Delineator signs in the city slowing down traffic

HOUGHTON — The city of Houghton is taking steps to make things crossing the street downtown safer.

If you have driven down Sheldon Avenue in downtown Houghton recently, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the caution signs in the middle of the road. The delineator signs are meant to show drivers and pedestrians where the crosswalks are.

The city worked with the Michigan Department of Transportation to come up with a way handle the increased traffic through the city, both on the road and on the sidewalks. So far, the signs seem to be working.

Houghton City Manager Eric Waara said, “It’s certainly slowing traffic down. This is a one-way pair through a downtown on a state highway and some people didn’t obey, necessarily, the 25 mile an hour speed limit but these certainly have done a lot to slow most traffic down.”

The city also wants people to be aware that in Michigan, pedestrians must wait until traffic is clear before crossing the street. Also, drivers should not stop their vehicle when they see someone waiting to cross.

Waara said, “If these do accomplish the goals for this-which is raising the awareness, slowing the traffic down, getting people safer to place to cross-we’ll look at putting them other places as well.”