Michigan Drivers Cautioned – Some Traffic Info Along Highways is Woefully Out-of-Date

When you're driving in congested urban areas, particularly if the area is someplace you're not familiar with, a radio traffic report may be just the info you need to keep your trip moving along with confidence. Along several Michigan highways, especially in Metro Detroit, there are signs directing drivers where to tune for traffic. Trouble is, some of those signs appear to be well out-of-date.

The signs are generally posted along freeways upon entering the greater Detroit area. The sign below is along I-275 travelling north near the Wayne County line.

The sign instructs motorists to find traffic by tuning their radios to one of four channels. 760, 950, SR155 and XM 216.

The first two, while not defined as such are on the AM band. AM 760 is WJR, the venerable 'Great Voice of the Great Lakes' which is a news/talk station that would include traffic wrapped around its talk programming. AM 950 is WWJ an all-news station which provides regular traffic updates and maintains information on its website and via an X feed.

READ MORE: The Curious Case of Michigan's 'Fat Diamond' Road Signs

The out-of-date portion of the sign is that second line. Both of those channels point to satellite radio. Sirius and XM are no longer separate services with separate channels. Further, SiriusXM has done away with over-the-air traffic reports back in March of 2023. The service once provided 22 different traffic channels serving the major metros of the country. Then they dropped to 8 and then 4. At the end, Detroit traffic was on channel 135 and did not have its own dedicated info - Detroit shared the channel with traffic info from Dallas and Chicago.

Some may say that with apps lke Waze and traffic info a part of some navigation systems, radio traffic is unnecessary. However, in the capable voices of someone like Detroit's venerable Jo-Jo Shutty McGregor, traffic was more than a service element on the radio, but a trusted companion and voice to guide drivers though and around any delays.

Michigan's Department of Transpiration also provides great real-time times along variable signs statewide.