Michigan Avenue Planning & Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study

Why this project?

A PEL is a robust planning process that allows projects to cut through red tape and be built sooner for the benefit of their communities. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is utilizing the PEL process for Michigan Avenue from Campus Martius to I-96 with the ultimate goal of creating a corridor that promotes safe and equitable access to all forms of mobility along Michigan Avenue while preserving the area’s unique character. This process will ensure transportation improvements are identified that:
 

• Are developed and evaluated through an inclusive, data-driven approach
• Address community goals and limit environmental impacts
• Address infrastructure quality as well as the safety and operations of all modes

 
What we’ve learned
Working closely with the city and in tandem with the Greater Corktown Neighborhood Framework Plan, MDOT has already engaged with Detroiters through public meetings, small group conversations, and surveys. Through this outreach, we learned that the most important elements to consider when planning Michigan Avenue include:
 

• Pedestrian experience and safety
• Bike experience and safety
• Transit experience and access
• Place-making and historic character
• Traffic improvements, including traffic calming, improved signals, and truck routing
• Improvements at specific locations, including intersections and freeway bridges

 
MDOT will be hosting a virtual webinar this fall to provide an update on where we’re at in this process, present initial alternatives, and to get input on specific design elements you’d like to see.

Stay tuned for an invite to this event, and please contact MDOT project manager Jon Loree at [email protected] if you’d like to know more.