Detroit City Council calls on MDOT to prioritize Gratiot Avenue safety

October 14, 2026

The Detroit City Council has passed a resolution urging the Michigan Department of Transportation to implement safer street designs on Gratiot Avenue, a notoriously dangerous roadway where over 2,500 crashes, nearly 40 fatalities, and more than 1,200 injuries occurred between 2019 and 2023 along just one section. The resolution advocates for a Complete Streets approach that would make the 120-foot-wide avenue safer for all users, though federal funding restrictions currently prevent reducing the number of traffic lanes. While Gratiot received $12.

Who is affected

Pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders along Gratiot Avenue
Residents of neighborhoods adjacent to Gratiot Avenue
People walking, biking, and riding transit along the corridor
Crash victims and their families (nearly 40 fatalities and over 1,200 injuries from 2019-2023)
Detroit City Council (Council Members Scott Benson and Latisha Johnson)
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART)
Truck drivers using the M-3/Gratiot truck route
Detroit Police Department

What action is being taken

MDOT is actively working with the city and SMART to improve safety along M-3/Gratiot
The groups are considering methods to improve crossings, including shortening pedestrian crossing distances and enhancing bus stops
Detroit City Council is advocating for the federal administration to allow grant dollars to be used for traffic calming measures

Why it matters

Gratiot Avenue is part of Detroit's High Injury Network, representing just 3% of streets where 34% of all serious crashes occur, making it a critical safety hazard. The road's excessive width and design for higher traffic volumes than it currently serves leads to dangerous speeding that creates barriers to pedestrian access and divides neighborhoods rather than connecting them. This impacts social, educational, and economic opportunities for residents in adjacent communities. The issue has broader significance as it highlights tensions between federal funding restrictions under the Trump administration that discourage lane reduction and locally-supported safety improvements that research shows can save lives through traffic calming measures.

What's next

MDOT's planned 2033 reconstruction project on M-3/Gratiot from the I-75 Connector to I-94 will create an opportunity to incorporate complete streets design elements
The resolution has been expanded to include recipients at the Federal Highway Commission and Detroit's federal representatives (US Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, and US Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar)

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com