Today’s Detroit Free Press reports Redford Township plans a $3.6 million streetscape project to revamp their central business district, at 5 Mile and Telegraph.
Telegraph, mind you.
By year’s end, they’ll have spent $3.6 million to transform 5 Mile by narrowing the road with on-street parking. Officials would like to reduce traffic speeds to 25 mph, to make the area more pedestrian friendly. (Pause for brief wave of deja vu.)
“We’re trying to make our community a destination place,” said Township Supervisor R. Miles Handy II. “I think it’s important for us to be a community of the future.”
Imagine that.
–Joni Hubred-Golden
Michigan woman blogger
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Just because Redford is going to do it, doesn’t mean Farmington should. And quotes such as “I think it’s important for us to be a community of the future” doesn’t mean this project will make it so.
Back in the 70s, Detroit had a grand vision of Washington Boulevard being a pedestrian haven and restoring the once vibrant shopping area. That didn’t work out so well and they changed it back.
Wikipedia article on Washington Blvd: http://snipr.com/23sd8
I wouldn’t consider Detroit in the 1970s, when people were leaving the city in droves after the riots, a good example. Farmington is actually gaining population, we’ve got some hope of success.
No one can predict the future, all we can do is take our best shot. The alternative is to sit around and hope things will get better all on their own. And I think we all know how well that works.