I-94 Expansion Project [[Roadway to Detroit's Future)

[SteveJ]

A billion dollars of unproductive spending that will not benefit Detroit.

I-94 is a Federal Road, not a Michigan or Detroit road. Michigan is trying to capitalize on international trade with our largest trade partner by expanding I-94 in 2018, expanding the blue water bridge plaza [[currently going on now), opening of a Detroit port, and with the construction of a new international bridge. This is about turning Michigan as the premiere US-Canada crossing. This has nothing to do with white people wanting to drive through Detroit faster and all the other ignorant loony conspiracies. http://www.nascocorridor.com/index.php

[iheartthed]

I-94 is a Federal Road, not a Michigan or Detroit road. Michigan is trying to capitalize on international trade with our largest trade partner by expanding I-94 in 2018, expanding the blue water bridge plaza [[currently going on now), opening of a Detroit port, and with the construction of a new international bridge. This is about turning Michigan as the premiere US-Canada crossing. This has nothing to do with white people wanting to drive through Detroit faster and all the other ignorant loony conspiracies. http://www.nascocorridor.com/index.php

LOL, get outta here. Detroit is already the premier US-Canada border crossing. This won't change a damn thing about that.

[SteveJ]

Whatever man. I'm just trying to be productive and give out facts. You and your mass transit buddies can laugh all you want.

[Detroitnerd]

Whatever man. I'm just trying to be productive and give out facts. You and your mass transit buddies can laugh all you want.

How can we help it when you make it so easy.

It's evident that you don't understand induced demand, which means that expanding the freeway will ... not relieve congestion and will in fact make the problem worse, while wreaking a fair amount of destruction in the process. Oh, but because it might me some temporary lunch-bucket jobs, you want to start a billion-dollar project that won't solve any problems, even as Michigan can't afford to take care of the roads it already has?

Yeah, OK. I'll laugh at that. It's better than crying.

[SteveJ]

Its not about Jack and Tina driving from St Clair Shores to Detroit everyday.

This project is about international trade. Wisconsin is expanding I-94 from 6 to 8 lanes in 2016 too. The Feds want this to happen. Yes, those temporary lunch bucket jobs for 7-8 years at $20-35 hour with benefits is better than receiving welfare or working at a dollar store. I'm not a business person but I can see what Washington and Lansing are trying to do and its better than just leaving everything as is and praying some 25 year old urban hipster artisan beef jerky and chocolate shop makes it big.

[ghettopalmetto]

Its not about Jack and Tina driving from St Clair Shores to Detroit everyday.

This project is about international trade.

Yeah, they said that back in the 1950s too. Guess what happened?

Ironically, if lanes are added to the expressway, I-94 will become even more congested with commuter traffic, due to the principle of induced demand.

[SteveJ]

Its more than that. Its about modernizing all the bridges to meet 2007 Federal standards in terms of under clearance and width. Its about increasing the speed limit in that stretch from 55 to whatever is deemed safe for the new configuration. Its just a lot deeper than induced demand and buses.

[Detroitnerd]

Its not about Jack and Tina driving from St Clair Shores to Detroit everyday.

This project is about international trade. Wisconsin is expanding I-94 from 6 to 8 lanes in 2016 too. The Feds want this to happen. Yes, those temporary lunch bucket jobs for 7-8 years at $20-35 hour with benefits is better than receiving welfare or working at a dollar store. I'm not a business person but I can see what Washington and Lansing are trying to do and its better than just leaving everything as is and praying some 25 year old urban hipster artisan beef jerky and chocolate shop makes it big.

OK, before I thought you just didn't know what you were talking about.

Now I know you don't want to understand.

Come back to the discussion when you want to be taken seriously.

[ghettopalmetto]

Its more than that. Its about modernizing all the bridges to meet 2007 Federal standards in terms of under clearance and width. Its about increasing the speed limit in that stretch from 55 to whatever is deemed safe for the new configuration. Its just a lot deeper than induced demand and buses.

How in the hell do you figure that higher speeds are safer??? Now I know you're just making shit up to suit your opinion.

None of this road-widening crap is necessary. The engineers at MDOT are tying the widening with the repair because they know unsophisticated persons will intertwine the "need" for widening with the *need* for repairs, and be unwilling to take the baby out of the bathwater. Congratulations, MDOT. Your transparent PR campaign finally worked on someone.

I predict that in SteveJ's next post, he'll explain how bridges are designed.

[SteveJ]

Well either way, this is happening so I guess you're going to have to deal with it. I'm hopeful some Detroit residents on hard times will reap some financial benefits with a job.

[iheartthed]

Yeah, they said that back in the 1950s too. Guess what happened?

Ironically, if lanes are added to the expressway, I-94 will become even more congested with commuter traffic, due to the principle of induced demand.

And then in 20 years a tumbleweed will be able to blow across unobstructed during rush hour on a Monday morning. Detroit already has far too much under-utilized road capacity. I don't know why in Hell anyone would be arguing for more, even if it is tied into a road repair that might actually be needed.

[ghettopalmetto]

Well either way, this is happening so I guess you're going to have to deal with it.

...and that's exactly the kind of language the highway engineers always use:

"Oh well, this widening project his been on the planning board for decades so, well, we HAVE to spend all this money whether it's a good idea or not, and golly gee, there just isn't a damned thing we can do about it."

[finster]

'Cmon people, this is a major thoroughfare throught the city. I'm new here and don't want to start any fights but that upgrade has been necessary for years but has been help up by cost and complexity. Vast stretches of the Southfield, 696, 94, 96, etc. have been rebuilt including the bridges. I have had to use that stretch a gazillion times going from one part of the city to another.

This is just another component of trying to keep the city competitive with others. God knows you are all correct about the light rail and international bridge fiascos, etc. but holding on to another embarrassing stretch of highway in the mean time isn't going to make everything all right.

[RO_Resident]

I-94 is a Federal Road, not a Michigan or Detroit road. Michigan is trying to capitalize on international trade with our largest trade partner by expanding I-94 in 2018, expanding the blue water bridge plaza [[currently going on now), opening of a Detroit port, and with the construction of a new international bridge. This is about turning Michigan as the premiere US-Canada crossing. This has nothing to do with white people wanting to drive through Detroit faster and all the other ignorant loony conspiracies. http://www.nascocorridor.com/index.php

I-94 is not a federal road. All roads [[signed or unsigned) with an I-, US-, or M- are under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Transportation.

[ghettopalmetto]

'Cmon people, this is a major thoroughfare throught the city. I'm new here and don't want to start any fights but that upgrade has been necessary for years but has been help up by cost and complexity. Vast stretches of the Southfield, 696, 94, 96, etc. have been rebuilt including the bridges. I have had to use that stretch a gazillion times going from one part of the city to another.

This is just another component of trying to keep the city competitive with others. God knows you are all correct about the light rail and international bridge fiascos, etc. but holding on to another embarrassing stretch of highway in the mean time isn't going to make everything all right.

Right. Because we all know that the number one driver of economic growth is making sure everyone can blow through town in excess of 70 miles per hour.

[Gistok]

I-94 is not a federal road. All roads [[signed or unsigned) with an I-, US-, or M- are under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Yes for maintenance and other roadwork... but it's part of the Interstate Highway System... which is majority federally funded.

[MikeM]

Right. Because we all know that the number one driver of economic growth is making sure everyone can blow through town in excess of 70 miles per hour.

Maybe not 70 mph, but how about slightly quicker than E Jefferson?

[313WX]

Maybe not 70 mph, but how about slightly quicker than E Jefferson?

If people want to drive faster on Jefferson, just demand the city and/or MDOT time the lights like they should be timed [[which will cost very little).

The lights on Gratiot are timed very well, especially during the morning rush. At times it can even be faster than I-94 as is.

[MikeM]

If people want to drive faster on Jefferson, just demand the city and/or MDOT time the lights like they should be timed [[which will cost very little).

The lights on Gratiot are timed very well, especially during the morning rush. At times it can even be faster than I-94 as is.

The point is not how slow Jefferson is but how slow I-94 is.

[313WX]

The point is not how slow Jefferson is but how slow I-94 is.

Why should freeways in Detroit be faster than highways in other cities? Even in Chicago the speed limit is 55 MPH.

[MikeM]

Well, it would be nice to be able to drive 55 on 94. Also, it would be nice to drive 35 on Jefferson.

[Wesley Mouch]

'Cmon people, this is a major thoroughfare throught the city. I'm new here and don't want to start any fights but that upgrade has been necessary for years but has been help up by cost and complexity. Vast stretches of the Southfield, 696, 94, 96, etc. have been rebuilt including the bridges. I have had to use that stretch a gazillion times going from one part of the city to another.

This is just another component of trying to keep the city competitive with others. God knows you are all correct about the light rail and international bridge fiascos, etc. but holding on to another embarrassing stretch of highway in the mean time isn't going to make everything all right.

Welcome. Your post makes great sense. There's just a lot of people here who love objecting to everything that doesn't fit their version of the world -- in this case, a pedestrian-friendly, public transit centric world with 4th St. revitalized at taxpayer expense. I quite like that idea of the future, but they're wrong here.

Detroit [[and I-94) are poorly maintained when compared to suburban and rural roads maintained by MDOT [[with mostly fed$). This is nothing more than bringing Detroit up to the level of maintenance and engineering enjoyed elsewhere -- on a road that has become a major corridor for commerce between US and Canada.

MDOT finally says 'Detroit Yes', and 'detroityes' says go spend your money in Grand Rapids.

Again, welcome.

[ghettopalmetto]

Welcome. Your post makes great sense. There's just a lot of people here who love objecting to everything that doesn't fit their version of the world -- in this case, a pedestrian-friendly, public transit centric world with 4th St. revitalized at taxpayer expense. I quite like that idea of the future, but they're wrong here.

Detroit [[and I-94) are poorly maintained when compared to suburban and rural roads maintained by MDOT [[with mostly fed$). This is nothing more than bringing Detroit up to the level of maintenance and engineering enjoyed elsewhere -- on a road that has become a major corridor for commerce between US and Canada.

MDOT finally says 'Detroit Yes', and 'detroityes' says go spend your money in Grand Rapids.

Again, welcome.

No one is arguing the need for repairs and maintenance which, IMHO, are long overdue.

People are taking issue, however, with the idea of adding unnecessary and expensive freeway lanes in a time of $3+/gallon gasoline. Detroit is a CITY, not a God damned drive-thru lane for suburbanites and Canadians. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars to be able to raise the speed limit along a 7-mile stretch isn't going to benefit the City of Detroit or State of Michigan one iota, and if anything, will actually lead to more crashes and more traffic congestion.

[iheartthed]

Welcome. Your post makes great sense. There's just a lot of people here who love objecting to everything that doesn't fit their version of the world -- in this case, a pedestrian-friendly, public transit centric world with 4th St. revitalized at taxpayer expense. I quite like that idea of the future, but they're wrong here.

Detroit [[and I-94) are poorly maintained when compared to suburban and rural roads maintained by MDOT [[with mostly fed$). This is nothing more than bringing Detroit up to the level of maintenance and engineering enjoyed elsewhere -- on a road that has become a major corridor for commerce between US and Canada.

MDOT finally says 'Detroit Yes', and 'detroityes' says go spend your money in Grand Rapids.

Again, welcome.

Nice try. Road maintenance within the city is one of the few things that Detroit boosters here don't really complain about. I'm all for repairing what has already been built but the last thing Detroit needs is more lanes of highway.

[Wesley Mouch]

Nice try.

Thanks.

Road maintenance within the city is one of the few things that Detroit boosters here don't really complain about. I'm all for repairing what has already been built but the last thing Detroit needs is more lanes of highway.

But do you really think the level of maintenance, repair, and investment in roads within the city proper are equal to that in the sticks?