Bloomfield Township issues 140 tickets in days for illegal turns
Officers are now citing drivers instead of offering warnings as residents report safety hazards near the Hickory Grove subdivision.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Bloomfield Township police issued more than 140 citations in under seven days for illegal left turns near the Hickory Grove subdivision. The crackdown targets eastbound traffic on Hickory Grove Road at three specific intersections: Rambling Way, Courville Drive, and Aspen Lane.
The no-left-turn restrictions are in effect during morning and evening rush hours. Signs for the rule were placed on the roadway over the summer. Officials noted that drivers largely ignored the initial signage, prompting a shift in enforcement tactics. Officers previously issued mostly warnings when the signs first appeared, but they are now writing tickets for every violation.
Resident Susan Calhoun described the recent enforcement as intense, calling the previous day's morning patrol an "open field day." She stated that drivers are turning left without looking at the signs. "These people are not paying attention to the signs at all, they are just turning left," Calhoun said.
Michelle Gikas, a neighbor who walks in the area, linked the rise in traffic to the closure of Interstate 696. She said drivers are exiting on Telegraph Road to cut through the subdivision to reach Interstate 75. The increased volume of cars has created a hazard because the neighborhood lacks sidewalks. Gikas pointed out that children must stand in the street to catch their school buses.
"Security, safety of the kids, because there's no sidewalks, bus stops where they have to stand in the street to be picked up," Gikas said. She warned that a single violation results in two points on a driver's record and a financial penalty.
Bloomfield Township Police Officer Sean Manor confirmed that the primary concern from residents is the risk of being struck by vehicles. He explained that while drivers often claim their GPS navigation directed them to turn, the driver remains responsible for obeying posted signs. "The biggest safety concern from them (residents) is they don't want to be hit by a car, and when there's a ton of traffic in there that probability just goes up," Manor said.
Each citation carries a $125 fine. Resident Eric Griffin observed a slight decrease in the number of illegal turns since the signs went up, but he said many drivers have not yet adjusted their habits.
