Houghton looks to solve speeding traffic in residential areas, police prepare for Dunkin’ Donuts opening

Residents express concern about speeding on 7th Avenue. Residents living on 7th Avenue expressed that changes in driving habits have increased cases of speeding and distracted drivers.

City of Houghton Police Chief John Donnelly says the city has started looking into solutions for addressing speeding. 7th Avenue, Houghton Avenue near Jim’s Food Mart, and Lakeshore Drive have become the newest locations drivers use to get around during high volume times.

The department has a portable radar sign that has been placed at different locations throughout the year. Chief Donnelly says this tool does help to remind drivers to slow down. City Manager Eric Waara said the city will look into adding speed bumps to those areas. In the next week, he and Donnelly will meet to further discuss solutions and how to manage traffic behavior in the city.

Chief Donnelly also shared the department is working with the soon-to-open Dunkin Donuts to keep traffic from migrating onto the highway. One solution could have customers creating a drive-through line up the hill into residential streets.

So everybody would have to go up 4th Street around onto Houghton Avenue and back down on the 5th and in that way, we’d have the stacking go up into the neighborhood. That’s what we’re trying to do with that to avoid traffic problems. – John Donnelly, Police Chief, City of Houghton Police Department

While inconvenient for the opening of a new business, he adds it should cause less backup on M 26. He also shared concern for traffic after exiting the Portage Lake Lift Bridge into Houghton and onto the highway.

But boy, I’m telling you there’s going to be a lot of accidents. People will get hurt with that drive through, particularly turning left into there. What happens and we’re working with MDOT on that. But you get a stacking problem waiting for people to go over to Hancock. People let a gap through and somebody tries to shoot that gap not seeing what’s coming down that hill. It’s going to be a problem. It’s been a problem on 4th Street. And we’re nervous about that coming up. So just if people can get understand that, that its going to be tough. It’s not like you can sign it, no left turns between here and there, it’s just difficult, so we’re worried about that, we’ll continue to monitor. – John Donnelly, Police Chief, City of Houghton Police Department

Last week the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce shared an update from Dunkin Donuts announcing the 501 Memorial Drive location will open in mid-October.

Other action by the council set the organizational meeting following the November election. And the council canceled the second meeting of the month for November and December. Those meetings would’ve fallen on the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The city will call a special meeting if needed.