Why not use local contractors

[Willy]

A new solar powered flashing light that warns motorists of an oncoming fire trucks was installed on Ludington Ave. The installing contractor is from Lansing. Why wasn't a local electrician hired to do the work? I wonder where the money came from and why the necessity for the sign. My understanding is that most cities have remote controls  in fire trucks that can actuate traffic signals when they approach. Is this another unnecessary spending of tax dollars?

[Sweater Cows!]

I see a lot of companies doing work in our area with out of county locations on there vehicles(So & So Company, Anytown MI decal on the vehicles/equipment).

Generally they are from MI but just not around here. I don't understand it either.

Maybe in some cases there is not a local contractor that does the work as it is something very specialized. In some cases I think the job is hired out of the regional offices of the company(a muskegon company doing the roof at Scottville Wesco...Wesco is based out of Muskegon so would likely have put bid requests out from the home offices).

But in most cases I would think any local gov't or business would use local contractors. It seems a big betrayal of the public trust and local businesses to use out of town companies when local ones are available.

[Lisa O'Brien]

The installing contractor was probably the lowest bidder and the person who did the hard wiring was probably a union electrician - this is a civil project and is a bit more involved than a homeowner hiring a local electrician to do some wiring. I know a union electrician in Ludington that works primarily out of Muskegan - because this is where the union hall sends him. The company I work for is based in Michigan but we have contracts globally, in NYC we use electricians from the local 3. Just because the company's home base is out of town does not mean the employees are not from the local union.

[Eve Alone]

Is that intersection of Lud Avenue part of US 10?  Is it Robert St? 

[XLFD]

Yes, and it also bespeaks that the LFD station is likely to remain where it is for awhile.  It's a great location.

[Willy]

I saw this information on the LDN website. It only stated that the sign was installed on Ludington Ave. and the contractor was from another city.

[XLFD]

I seen these two signs earlier today.  They are on both sides of Robert Street, solar-powered as said, and not flashing all the time.  I like the idea, and think it is beyond time they installed something like that.

For all points north, and many points south and to the east beyond James Street, fire apparatus from the LFD station, turns out from Loomis, to Robert, and then gets on Ludington Avenue.  There is no stoplight on the Robert-Ludington intersection, so if this activates timely, it will notify traffic on Ludington Avenue in advance. 

Having had to rush to the station myself, I've noticed that traffic, esp. coming from the east, doesn't notice the truck coming out from beyond the old bowling alley buildings until it's there.   Unfortunately, it looks like the sign on this side might be obscured by existing trees during the summer and limit its effectiveness.

This section of street would not be state highway, I believe, so the signs would be put up by the City, one would guess.  Willy's question about contractors is a good one, and other questions would be:  how much did it cost, and what entity okayed the installation of them.  I have seen no discussion in any local minutes about this.

[Willy]

That makes sense if there are no traffic signals. By the photos I saw of the lights, they did not look very big. Do you think vehicles will see them, especially out of towners. I have never seen these types of lights before and anyone not familiar with them may just breeze thru the intersection.

[AQUAMAN]

Anyone post a pic of those lights? My first reaction was that Lud. Ave. is US-10, a state highway, and as such, the State DOT in Lansing would let the contract to it's local union. However, if it's on the side street of Robert, is it then a city signage? Also, is it 22kt. gold with diamond clusters by any chance?

[XLFD]

Willy could probably do a picture the best, and he won't have to worry about gold or diamond glints.  After studying a lot of Ludington maps, I can't 100% determine whether that area would be considered highway, as US 10 turns up James Street, and M-116 doesn't seem to go beyond the Lakeshore/Ludington intersection.  Anyone else have conclusive ideas as to who has domination over this stretch of street?

Also, I wasn't as precise as I should have been.  They are on Ludington Avenue about a half block from where Robert intersects, as shown as the black spots on this map:

 

[XLFD]

After posting the above picture, I couldn't help but notice that this map makes this part of Ludington look like a face, with Buttersville peninsula as the chin and lower mouth, waterfront park as the tonsil, and the south side of Stearn's Park as a pug nose.

 

Looks like Mr. Ludington is staring at the lighthouse and has a carferry stuck in the back of its throat.   

[Willy]

Looks like Shay. Below are some photos of this traffic control. As you can see the sign and light are not very big. I don't see  why they would use Robert st. When there is a light on Rath. It would seem to me that using Rath is a safer route and it's just aroung the corner just as Robert st. is.   Another problem I see is that these traffic signals are going to be hard to see and if they are not used very much people will not know what they are for when they are activated especially tourist. When they are activated are cars supposed to stop at the light or at Roberts st. I also included a photo of the contractors trucks where they are installing the remote switch that will be activated by the fire fighters. I talked to the contractors and was told that the State of Michigan is paying for the signals and they are contracted by the State. They are also working on the signals on the corner of 10 and old 31. So the State sent 4 trucks and at least 4 men 170 miles to do the work. I haven't changed my mind. This is still a waste of money. I circled the light located on the north side of Ludington ave. You can see the light located on the south side.

[Marty Redman]

I'm surprised the downtown board allowed more signs that don't fit into their 24K gold motife.  People driving thru the downtown already have more than enough traffic signs and directional signs to make them miss seeing what kind of shops are still there.