Detroit City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution drafted at District 6 Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero’s request that urges the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to complete a road diet on Fort Street from Schaefer Highway to Outer Drive and to work with the city to design a solution that meets the needs of the community.

Project Aims to Improve Safety

The project would convert the six-lane road into a more pedestrian-friendly and safer street by removing lanes in favor of increasing access for pedestrians and other modes of transportation, like bicycles. The effort is the latest in recent years from the council member to advance the potential project. In 2024, Santiago-Romero asked MDOT to study whether the road diet project on Fort Street would be feasible.

Diane Cross, a spokesperson for MDOT, confirmed that MDOT is doing a feasibility study of Fort St. north of Outer Drive. The council resolution notes that the project would improve safety, reduce vehicle speeds and the distance pedestrians must travel across lanes of traffic. Currently, that stretch of Fort Street is six lanes, and residents have long shared concerns over drivers speeding, running red lights and frequent accidents.

The span of Fort Street touches the city’s Boynton community, which is home to seniors and families with children as well as the Kemeny Recreation Center, Mark Twain School for Scholars and local businesses. The need for the project is dire and evidenced in part by the tragic August 2025 death of a little girl.

Original reporting: BridgeDetroit — read the source article.