Detroit closing part of Woodward Avenue for pedestrian block

**hybridy** · June-06-17, 03:15 PM

"The Detroit Historic District Commission approved a site plan that would keep Woodward Avenue between Larned Street and Jefferson Avenue open to pedestrians.

The plan also includes connecting median islands and creating space around the Joe Louis Monument, according to their Facebook post."

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...trian_spa.html

**MrMichigan** · June-06-17, 03:46 PM

Very cool!

**southen** · June-06-17, 03:49 PM

I am all for making downtown more pedestrian friendly but this seems like a bad idea to cut off Jefferson from Woodward. This "plaza" that they are creating will likely look as cheap and tacky as what they did on Randolph and Gratiot.

**professorscott** · June-06-17, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by southen

I am all for making downtown more pedestrian friendly but this seems like a bad idea to cut off Jefferson from Woodward. This "plaza" that they are creating will likely look as cheap and tacky as what they did on Randolph and Gratiot.

I'm not sure why you think it's a bad idea - it's not like there aren't lots and lots of other ways for cars to get around that area, and no bus uses that part of Woodward. QLine doesn't go quite that far.

As for how the plaza will look, let's give them a chance before we rush to judgment.

**southen** · June-06-17, 04:02 PM

The street likely to take the brunt of the traffic is Griswold and I question whether or not that will be enough or if it will become a parking lot due to the congestion.

Let me flip it then, how do you like the plaza at Gratiot and Randolph?

**MrMichigan** · June-06-17, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by southen

The street likely to take the brunt of the traffic is Griswold and I question whether or not that will be enough or if it will become a parking lot due to the congestion.

Let me flip it then, how do you like the plaza at Gratiot and Randolph?

The Gratiot/Randolph plaza is nothing special. But from what I understand, this design is just temporary until permanent barriers are installed.

**southen** · June-06-17, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by MrMichigan

The Gratiot/Randolph plaza is nothing special. But from what I understand, this design is just temporary until permanent barriers are installed.

Is there anything showing what permanent barriers might look like?

**401don** · June-06-17, 05:16 PM

It's okay if you're familiar with the streets but if you're heading down Woodward for the tunnel, say on a Sat. night, and don't know to turn right before Larned you're going to get stuck in a long slow loop trying to get back around to Jefferson.

**Atticus** · June-06-17, 08:07 PM

Big fan of this. Obvious plus for pedestrians, and it should actually clean up the confusing Woodward/Jefferson intersection for vehicles. All around win.

As far as people unfamiliar getting turned around... those people are already following their GPS for navigation anyway, so they will be fine. It will probably be the person who is familiar and forgets who gets caught off guard. But in either case, you just go one block over, turn around, and your fine.... no big deal.

**CrashDummy** · June-06-17, 08:16 PM

C'mon Don! To get to the tunnel you would take a left on Larned to Randolph.

Interestingly enough, could this be a way to skirt the rules to be able to advertise on the Cobo big screen? Since Woodward would technically end at Larned, the screen would no longer be visible from the historic highway.

**Warrenite84** · June-06-17, 09:18 PM

Not cool. Roads are for traffic. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. A place for everything and everything in its place.

**Zacha341** · June-06-17, 09:23 PM

^^^ That's sorta my thought!

**Gistok** · June-07-17, 01:58 AM

"Connect median islands and create accessible space around the Joe Louis Monument..."

Standing in the middle of Jefferson... to do what?

It's not exactly like Paris's Place de la Concorde....

**casscorridor** · June-07-17, 05:00 AM

This is great news. Gradually reclaiming Downtown for pedestrians will make the area significantly more inviting.

**401don** · June-07-17, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by CrashDummy

C'mon Don! To get to the tunnel you would take a left on Larned to Randolph.

Interestingly enough, could this be a way to skirt the rules to be able to advertise on the Cobo big screen? Since Woodward would technically end at Larned, the screen would no longer be visible from the historic highway.

C'mon yourself! Whenever Jefferson is very busy you aren't allowed to cross it going south on Randolph to the tunnel. It's routed right and you must loop back around Jefferson at Woodward.

**dtowncitylover** · June-07-17, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

"Connect median islands and create accessible space around the Joe Louis Monument..."

Standing in the middle of Jefferson... to do what?

It's not exactly like Paris's Place de la Concorde....

That's the whole point; to make it more like the public square in Europe. Joe Louis is an iconic statue and we've left in the middle of a major intersection like they once did with Sailors and Soldiers...

**MrMichigan** · June-07-17, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by southen

Is there anything showing what permanent barriers might look like?

I haven't seen anything yet. Although I read the permanent configuration would be done in 2017. Hopefully there is still more work planned.

**scooter** · June-07-17, 09:26 AM

[QUOTE=professorscott;526675]I'm not sure why you think it's a bad idea - it's not like there aren't lots and lots of other ways for cars to get around that area, and no bus uses that part of Woodward. QLine doesn't go quite that far.

Boy a u wrong professor,even the bus I ride turns left at Congress, then go on Jefferson to Griswold, see the SMART service bulletin may buses are affected

**swingline** · June-07-17, 11:44 AM

Placemaking often suffers when the need to satisfy the desire of traffic engineers for congestion free movement of cars takes too much precedence. Hard to create a vital and thriving urban center when everything evolves around moving cars. Certainly Detroit and many cities in Michigan have suffered from this affliction. So placemaking efforts should ordinarily be encouraged in our city. But, this new plaza is not a good idea at all.

Why is there even a need for placemaking at that location? There is no pedestrian scale on Woodward at that point. There is no retail or food close enough that could benefit from the modest pedestrian support generated by the new plaza. Anybody who wants to enjoy the outdoors already has the new median pocket park the next block north, the patio plaza seating next to the Chase Tower/NBD Building, Hart Plaza one block south, and of course Campus Martius. Why would anybody want to sit in a place that has Jefferson Ave. traffic a few dozen feet away whizzing by at 40 mph while entering the tunnel under Cobo Center. It will be too loud to have any conversation. Will this stretch of Woodward be closed year round or only during warm weather?

There will be serious traffic and other ripple consequences. Griswold will be the alternate for almost of all the displaced traffic. In the morning, countless customers of the two massive parking garages on the north side of Larned just east of Woodward will have to drive past their usual turn and negotiate around the One Woodward Ave. block to get to their garage entrance. Also, right now rush hour congestion on Griswold is already sometimes affected by the valet parking services at the Penobscot, Ford and Guardian buildings. It’s usually no big deal although the police and parking enforcement folks needlessly harass the valet workers on a sporadic basis. But if a big chunk of Woodward traffic is moved to Griswold [[which has only two narrow travel lanes in each direction and no left turn lanes), some gridlock will result. One could envision the response of the city being a shutdown of the valet services. That, in turn, could really harm the tenants in those buildings who depend on those parking services. Tenants will look for other office options if their parking is eliminated. So for the sake of gaining a little concrete plaza several hundred feet removed from any retail or food establishment, the city will cause upheaval in about 1.5 million square feet of office space. Not smart.

**southen** · June-07-17, 12:11 PM

It looks like they will be continuing the esplanade through to Jefferson. Crews were ripping out all of the plantings in the median. I could see this type of thing implemented during Movement or Jazzfest, but there aren't droves of people looking to hang out in this area. Hart Plaza in it's current state isn't a draw on a day to day basis and I feel if people are going to congregate they will do so at Campus Martius or Capitol Park and Grand Circus park once those spaces are reprogrammed.

**1953** · June-07-17, 12:18 PM

I am opposed to this move, and think it annoying.

**Honky Tonk** · June-07-17, 12:22 PM

They should just follow Trump's lead, build a wall around Midtown/Downtown, and make the rest of Detroit pay for it.

**Atticus** · June-07-17, 01:39 PM

Listen to all this complaining. First it is "Jefferson Ave is awful to cross as a pedestrian, and it hurts Hart Plaza". Now the city is actually doing something about it, and people are still complaining.

Will this block of Woodward turn into some foot traffic mecca? No, but it is certainly better for pedestrians than what exists today, even if it won't be used that much. Let me ask the question a different way: How is this worse for pedestrians then what exists today? It is obviously better, that is a good thing.

As for vehicles going to the parking garages on Larned and Congress, it is really quite simple... Don't miss the Larned exit coming down the Lodge and try and circle back. At the end of the day, you leave your ramp and take Congress back to the Lodge... it really is not that complicated. And sorry for me not shedding a tear that you may get caught in some minor traffic jam while commuting at rush hour in the downtown of a MAJOR CITY. Shocking, I know.

**Honky Tonk** · June-07-17, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by Atticus

Listen to all this complaining. First it is "Jefferson Ave is awful to cross as a pedestrian, and it hurts Hart Plaza". Now the city is actually doing something about it, and people are still complaining.

Will this block of Woodward turn into some foot traffic mecca? No, but it is certainly better for pedestrians than what exists today, even if it won't be used that much. Let me ask the question a different way: How is this worse for pedestrians then what exists today? It is obviously better, that is a good thing.

As for vehicles going to the parking garages on Larned and Congress, it is really quite simple... Don't miss the Larned exit coming down the Lodge and try and circle back. At the end of the day, you leave your ramp and take Congress back to the Lodge... it really is not that complicated. And sorry for me not shedding a tear that you may get caught in some minor traffic jam while commuting at rush hour in the downtown of a MAJOR CITY. Shocking, I know.

Let me guess, your parents told you never to go across the street, drove you everywhere you wanted to go, and brought you everything you wanted right up to your room.