speed limit on unmarked, unpaved roads is 55 mph and the prima facie speed limit in business or residential areas is 25 mph. These speed limits are set legislatively and apply throughout the state.

If you would like a segment of road evaluated for more signage, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

No. Hidden driveway signs are not an acceptable sign according to the because this type of sign is typically ignored by motorists and gives a false sense of security to those using the driveway.

For these reasons, WCRC will not install hidden driveway signs along our roadways.  Property owners are responsible for maintaining the required sight distance for a driveway.

Requesting a road name change is not encouraged due to the impact to many affected property owners and local agencies. However, such requests will be considered if an existing road name creates confusion, public safety concerns, or in cases of public interest.

To request a road name change, contact (734) 761-1500. The requestor will be responsible for all administrative fees associated with the change and will be responsible for circulating a petition of impacted property owners.

Click here to for WCRC’s Road Naming Policy. 

Residents on private roads may purchase a private road sign package through WCRC. This package includes a stop sign and road name sign to be placed at the private roads entrance off a public road. This package costs $600 and includes installation by WCRC sign crews. Once installed, the signs become the responsibility of the purchaser.

All other signage on private roads is outside WCRC’s jurisdiction.

Click here to submit a request for a private road sign package.

It is illegal to post unauthorized signs, including campaign signs, in the public road right-of-way (generally 10-15 ft from the edge of the traveled portion of the road) or attach them to WCRC property along the roadside (example: road sign or sign post). They can create distractions for drivers and take attention away from important safety-related signs. They can also become safety hazards during routine road maintenance operations such as roadside mowing.

Per WCRC’s Sign Removal Policy, WCRC has the right to remove unauthorized signs from the road right-of-way and dispose of them without notice. While WCRC does not have the resources to remove every illegal sign placed in the right-of-way, it prioritizes removing signs that are a safety hazard or in the way of pending maintenance.

To report a road sign for evaluation, click here to submit a request or use the WCRC Fix It App (available for Apple or Android devices).

No. Signs for private businesses or residents are not allowed to be placed in the road right-of-way (generally 10 – 15 feet from the edge of the road). WCRC has the authority to remove illegally placed signs in the road right-of-way. Click here for WCRC’s Sign Removal Policy.