Description

The following complaint is submitted by Andrew Bashi, staff attorney at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Ms. Thomasenia Weston. Ms. Weston has been a resident of her home at 1533 Livernois Ave in Detroit for nearly 19 years. Her home sits along a four-block stretch of Livernois Ave. that begins at Vernor Hwy. and ends at Fisher Service Drive. Both sides of Livernois along these four blocks are zoned residential (R2).
A sign on the Southeast corner of Livernois Ave. and Vernor Hwy. states “TRUCKS OVER 4 AXLES KEEP OFF 7PM-7AM AHEAD.” Still, Ms. Weston and the grandchildren in her care are repeatedly awaken by trucks over 4 axles traveling unlawfully along this restricted street between the hours of 7PM and 7AM. Ms. Weston has witnessed hundreds of these violations via her home security system. Recently, within a span of less than 3 hours on the morning of 7/9/21 between the hours of 2:22 and 4:58am a total of 11 documented violations occurred, photos of which have been attached to this complaint.
The residents of this street, as well as the over 1,600 children under 18 living within just a few blocks of this half mile stretch of Livernois, are being exposed to additional noise, vibrations, and diesel particulate matter, as well as the heightened dangers of hundreds of immense commercial vehicles traveling down a residential road. Trucks are often seen traveling at speeds well in excess of the 25 mile per hour limit and fail to stop at the traffic light at the intersection of Livernois Ave. and Regular St. Neighbors have witnessed numerous pets killed by truck traffic in front of their homes.
On behalf of Ms. Weston and other concerned residents, we respectfully request the following:
• Increased and regular enforcement of traffic laws along this stretch of Livernois Ave.
• Installation of traffic calming measures such as speed humps and traffic circles.
• Additional signage notifying drivers of movement prohibitions at the following locations:
o North facing sign on the North West corner of Livernois and Vernor Hwy.
o West facing sign at the South West corner of Livernois and Vernor Hwy.
• In combination with other traffic calming measures, a reduction in lanes available for vehicular travel from two lanes to one lane, achieved through the addition of bike lanes, angled parking spaces, curb extensions, and pedestrian crossings.
• Designation of this and other residential streets as barred from non-necessary truck traffic, with exemptions only where necessary for the provision of delivery, emergency, and other services to residents and businesses along the route.