The more we develop technology, the more improvements can be made to our roads.

Watch Ali's report in the video player below

How Oakland County & U-M are using GPS data to recalibrate traffic lights, reduce crashes & wait times

The University of Michigan is using GPS technology from inside your car that will not only mean less time waiting in traffic, it will also make roads safer.

The system only needs GPS data from 5% of cars to recalibrate traffic signals, and so far, updates have been made to 13 intersections in Oakland County, specifically in Farmington Hills and Royal Oak.

There are also plans to expand the program.

For James Dorsey of Detroit, the thought of his GPS data being used makes him feel a little uneasy.

Just off hearing it you would think its weird, you know GPS data from your car being used, you dont know where its being used, so yeah, it sounds a little iffy. If I hear the backstory, I wouldnt mind," Dorsey said.

Here's the backstory. The University of Michigan teamed up with the Road Commission of Oakland County to update traffic lights, taking GPS data from cars to make those updates.

Once we know the performance, we can identify where it can be potentially improved, and we can diagnose in terms of the problem," Henry Liu, from U-M Civil and Environmental Engineering, said.

Liu points to two big benefits  cost savings and safety.

Oakland County spends about $5,000 to recalibrate traffic lights. That includes the cost of having people count the cars, the labor in calculating the timing and the time to physically reprogram the lights.

Pulling GPA data is half the cost at $2,500.

Second, improved traffic flow means improved safety.

Does this make our roads safer? I asked Liu

Oh yeah, definitely. They will help with safety as well because when you have smoother traffic flow. It also reduces in terms of the rear-end collisions too," he said.

So far, four signals have been updated on 8 Mile between Orchard Lake and Brentwood St. in Farmington Hills. It's led to a 30% reduction in delays and a 40% reduction in stops.

Nine signals have been updated on 12 Mile in Royal Oak between Vinsetta and North Connecticut Ave. It's led to a 20% reduction in both delays and stops.

A $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation is helping expand the program and helping recalibrate an additional 40 intersections in Oakland County.

When you bring an issue to our attention, we work to get you answers.

Watch Ali's story in the video player below Lack of enforcement along I-75 HOV lanes is a major concern for drivers; here's what officials say

What started as an email from a viewer about the carpool lanes on I-75 in Oakland County turned into us uncovering a major frustration among drivers.

The email said that not enough is being done to enforce the rules of the HOV lanes along I-75 between 12 Mile and South Blvd.

Every morning/evening on my commute, there are lots of people with one person in the car using it to cut ahead of traffic," Dan Ouwenga wrote to us.

He claimed there is zero enforcement and mentioned how there are massive fines in other states.

"Here in Michigan, it's enforced the same way as people putting shopping carts in a cart return purely on the kindness of their heart," he said.

It turns out, he's not alone in his belief. Over the summer, the Michigan Department of Transportation conducted a survey, looking for feedback on the lanes. Those HOV lanes are available to cars with more than one person inside from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

More than 2,500 people responded to the summer survey in 33 days. It found:

57% of people disagree that the lanes are convenient 68% of people disagreed that the lanes save time 83% of people felt the HOV lanes are not used appropriately

We took the frustrations to both the Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan State Police.

What do you take away from what people said in the feedback, whats the number one thing here? I asked Rob Morosi, a spokesperson for MDOT.

I think theres some frustration because they cite lack of enforcement as the top concern, and it's understandable," he said. Theyre doing the right thing, someones not, and they are getting away with it, I understand that frustration level.

I wish that my top traffic safety priority in the state of Michigan was HOV lane enforcement. Unfortunately, it's not in my top five, or my top ten," MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw said. "Weve had almost a thousand Michiganders killed on roads during the last year. We are on pace to pass that again this year, so its not one of our areas that we look at every day."

"What would you say to people that are frustrated that there isnt enough enforcement on those HOV lanes? I followed up.

I would tell them we appreciate what theyre doing. We also tell people that are driving in them when they are not supposed to that wed rather that you didnt. Were hopeful that people will kind of concentrate on their own driving, make sure theyre doing the right thing, and then we will take care of those that arent.

While enforcement might be a sore spot, Morosi said there has been some good news. He said technical data shows a 46% reduction in crash rates in that area.

However, drivers I spoke to still see some confusion.

"Do you think the carpooling lanes are working?" I asked Matthew Mutchler.

I dont really know that they were necessary. That always kind of puzzled me because I never thought the traffic on I-75, especially this stretch, was too bad," he said.

"Have you noticed those signs for the carpooling lanes?" I asked Helena Yaldiko.

Not really. It didnt grab my attention, so obviously they are not very noticeable, you know?" she said.

If you have something that's driving you crazy, please email me at ali.hoxie@wxyz.com or reach out to me on social media.

No one likes getting stuck behind a semitruck while driving down the freeway, but it happens to all of us. Now, one lawmaker is trying to help drivers find some relief, in the form of a new bill.

Right now, this bill is working its way through Lansing, but if passed, the law would make it illegal to pass in the far left lane of traffic, if the freeway is three lanes or more.

Watch Ali's report in the video player below Proposed law would make it illegal for semitrucks in Michigan to pass in the far left lane

"I think that's a good law," said Detroiter Christina Snowden. "I avoid semitrucks; we always call them Final Destination."

A game of Final Destination is the last thing any driver wants. However, Christina Snowden isn't alone in the fear of driving near a semi. And for some, it's just the frustration of being stuck in slow traffic.

Im upset that these truck drivers keep riding in the fast lane and you cannot get around through traffic," said James Trittschler from Howell.

Exchange lanes without having a fast heart beat is fine with me," said Shayla Smiler from Detroit.

There's a bill that could help these drivers. It would ban trucks in the far left-hand lane, on a three-lane or more highway. State representative William Bruck is sponsoring the bill.

Its a safety concern, because when there is slower traffic in that left lane, it slows down traffic, people begin braking, people begin passing wherever they can, you know on the right on the left in-between, they are just trying to move forward with where they are going," said William Bruck, State Representative for 30th District.

There is already a law on the books in Michigan making it illegal for semi-drivers to drive in the far left lane. This bill would tighten those rules, and make it easier for state troopers to hand out tickets.

There are other states that have similar bans, including Florida, Virginia and Illinois.

If theres a truck versus car accident, the truck rarely loses, its always that smaller vehicle that gets squished, and people get hurt," Bruck said.

But not everyone agrees; the Owner-Operated Independent Drivers Association has come out with a statement denouncing these laws. The statement reads in part:

"A number of statehouses today are considering lane restrictions for commercial motor vehicles with the assumption that it will reduce congestion and travel delays while also improving safety, pollution, and economic activity. Research has demonstrated, however, that truck lane restrictions are difficult to enforce, accelerate pavement deterioration, create speed differentials, and increase merging conflicts and crashes."

You can read the statement in full at this link.

Thats multiple billions of dollars that industry is spending on transportation," said Johnathan Paul-Wong, from Novi.

Paul-Wong said he's semi-retired now, but he's also a CDL holder. He told me a law like this in Michigan could hurt the truck drivers.

Time is money. These gentlemen and ladies on the road make money by the mile, so the quicker they get that done, thats more money in their pocket," Paul-Wong said.

This bill already passed the State House, but it would still need approval of the State Senate and would eed to be signed into law by Governor Whitmer. Bruck hopes he can get this bill passed into law this year.

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