It may or may not have been a speed trap, but a stretch of Grand River Ave in East Lansing between Coolidge and Michigan has certainly been profitable.

A News 10 investigation uncovered that roadway's speed limit was lower than a Michigan State Police-issued traffic control order. Days later, MDOT changed the speed limit from 25 mph to 35 mph in that section, citing pressure from residents, MSP and the media.

State Senator Rick Jones (R - Grand Ledge) has called the area a speed trap, a charge the East Lansing Police Department denied in a statement issued Wednesday.

That statement also laid out exactly how many speeding tickets ELPD has issued on that stretch of road. From 2009 until this year, ELPD says it issued 3,323 tickets, a little more than 3 a day.

In East Lansing's 54-B District Court, a speeding ticket issued for going 1-5 mph over the limit will cost a driver $145 in fines and fees.

Not all of that money goes to the city, but if every one of those speeding violations was only for the minimum, drivers would've paid out at least $481,000 in fines and fees.

The ELPD statement adds that the department issued more warnings in that area than it did tickets.

Neighbors WILX spoke to had no problem calling the area a speed trap, but say they like it that way.

"This is absolutely a speed trap," said Erik Ratchford, who lives just off the road. "It's a necessary speed trap because people go way too fast as it is."

"If the cops aren't here, [drivers] kick it up 10 miles an hour over the speed limit," said Marilyn McEwen Potter, who lives in a neighborhood just off of Grand River Ave. "It's just not safe."

Sen. Jones and Sen. Mike Nofs (R - Battle Creek) introduced a bill Wednesday to try and stop the under-posting of speed limits. The bill would mandate any stretch of road with a traffic control study conducted on it by MDOT and MSP be given a speed limit to reflect the results of that study.

"For decades, study after study after study shows that when you properly post the speed limit you have less accidents," said Sen. Jones.

Rep. Mark Meadows (D - East Lansing) opposes the changes, saying they could jeopardize driver and pedestrian safety.

"The people going through want to get through as quickly as possible, but the people living there are entitled to traffic safety in their neighborhood," said Rep. Meadows.