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Here is a list of our frequently asked questions!
FAQ
- Who is the lead agency for this project and who is paying for this study?
- The Adams Road Right Of Way (ROW) is owned by Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) and they are responsible for the road. Through a partnership with the City of Rochester Hills (City), RCOC applied for and received a grant to pay for the Planning and Environmental Linkages/Environmental Assessment (PEL / EA) study. RCOC and the City are sharing the local share of these costs. While RCOC owns and maintains Adams Road, the city is also a lead agency with RCOC as this partnership would likely be necessary for any future improvements to Adams Road. Due to the proximity of Oakland University (OU), and the substantial presence the University has to the City and County, they are also part of the Technical Team for this Project. OU also owns a substantial amount of land along Adams Road and their partnership is integral to any future improvements to Adams Road.
- The PEL & EA process has been estimated to cost approximately $2.5M. The grant is through the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will administer the grant agreement, with the BUILD (now known as RAISE) grant paying for $2,000,000 with RCOC and the City splitting the remaining $500,000 for the Four (4) year study. More information on the RAISE Grant Funding can be found on the FHWA’s RAISE Discretionary Grants.
- What is happening right now?
- RCOC and the City have contracted with a team of consultants, led by Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (HRC), to complete a PEL Study and develop an EA for the Adams Road corridor, from Hamlin Road to Walton Boulevard. More information on the PEL process can be found on FHWA’s website: Planning and Environment Linkages | Environmental Initiatives | Environmental Review Toolkit | FHWA (dot.gov). This process started after many years of studies, master planning, and other efforts by RCOC and the City. The process includes substantial public and stakeholder engagement as well as an evaluation of alternatives and their potential impacts to the surrounding area and its characteristics and features.
- When is construction and how long will this process take?
- There is no funding for constructing this segment of Adams Road and there is no anticipated date for construction. It is expected that the PEL and EA process will take up to four years to complete. The end goal is to identify a preferred alternative for the corridor that meets a defined purpose and need while balancing the potential impacts to the environment, adjacent areas, and the community.
- Why is this happening?
- Over the past years RCOC has identified Adams Road as a corridor that displayed a significant crash history higher than the county average and drivers have noted delays during peak hour travel. In addition, the recently completed City of Rochester Hills Transportation Master Plan identified Adams Road as the main road in the City where traffic delays and safety were causing concerns. After this segment was reviewed, it was decided that an extensive effort should be made to study the corridor, potential improvements, and their impacts to the area. RCOC submitted a BUILD grant to USDOT to fund this study and it was awarded in 2020 with a start date in early 2022. RCOC and the City are sharing the local costs of the study as required as part of the grant. It is understood that improvements required to address the safety or capacity of this road would require this level of study.
- Why Adams Road?
- RCOC has noted that significant delays exist along Adams Road in the segment from Hamlin to Walton. In addition, the area experiences crashes at a higher rate than the county average. The City of Rochester Hills Transportation Master Plan identified Adams Road as the primary arterial road where residents had concerns about delay and safety for both motorists and pedestrians and bicyclists. This section of roadway is also not part of the City’s connected pathway system and adding paths along the road will require more space and likely lead to greater impacts to the area.
- What's been decided?
- While this area has been studied at various levels, this process is starting with a clean slate. Feedback will be solicited from the public and stakeholders to help define the purpose and need for improvements along this corridor. Once the purpose and need for improvements have been defined, the technical team will develop alternatives to improve Adams Road that meet the purpose and need. The alternatives will then be evaluated based on stakeholder input, data, and their impacts. Alternatives that do not meet the purpose and need will be vetted and those meeting the purpose and need will be reviewed for their impacts to the environment, surrounding area, and numerous other factors. Ultimately a preferred alternative is expected that will meet the purpose and need while providing mitigation for its impacts enough to justify that the project’s purpose and need outweigh its impacts.
- Why are we being asked to participate?
- RCOC and the City are seeking input and comments prior to beginning any planning or design efforts. The Technical Team will consider this feedback carefully throughout the process and it is expected to help direct the project and potential alternatives that will be considered. Public and stakeholder input will be critical to establishing the purpose and need for the project. It will also affect the alternatives being considered as the team works with agencies, special interest groups, residents, and others to gain feedback, comments, and preferences relating to the alternatives being considered.
