Roads
The
Division of Public Works currently maintains a network of more
than 58 miles of major streets and 243 miles of paved and unpaved
local streets. Farmington Hills has the ninth largest
municipal street network in the state of Michigan and the largest
municipal network in Oakland County.
The DPW oversees all routine maintenance of
the City’s street system including pavement patching and
replacement, road grading, litter control, street sweeping,
roadside mowing and landscaping, forestry services, storm drain
maintenance and improvements, ditching, guardrail repairs, sign
maintenance, and snow and ice control. Additionally, City
crews provide mowing and litter control services to 40 miles of
county roads.
Ensuring safe driving conditions is the
primary objective of the road maintenance program. Improving
the aesthetic quality of the street network in the City of
Farmington Hills is also a priority.
Snow and Ice Removal
The
City provides snow and ice control throughout the winter months
for its 300-mile road network. These streets fall into one of
three categories; major roads, school bus routes, and subdivision
streets. Major roads and school bus routes receive the highest
priority; they are plowed and salted following any accumulation of
snow or ice. Local streets are plowed following accumulation of
four inches or more of snow. If the accumulation is less than four
inches, subdivision streets are spot salted, on hills, curves, and
intersections. The DPW staff, in conjunction with Police dispatch,
are on-call seven days a week to respond to road hazard conditions
or storm events. These services are provided for all roads under
the City’s jurisdiction. Throughout Farmington Hills, however,
there are roads under the jurisdiction of the Road Commission for
Oakland County, the Michigan Department of Transportation, Wayne
County, and our neighboring Cities of Southfield and Farmington.
School Bus Routes
The Farmington School District has selected the primary
road link between the City’s major street network and the
district’s elementary schools. These links are then designated
as school bus routes. Note that these routes do not include all
roads driven by school buses. School bus routes are plowed
and/or salted following any accumulation of snow and ice.
Sidewalks
The
City does not plow or salt sidewalks. Although requests for this
service have been reviewed for years, the City has adopted a
policy of not providing snow and ice control for the City’s
sidewalk network. Given the frequency of thaws in Southeastern
Michigan, pedestrians can safely use sidewalks throughout most
of the winter. Sidewalk snow removal programs in other
communities have resulted in extensive landscape damages and, on
occasion, caused increased hazards due to icy sidewalk surface
conditions.
Salt/Sand Barrels
The City places 55-gallon drums filled with a mixture
of sand and salt at intersections and hills upon request from
homeowner groups. If your association is interested in having
barrels placed within your subdivision, please send a letter,
along with a clear description or sketch of the location, to the
Division of Public Works at 27245 Halsted, Farmington Hills,
Michigan, 48331, or
email the DPW.
It is important to obtain the approval of the property owner
adjacent to the selected location, given that spilled salt may
burn the grass.
Click here for a map of roadway jurisdictions in Farmington Hills.
Other Roads
There are a number of county and state roads that pass
through Farmington Hills and are directly linked with the City’s
road network. County roads, as well as MDOT highways, are
maintained throughout the winter months by the Road Commission for Oakland County
maintenance staff. Like the Farmington Hills DPW, the
Road Commission maintenance staff is on call 24 hours a day to
respond to emergencies and weather.
