New 25-mile-per-hour speed advisory signs will be posted along Portage Street owing to complaints made by residents about vehicles speeding past the campus of St. Ignace Area Schools. The Mackinac County Road Commission decided Tuesday, September 15, to install four speed limit signs on existing school and curve signs.

Several of the signs will be added along eastbound Portage Street near the schools. Speed signage is heavy while heading westbound toward the school, but very little exists while going east, road commisson manager Dirk Heckman said.

Commissioner Tom Doty, who works for the Mackinac County Sheriff's Department, has heard complaints about vehicles driving eastward toward the school at 50 miles per hour. Children often play around the area when school is not in session, as well.

"I think whatever we can do to slow it down, we should do it," Mr. Doty said.

A study to evaluate the speed limits along Portage Street should be conducted, Mr. Doty said, but would be difficult to arrange. The study must be conducted by the state police and will only be performed if certain criteria are met. The street must have a history of accidents, he said, with some of the accidents resulting in debilitating injuries. No accidents have occurred on Portage Street.

Signs along the street will be posted during the week of September 21, Mr. Heckman said. No action was taken concerning a speed study. Road Commission Considers

Bike Trail Grant Application

Commissioners considered the request of Lynn Brown of the Les Cheneaux Bike Path Committee to apply for a Michigan Department of Transportation grant to help fund the proposed Les Cheneaux bicycle path. Most bike paths are funded through transportation enhancement money, Mrs. Brown told The St. Ignace News, and a funding recipient such as the road commission is required to apply for the money. The trail would be a boon to the area, she said, as more and more people are interested in visiting areas with bike paths.

The grant would defray 80% of the construction costs incurred by the path, Mrs. Brown said. The remaining 20% of construction and construction engineering costs would be obtained through fundraising. As the applicant to the grant, the road commission would be responsible for the maintenance of the trail. Maintenance costs would come from fundraising as well, she said.

Mr. Doty expressed his desire to help the committee, but was concerned about the road commission being held accountable for the path's maintenance. If the committee dissolved, the commission would ultimately be responsible for paying for the path's upkeep .

"I don't want to see the project stalled, but I want to protect the funds that we have," he said.

Mr. Heckman suggested examining how Emmet and Charlevoix counties approached the funding of their bike path in light of Mr. Doty's concerns, and the commission will do so before making a decision. He agreed the Les Cheneaux bike path is an excellent project, but the road commission lacks the funding to shoulder it.

Shop Truck Purchased

A shop truck was purchased for $3,990 for the east district garage on St. Ignace Road near Hessel, Mr. Heckman said. The truck will carry road construction tools , reducing the need to return to the shop to retrieve needed equipment.