the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) like other state highways in Michigan. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction. These volumes are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic, which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-96 were the 22,953 vehicles daily between Capitol Avenue and I-194 in Battle Creek; the lowest counts were the 5,167 vehicles per day at the western terminus in Kalamazoo. The only section of M-96 that has been listed on the National Highway System (NHS), is in the Battle Creek area between the western BL I-94/M-37 junction and the I-94 interchange. The NHS is a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. History M-96 was formed as a state trunkline in late 1926 from parts of M-17. The section of M-17 between Galesberg and Battle Creek was not utilized for US 12 and became M-96. In 1936, the Alternate US 12 trunkline was designated through the Battle Creek area along a section of highway that had previously been part of US 12. This highway was added to M-96 three years later in 1939. A rerouting of trunklines in 1941 lead to the creation of a Business US 12 (Bus. US 12). M-96 ran concurrently with Bus. US 12 and M-37 was truncated to end at M-96. US 12 was rerouted between Galesburg and Kalamazoo in 1954, and M-96 was extended along the former US 12 routing to end in Kalamazoo. M-96 was rerouted in downtown Battle Creek to one-way streets in 1958, and Bus. US 12/M-96 was extended by the end of the decade when the I-94/US 12 freeway was completed in the area. Bus. US 12 was redesignated as BL I-94 in 1960 and M-96 was shortened to end at BL I-94/M-78 running on Capital Avenue. M-37 was reextended in 1961 in Battle Creek to a concurrent routing with M-96 in 1961. M-89 was extended along the roadway used by M-96 west of Battle Creek to M-37 in 1965, truncating M-96 in the process. M-96 was reextended back to Battle Creek along Dickman Road and Fort Custer Highway from Augusta east in 1971. Several changes in Battle Creek were made to the area