Mile Road System (Detroit)

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The Mile Road System in southeast Michigan was established as a way to delineate east-west roads through the Detroit area and the surrounding rural rim.

Contents

[edit] History

The Mile Road System, and its most famous road, 8 Mile Road, came about largely as a result of the Land Ordinance of 1785, which established the basis for the Public Land Survey System in which land throughout the Northwest Territory was surveyed and divided into survey townships by reference to a baseline (east-west line) and meridian (north-south line). In Southeast Michigan, many roads would be developed parallel to the base line and the meridian, and many of the east-west roads would be incorporated into the Mile Road System.

The Mile Road System extended easterly into Detroit, but is interrupted, because much of Detroit's early settlements and farms were based on early French land grants that were aligned with frontage along the Detroit River and on later development along roads running into downtown Detroit in a star pattern, such as Woodward, Jefferson, Grand River, Gratiot, and Michigan Avenues, developed by Augustus Woodward in imitation of Washington, D.C.'s system. As Detroit grew, several Mile Roads were given new names within the city borders, while some roads incorporated as part of the Mile Road System have traditionally been known by their non-mile names. It is unclear if they ever bore mile numbers formally.

The baseline used in the survey of Michigan lands runs along 8 Mile Road, which is approximately eight miles directly north of the junction of Woodward Avenue and Michigan Avenue in downtown Detroit. As a result, the direct east-west portion of Michigan Avenue, and M-153 (Ford Road) west of Wyoming Avenue, forms the "zero mile" baseline for this mile road system.

The precise point of origin is located in Campus Martius Park, marked by a medallion[1] embedded in the stone walkway. It is situated in the eastern point of the diamond surrounding Woodward Fountain,[2] just in front of the Au Bon Pain store.

[edit] The Mile Roads (going North)

[edit] Mile roads within Wayne County

The mile roads that cross through Wayne County are designated as follows:

  • 0 Mile - Michigan Avenue (Detroit); Ford Road (west of Detroit)
  • 1 Mile - Warren Avenue (turns east-northeastward in Detroit to conform with the Woodward plan)
  • 2 Mile - Joy Road (also turns east-northeastward, but for a shorter distance)
  • 3 Mile - Plymouth Road (starts west of Grand River Avenue)
  • 4 Mile - Schoolcraft Avenue (Detroit); Schoolcraft Road (now the service drive for I-96)

Note that the 0-4 Mile roads are not signed and never referred to as Mile Roads - it remains unclear if they were ever signed as Mile Roads.

  • 5 Mile - Fenkell Avenue (Detroit); 5 Mile Road (west of Detroit)
  • 6 Mile - McNichols Road (Detroit); 6 Mile Road (west of Detroit)
  • 7 Mile - 7 Mile Road (Detroit and west of Detroit);
  • 8 Mile - 8 Mile Road (Detroit and suburbs); Base Line Road (west of Detroit); Also signed as M-102 from Grand River Avenue to Vernier Road.

Note: On Detroit's far east side, which is aligned according to the French colonial long lot system rather than the Northwest Ordinance survey grid, Cadieux Road, Moross Road and Vernier Roads are not extensions of 6 Mile Road, 7 Mile Road and 8 Mile Road, respectively. East McNichols (6 Mile) ends at Gratiot Avenue, with traffic continuing to Cadieux two miles away via Seymour Street and Morang Avenue. East 7 Mile Road ends as a short one-way side street at Kelly Road, two blocks east of where Moross veers off from 7 Mile, taking most traffic with it. Most traffic on 8 Mile Road continuing east of Kelly Road veers onto Vernier Road; 8 Mile continues as a side street eastward for a short distance past Harper Avenue. This is a common misconception by residents of Detroit, Harper Woods and Grosse Pointe, as Cadieux, Moross and Vernier appear to be extensions of their mile-road neighbors, but are in fact roads in their own right.

6 Mile road is signed as "McNichols" throughout the city of Detroit, but is often referred to as "6 Mile" by residents. 5 Mile road, on the other hand, is almost always referred to as "Fenkell" (which is how it is signed in Detroit), and only very rarely as "5 Mile". The dual naming of McNichols is an occasional source of confusion to out-of-town travelers.

[edit] Mile roads within Oakland County

The mile roads in the southernmost part of Oakland County are known only by their numbers. From 15 Mile Road northward, however, all mile roads have local names, sometimes several:

  • 9 Mile Road
  • 10 Mile Road - service drive for I-696 from Coolidge Highway to Dequindre.
  • 11 Mile Road - service drive for I-696 from Coolidge Highway to M-10.
  • 12 Mile Road
  • 13 Mile Road
  • 14 Mile Road
  • 15 Mile Road - Maple Rd.
  • 16 Mile Road - see below
  • 17 Mile Road - Wattles Rd. east of Woodward, Lone Pine Rd. west of Woodward
  • 18 Mile Road - E. Long Lake Rd. (through Troy)
  • 19 Mile Road - Square Lake Rd.
  • 20 Mile Road - South Boulevard
  • 21 Mile Road - Auburn Rd.
  • 22 Mile Road - Hamlin Rd.
  • 23 Mile Road - Avon Rd.
  • 24 Mile Road - Walton Blvd, University Drive in downtown Rochester, Parkedale Rd. East of downtown Rochester
  • 25 Mile Road - Runyun Rd., Tienken Rd.
  • 26 Mile Road - Mead Rd., Dutton Rd.
  • 27 Mile Road - Silver Bell Rd.
  • 28 Mile Road - Waldon Rd., Gunn Rd.
  • 29 Mile Road
  • 30 Mile Road - Stoney Creek Rd., Clarkston Rd.
  • 31 Mile Road - Predmore Rd.
  • 32 Mile Road - Romeo Rd.
  • 33 Mile Road - Brewer Rd., Drahner Rd.
  • 34 Mile Road - Mack Rd.
  • 35 Mile Road
  • 36 Mile Road
  • 37 Mile Road

[edit] Mile roads within Macomb County

Through Macomb County, most of these road names are not carried over, and nearly all of the Mile Roads are known by their mile numbers. One notable exception is Hall Road, which is part of M-59 and almost never referred to as 20 Mile Road.

Note: there were some roads listed as xx-half Mile Roads, and placed in between the roads, such as 13 Mile Road, 13 1/2 Mile Road, 14 Mile Road, in that succession for example. Some are signed as such.

  • 8 Mile Road
  • 8½ Mile Road - Toepfer Road
  • 9 Mile Road
  • 9½ Mile Road - Stephens Road and Woodward Heights
  • 10 Mile Road - I-696 Service Drive from roughly Dequindre Road to roughly Coolidge Highway)
  • 10½ Mile Road - Frazho Road and Lincoln Avenue
  • 11 Mile Road - I-696 Service Drive from I-94 to roughly Dequindre Road)
  • 11½ Mile Road - Martin Road (Called "Tank Road" for part of its length running through the old Arsenal property between Van Dyke and Mound)
  • 12 Mile Road
  • 12½ Mile Road - Common Road
  • 13 Mile Road (partly diverted to become Chicago Road. Old alignment is now Old 13 Mile Road, from Van Dyke Road to Chicago Rd/13 Mile intersection)
  • 13½ Mile Road - Masonic Boulevard
  • 14 Mile Road
  • 14½ Mile Road - Quinn Road
  • 15 Mile Road
  • 16 Mile Road (See notes on 16 Mile Road, below)
  • 16½ Mile Road (between Van Dyke Rd. and Dodge Park Rd.)
  • 17 Mile Road (has been carved up and re-aligned in some parts to fit in with newer suburbs as they were built in the 1970s and 1980s)
  • 18 Mile Road
  • 18½ Mile Road (between Van Dyke Rd. and Ryan Rd. only)
  • 19 Mile Road
  • 19½ Mile Road (within Utica, Mi only)
  • 20 Mile Road (See notes above for 20-24 Mile Roads in Macomb County)
  • 21 Mile Road
  • 22 Mile Road
  • 23 Mile Road - M-29
  • 24 Mile Road
  • 25 Mile Road
  • 26 Mile Road
  • 27 Mile Road - Clark Rd. (within New Haven, MI)
  • 28 Mile Road
  • 29 Mile Road
  • 30 Mile Road
  • 31 Mile Road
  • 32 Mile Road - Division Rd.(within Richmond, MI), St. Clair Rd. (within Romeo, MI)
  • 33 Mile Road
  • 34 Mile Road
  • 35 Mile Road - Schoof Rd.
  • 36 Mile Road
  • 37 Mile Road

[edit] Mile roads within St. Clair County

Through St. Clair County, most of these mile number names are not carried over, and nearly all of the Mile Roads are known by their road names.

  • 25 Mile Road - Arnold Rd.
  • 26 Mile Road - Marine City Hwy.
  • 27 Mile Road - Springborn Rd.
  • 28 Mile Road - Meisner Rd.
  • 29 Mile Road - Lindsey Rd.
  • 30 Mile Road - Putty Gut Rd.
  • 31 Mile Road - St. Clair Hwy.
  • 32 Mile Road - Division Rd.

[edit] Mile roads within Lapeer County

The system continues uninterrupted in sequence up to 38 Mile Road, on the Macomb County / Lapeer County boundary near Almont, MI and Van Dyke Road (M-53).

  • 38 Mile Road = Bordman Road

[edit] Beyond 38 Mile Road

There has been talk of renaming/co-naming roads that cross through Van Dyke up to 50 Mile Road that would pass through Marlette, MI.

[edit] 16 Mile Road

The alignment for 16 Mile Road through Oakland and Macomb Counties is comprised of five named roads:

Walnut Lake Road turns slightly southward in West Bloomfield and runs parallel to Quarton Road .5 miles to the south, between Inkster and Franklin Roads. West and East Quarton Roads are disconnected slightly by Telegraph Road due to Gilbert Lake.

[edit] 8 Mile Road

8 Mile Road is the dividing line between the city of Detroit and the northern suburbs. It is perhaps most famous for the film, 8 Mile, starring Eminem, and for the well known Runyon Avenue that comes off it.

[edit] The Mile Roads (Going South)

The grid continues south of Ford Road, although not numbered as part of the Mile Road System. None of these roads connect to Detroit. Further south and west, and along Downriver, the roads tend to fall off the grids more often, for various reasons.

  • Ford Road - Zero Mile Road
  • Cherry Hill - South 1 Mile, Dixboro to Dearborn.
  • Palmer Road - South 2 Mile, Canton Township to Westland-Inkster border.
  • Geddes Road - South 3 Mile, Superior Township to Canton Township.
  • Van Born Road - South 4 Mile, township border road, from Van Buren Township to Allen Park (junction M-39).
  • Ecorse Road - South 5 Mile, former M-17. Once a major artery to the Willow Run Expressway.
  • Wick Road - South 6 Mile, Romulus to Allen Park, divided side street in Allen Park.
  • Goddard Road - South 7 Mile, Romulus to Wyandotte.
  • Northline - South 8 Mile - Northline Road (west of Wyandotte); Ford Avenue (Wyandotte)
  • Eureka Road - South 9 Mile, forms southern boundary of Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Recently improved from I-275 to handle increased airport traffic.
  • Pennsylvania - South 10 Mile, township border road. Borders Wyandotte, Southgate, Taylor and Romulus on the north side and Riverview, Brownstown Township and Huron Township to the south.
  • Sibley Road - South 11 Mile, Riverview to New Boston.
  • King Road - South 12 Mile, Trenton to I-275.
  • Huron Road / West Road - South 13 Mile
  • Van Horn - South 14 Mile
  • Vreeland - South 15 Mile
  • Will Carleton Road / Gilbralter Road - South 16 Mile (border of Wayne and Monroe County)
  • Woodruff Road - South 17 Mile
  • Carleton-Rockwood Road / Huron River Drive - South 18 Mile
  • Ready Road / Lee Road - South 19 Mile
  • Sigler Road - South 20 Mile
  • Labo Road - South 21 Mile
  • Newport Road - South 22 Mile
  • Buhl Road - South 23 Mile
  • Post Road / Stumpier Road - South 24 Mile

[edit] The North-South Mile Grid

There are many roads through Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties that parallel the Meridian, creating a grid-type system. To prevent confusion, these roads have not been given Mile Road designations. Like the east-west Mile Road System, the north-south grid roads lose cohesion to the grid in much of Detroit, and in the lake-filled areas of Oakland County.

[edit] Notable north-south grid roads

Proceeding west from Lake St. Clair:

  • Little Mack Ave
  • Kelly Road
  • Garfield Road
  • Hayes Road - Although not fully contiguous, Hayes Road is a township border road through eastern Macomb County.
  • Schoenherr Road - An example of a gridline road with a divided highway portion. Paved between southern terminus and 26 Mile Road.
  • Hoover Road and Dodge Park Road (Chicago Road and Maple Lane Drive connect Hoover and Dodge Park from just south of 14 Mile to 15 Mile)
  • Van Dyke Avenue M-53 or Van Dyke Avenue Runs from Jefferson Avenue in Detroit to 18 Mile Road in Sterling Heights. Although M-53 ends at Gratiot Avenue in Detroit, Van Dyke Avenue itself actually continues to Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, or just feet from the Detroit River. M-53 splits off into a freeway, and the grid road (old M-53) continues northward as the Earle Memorial Highway.
  • Mound Road - Originally planned to at least partially be a freeway, connecting the Davison Freeway with I-696, hence the massive stacked interchange at I-696.
  • Ryan Road
  • Dequindre Road - The borderline between Oakland and Macomb Counties.
  • John R Road
  • Rochester Road (north of Troy I-75 interchange). Known as Main Street in downtown Rochester. Campbell Road runs this line in Royal Oak and Madison Heights, as does Hilton Road in Ferndale.
  • Livernois Road - Broken between Ferndale and Royal Oak, due in part to Pleasant Ridge not allowing the road through 1920s and the massive I-696/Woodward interchange. Livernois is known as Main Street in Royal Oak and Clawson. Southward, it extends past Joy Road before turning to run parallel with Woodward to Jefferson.
  • Wyoming Avenue, Crooks Road - Although disconnected by several miles, these two roads lie along the same grid alignment. Wyoming is the easternmost north-south grid road to reach the Zero Mile road (Ford Road) on the same north-south alignment.
  • Schaefer Hwy. (south of 8 Mile Rd.), Coolidge Hwy. (north of 8 Mile Rd.)
  • Greenfield Road - Township border road. Formed the border of former Greenfield Township and Redford Township, now parts of Detroit. Begins in Dearborn and runs north to end at 14 Mile Rd.
  • Adams Road - Begins at Woodward (just south of Lincoln = 14 1/2 Mile) and runs N along the line set by Greenfield Rd. About 1/3 mile N of Auburn Rd. (21 Mile), Adams swings about a mile east, then runs N roughly along the Schaefer/Coolidge line to end at Stoney Creek Rd. (30 1/2 Mile)
  • Squirrel Road - Unusual for not following exactly the mile grid lines, Squirrel runs N from Wattles Rd. (17 Mile) along a north-south line displaced ~1/4 mi E from the line of Southfield Rd. Squirrel then drifts further east before ending at Walton Blvd. (24 Mile).
  • Southfield Road - M-39, a limited-access freeway with service drive for much of its length from Allen Park north into Southfield. Beyond 9 Mile Rd., Southfield Road is a surface street, running N to end at Maple Rd. (15 Mile).
  • Evergreen Road (south of 13 Mile Rd.), Cranbrook Road (13 Mile Rd. to just N of Maple, then Covington Road until end at Quarton Rd.)
  • Opdyke Road - Runs N from Woodward just N of Long Lake Road (which at that point is roughly 17 1/2 Mile), then drifts further east before dumping into M-24 (Lapeer Road) just N of Walton Blvd. (24 Mile). Opdyke is pronounced by the locals as “UP-dike”.
  • Lahser Road - The center road for old Redford Township (now part of Detroit), Lahser connects with Outer Drive south of 5 Mile Road and runs north to end at Square Lake Rd. (19 Mile). The name Lahser is often mispronounced, most often because of careless misreading as “Lasher”. Another common but deprecated pronunciation is “LAH-zer”. Students of Lahser High School in Bloomfield Township are quick to assert “LAH - sir” as the correct pronunciation, but many older Detroiters are equally insistent on “LAH - sher” (rhymes with ‘nosher’).
  • Telegraph Road - US 24 follows the grid alignment from Brownstown Township to Southfield, where it strays slightly off the gridlines. Telegraph forms much of the western boundary of Detroit. The second Single-Point Urban Interchange in metro Detroit opened at Telegraph and I-94. Recently improved in Taylor with new pavement and 1950's suburban streetlights installed.
  • Beech Daly Road - simply Beech Road between 8 Mile and 10 Mile, where it ends; Franklin Road in Oakland County roughly corresponds to this alignment north of 11 Mile Rd.
  • Inkster Road - Township border road; separates several communities, including Farmington Hills and Southfield in Oakland County, and Redford Township and Livonia in Wayne County. Runs through the city of Inkster.
  • Middlebelt Road - sometimes incorrectly signed as "Middle Belt Rd."
  • Merriman Road (south of 8 Mile Rd.), Orchard Lake Road (north of 8 Mile Rd.) - At its south end, Merriman leads into the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and becomes John D. Dingell Dr. It resumes its grid position south of the airport.
  • Farmington Road - Major road north of E.N. Hines Dr., and exists as a small, residential road through Westland and Garden City. Venoy Road serves as the major artery although at a grid position 1/4 mile east of Farmington from Hines Park south to Van Born. Vining Road resumes Farmington Road's position south of Metro Airport.
  • Drake Road (north of 9 Mile Rd.), Wayne Road (south of Plymouth Rd.)
  • Newburgh Road (south of 8 Mile Rd.), Halsted Road (north of 8 Mile Rd.)
  • Haggerty Road - A township border road between Pontiac Trail and 6 Mile Rd., Haggerty significantly deviates westward south of 6 Mile, migrating to an alignment one mile west within Canton Township. Other roads that follow the border alignment include Eckles Road, Hannan Road, Clark Road, and, in Monroe County, Exeter Road.
  • Meadowbrook Road, Welch Road - Separated between 13 and 14 Mile. Haggerty follows this alignment in Canton Township
  • Lilley Road - aligned on a half-mile line, Lilley forms much of the western border of the city of Plymouth, where it is also known as Mill Street.
  • Novi Road - from 8 Mile north to 14 Mile, originally; north of 12 Mile Road, Novi Road was realigned in the 1990s to meet with Decker Road, which runs 1/2 mile to the east.
  • Morton-Taylor Road - In Canton Township and Martinsville Road in Van Buren and Sumpter Townships, although not connected to Novi Road or each other, follow this alignment.
  • Sheldon Road - Like Lilley, Sheldon Road is on a half-mile alignment, and it is a county road from 8 Mile Road in Northville to Van Born Road at the Canton/Van Buren Township border. Sheldon forms much of the eastern boundary of the city of Plymouth, and is one of only two exits off of M-14 that services Plymouth.
  • Canton Center Road - In Canton Township, most urban development prior to the 21st century occurred east of Canton Center Road. Although originally slightly discontinuous with Belleville Road at Michigan Avenue, Canton Center Road was realigned to connect with Belleville Road. Taft Road follows this line in Novi and Northville.
  • Beck Road - from Tyler Road in Van Buren Township to Potter Road in Wixom. Recently, a Single-Point Urban Interchange opened at Beck and I-96, the first in Metro Detroit.
  • Ridge Road - a largely rural route, Ridge veers off to the west significantly south of Ford Road, crossing the county line and into the westernmost part of Ypsilanti. Garfield and Wixom Roads follow this line in Oakland County
  • Napier Road - from Cherry Hill to Grand River. Napier forms part of the border between Wayne and Washtenaw Counties for the most part, though it does veer off to the west for a few miles. From I-94 to Oakville-Waltz Road, Rawsonville Road follows the same alignment.
  • Chubb Road - from 5 to 10 Mile Roads, entire length is gravel
  • Currie Road - from 5 to 10 Mile Roads, paved from 6 to 8 Mile.
  • Milford Road - Milford Road starts at 10 Mile and runs northward.
  • Griswold Road, Tower Road - Tower Road is gravel. Griswold runs from 8 to 10 Mile in Lyon Township and South Lyon.
  • Pontiac Trail - A portion of Pontiac Trail from roughly 5 Mile to Silver Lake Roads, going through downtown South Lyon, and then turning southwesterly toward Ann Arbor.
  • Dixboro Road - Oakland and Livingston County line, also runs southward into Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
  • Earhart Road - Washtenaw County

[edit] Addresses

With a few exceptions, one can determine which mile roads an address is between on major north-south roads north of Five Mile/Fenkell by using the formula:

[ (first two numbers of the address) - 5 ] / 2
  • Example: 34879 Gratiot Avenue [(34-5)/2] = 14.5 which indicates the address is between 14 and 15 Mile Road.

In the early days of addresses in the area, surveyors calculated position on the grid of mile roads to define addresses. The resulting system, sometimes referred to as the Detroit Edison system, generally assigns 2000 addresses to each mile. (There are often gaps in the numbering; for instance, East addresses 9000 to 10999 are skipped). Addresses in the Detroit area tend to be much higher than in other large cities, with numbers in the 20000's common within the city limits and in the inner-ring suburbs. Typically, addresses of single family homes on adjacent lots on the grid system, both within Detroit and in the suburbs, are incremented by 8, 10, 12 or more rather than by 2 as is the case in most other large cities in the United States.

The highest addresses used in the Detroit system are the range 79000 to 80999, for north-south roads beyond 37 Mile Road in northern Macomb County, and from 81000 to the high 81900’s in the portion of the city of Memphis, MI that bulges ~0.5 mile into St. Clair County. For many years, the Guinness Book of Records incorrectly listed 81950 Main St (aka M-19) in Memphis as the highest street address number anywhere, but much higher numbers appear in Topaz, CA, Key Largo, FL, and Grey County, Ontario addresses.

[edit] Other Michigan Counties Using a Mile Road System

[edit] Bay County Mile Roads

In addition, other counties in Michigan have the Mile Road system. In Bay County, for example, roads west of the Saginaw River are numbered with either the river (or, north of the river, State Street) marking the origin.

  • 0 Mile - The Saginaw River
  • 1 Mile - Euclid Avenue
  • 2 Mile - Two Mile Road
  • 3 Mile - Three Mile Road
  • 4 Mile - Four Mile Road
  • 5 Mile - Mackinaw Road
  • 6 Mile - Fraser Road
  • 7 Mile - Seven Mile Road
  • 8 Mile - Eight Mile Road
  • 9 Mile - Nine Mile Road
  • 10 Mile - Garfield Road
  • 11 Mile - Eleven Mile Road
  • 12 Mile - Carter Road
  • 13 Mile - Flajole Road
  • 14 Mile - Rockwell Road (Bay-Midland County Line)

[edit] Kent County Mile Roads

Fulton St is the North/South dividing line of the city of Grand Rapids. But since Fulton St. is on a half section line, Michigan St is the baseline, not Fulton St.

  • 0 Mile - Michigan St
  • 1 Mile - Leonard St
  • 2 Mile - Knapp St
  • 3 Mile - 3 Mile Rd
  • 4 Mile - 4 Mile Rd
  • 5 Mile - 5 Mile Rd
  • 6 Mile - 6 Mile Rd
  • 7 - 21 Mile 7 - 21 Mile
  • 22 Mile - 22 Mile Rd (Kent-Montcalm & Kent-Newaygo County Line)

[edit] Grand Traverse County Mile Roads

  • 1 Mile - Garfield Avenue/Garfield Road
  • 2 Mile - Town Line Road
  • 3 Mile - Three Mile Road
  • 4 Mile - Four Mile Road

[edit] Midland County Mile Roads

  • 0 Mile - Downtown Midland, marked by the line formed by Eastman Avenue and Poseyville Road - located exactly four miles west of Rockwell Road
  • 1 Mile - Patterson Road
  • 2 Mile - Vance Road
  • 3 Mile - Sandow Road
  • 4 Mile - Homer Road
  • 5 Mile - Five Mile Road
  • 6 Mile - Meridian Road
  • 7 Mile - Seven Mile Road
  • 8 Mile - Eight Mile Road
  • 9 Mile - Nine Mile Road
  • 10 Mile - Ten Mile Road
  • 11 Mile - Eleven Mile Road
  • 12 Mile - Castor Road
  • 13 Mile - Magrudder Road
  • 14 Mile - Alamando Road
  • 15 Mile - Geneva Road
  • 16 Mile - Lewis Road
  • 17 Mile - Coleman Road
  • 18 Mile - County Line Road (Midland-Isabella County Line)

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1] Photograph of Point of Origin medallion
  2. ^ [2] Campus Martius Park site plan

[edit] External links

[edit] Sources