NewsGetting Around Metro Detroit

Actions

Detroit launches new program to make streets safer for residents

Looking for feedback from city residents
Posted at 3:01 AM, Nov 05, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-05 07:13:41-05

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The City of Detroit wants your help in making streets safer. They are looking for feedback to help you and your loved ones stay protected in the "Streets for People" initiative.

That includes everything from driving, walking, taking the bus or even biking.

People living in Detroit tell us that potholes are a big issue. Another issue – reckless driving.

"People are speeding all the time, or there are always some accidents on the freeway due to speeding," Janeaque Cartwright said.

These are just a few examples of the type of feedback the City of Detroit is looking for in the program.

“If somebody says I’m too scare to cross to my local park from my home, we want to know that," Detroit Deputy Director for the Department of Public Works Caitlin Malloy-Marcon said.

The end goal for "Streets for People" is to create a master plan for safe travel for decades to come.

“It is also about our sidewalks, and our park-paths that connect to those streets, and our non-motorized paths like the Dequindre Cut," Malloy-Marcon said. "We are talking about our transit facilities, how you connect to M1 rail as well as the busses and the people mover so it is really all-encompassing anyway you can move around in the city."

Another part of the project is informing Detroiters with facts about deadly crashes, people hit by cars and more.

Facts about traveling through the city will be plastered on billboards, buses and social media. For example, more than 300 pedestrians are hit annually by cars in Detroit.

“Lets slow down, let’s look out for each other, let’s be aware of our surroundings and who is using the streets," she said.

The feedback will be taken over the next 12 months to help create a master plan in transportation for years to come.

There are a number of ways people can give feedback. The Department of Public Works is taking requests to join public meetings like block clubs, you can also do an online survey or even text feedback to (313) 509-1559.

To learn more, click here.