Should we get rid of I-375?

[dtowncitylover]

The article is crap full of J-school ignorance and lack of research.

1. The Chrysler Freeway including the I-375 stretch was conceived and planned by Detroit long before the suburbs were settled in any significant manner. The purpose of the freeways was to facilitate movement through the city and not to get suburbanites downtown.

2. The elimination of Hastings Street was not an unfortunate byproduct of the expressway. It was deliberately planned to run up Hastings Street in order to eliminate "the worst of the slums". Eliminating Hastings Street was touted as one of the "advantages" of that particular alignment.

3. The alignment of the expressways was in Detroit's master plan long before the feds developed the interstate highway system.

Like it or not, that is the truth.

Isn't number 1 the law of unintended consquences? Sure the freeways were thought of to facilitate movement in the city but it ended up that we could build freeways stretching out the suburbs where people could live and they could work downtown and take their car into downtown core. However, it did that then created auto/freeway-oriented development which aided in the depopulation of the city.

Number 2, ah yes a bunch of powerful white men standing around deciding what's best for a black neighborhood. Instead of helping turning the Hastings St. into a more liveable and viable neighborhood, they destroy it and build a freeway. Thus causing black residents to move into other neighborhoods that some were near white neighborhood or they tried to move into predominately white neighborhoods causing said white Detroiters to become nervous, then pack up and leave to the suburbs because they can live away from black people and have easy access into the city via the freeways mentioned above.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Isn't number 1 the law of unintended consquences? Sure the freeways were thought of to facilitate movement in the city but it ended up that we could build freeways stretching out the suburbs where people could live and they could work downtown and take their car into downtown core. However, it did that then created auto/freeway-oriented development which aided in the depopulation of the city.

Number 2, ah yes a bunch of powerful white men standing around deciding what's best for a black neighborhood. Instead of helping turning the Hastings St. into a more liveable and viable neighborhood, they destroy it and build a freeway. Thus causing black residents to move into other neighborhoods that some were near white neighborhood or they tried to move into predominately white neighborhoods causing said white Detroiters to become nervous, then pack up and leave to the suburbs because they can live away from black people and have easy access into the city via the freeways mentioned above.

DTCitylover, without arguing about your points, I must say I think they are potentially relevant to a discussion of our urban history, but not relevant about what is best to do going forward. Yes, our history is full of bad [[if often well-intentioned) ideas. Yes, there were often racist people taking racist actions in the past. So what? You point out that powerful white men made bad decisions for black Detroiters back in the day. Well, they were succeeded by powerful black men who mad bad decisions for black Detroiters.

In my opinion it's not the color of the decision-maker that makes for bad decisions. It is the idea that people in government would attempt to impose their vision of what a neighborhood should look like is the bad idea. Our city would be vastly improved if, for a generation, they focused on keeping criminals off the streets, keep the basic basic infrastructure in good repair [[streets & lights), and avoid taxes and regulations that make it cheaper and easier to live and do business elsewhere. Neighborhoods would naturally replenish themselves over time. That's my opinion. We don't need central planning committees determining what the Next Great Solution is. Most people will improve and renovate their own homes and communities on their own in their own time, when nothing gets in the way of their life.

[Wesley Mouch]

Isn't number 1 the law of unintended consquences? Sure the freeways were thought of to facilitate movement in the city but it ended up that we could build freeways stretching out the suburbs where people could live and they could work downtown and take their car into downtown core. However, it did that then created auto/freeway-oriented development which aided in the depopulation of the city.

Blaming the cars or the freeways for the desire of people to move out to greener pastures is a simplification. The roads were built mainly because roads were congested. Why was the center lane of Grand River a reversible lane?Why were Second, Third, and John R only out to Highland Park made into high-volume, one-way roads? Why was Woodward widened into one of the widest streets in the world? There were lots of effect. Some unintended.

I don't see how roads led to depopulation. People left because they were getting more wealthy and could afford newer homes. Bigger homes. And as time passed that was reinforced by more social incentives. The biggest was flight from Detroit-only bussing. Don't underestimate that. Central Detroit was becoming unsafe. Then people could choose sending their kids to the inner city, or moving to the 'burbs. It was a easy choice for many. [[And sure, for some it was motivated by racism.)

Number 2, ah yes a bunch of powerful white men standing around deciding what's best for a black neighborhood. Instead of helping turning the Hastings St. into a more liveable and viable neighborhood, they destroy it and build a freeway. Thus causing black residents to move into other neighborhoods that some were near white neighborhood or they tried to move into predominately white neighborhoods causing said white Detroiters to become nervous, then pack up and leave to the suburbs because they can live away from black people and have easy access into the city via the freeways mentioned above.

Racism was no doubt a factor. But blaming the powerful white men is too simple. The growth in Detroit's black population was a far larger effect.

[DetBill]

I think this is crazy. I stare at this whole section from my 17th floor co op window all day and evening as well as use this daily and this is a very busy free flowing artery. When morning/evening rush hour occurs it is jammed.. not to mention when social events, sporting activities and other events take place,, these are increasing materially yearly also. Thousands of downtown workers need this freeway stretch to get to their jobs quickly. Thousands of Canadian workers and tourists coming from the tunnel use this as a quick efficient way to get to their destinations. timing is critical for many of these people for work hours, commitments etc..What are you going to do to all of these people.? Make them take a slow surface street or try to connect through a jammed downtown ??. A surface street will obviously need a traffic light at Lafayette which will slow everything down even more. Yes, neighborhoods like black bottom were destroyed years ago but other things have been now been built. The stadiums and greektown and the casino are there.. I dont understand what the proposers of this project think will happen? More greenspace?? Some are mentioning how much more attractive it will be.. I really dont think the thousands of people stopped in cars each day will find this very attractive, nor will the local residents find all of these cars constantly in a gridlock very attractive to look at. The neighborhoods like Lafayette Park are already well established, have a good greenspace area ,we can get into downtown very quickly using the downtown overpass. We are not talking a large area here, all that could be added is possibly some strip malls along a surface street which will furthur increase traffic problems and end of being unattractive with some typical retailers that we really dont want to see more of downtown. You wont see any more residential development because of this. No one has even considered the major headache a 2-3 year construction period would cause, You are going to end up upsetting people so much they wont want to come downtown. This whole idea sounds like it was proposed by a group who dont live here . Well I do and I , as my neighbors, think the whole idea is insane. Use the money to improve our existing roadways and please improve the pathetic lighting system. This will be a far more wiser use of the money.. This is a critical autoway to get quickly in and out of our city,,, to quash it for a surface roadway just doesnt make sense considering the ramifications of doing this.. Traffic if anything will increase in the future.