July 23, 2025

Detroit grassroots coalition working to reduce truck traffic on residential streets

4 minutes

The Trucks Off Our Streets coalition urged the Detroit City Council on Tuesday to enforce existing truck regulation laws while waiting for a route ordinance to pass.  

Detroit was named one of the worst cities to live with asthma in 2024, and activists says a leading cause of that is the trucks driving through residential areas.  

Activist Simone Zagovac says a truck census in 2024 on Livernois counted 1,000 semi-trucks passing in one day on a road without any industry on it.  

“So every day, yesterday, today and tomorrow, 1,000 semi trucks are driving down those streets. In the last two years since we toured city administration staff, that means one million semi trucks have driven down Livernois," she said. 

Zagovac told city council simple enforcement of existing laws against speeding, parking, and route restrictions of semi-trucks can greatly improve the health of residents.  

She advocated for the council to also consider zoning amendments to better separate industry and residential areas. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, July 23, 2025:

A Detroit man is suing the city of Detroit and its police and fire departments for $100 million in damages over his wrongful conviction in 2013.

Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey will be kicking off early voting with a block party celebration this weekend. The Block Party for Democracy will be held on Saturday, July 26, on Grand Boulevard between Second and Third streets to mark the opening of Detroit’s Early Vote Centers.  The party will feature DJs, local vendors, food trucks, and dog adoptions from the Michigan Humane Society.  Primary election day is Aug. 5.  

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid to upper 90s on Thursday, July 24. Detroit is reopening their cooling centers. Residents can visit any Detroit recreation center or Detroit library during normal hours to beat the heat. The Northwest Activities, Patton, and Heilmann recreation centers will have extended hours from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at [email protected].

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