Detroit residents will be relieve to know that construction on Livernois Avenue will end this coming Spring. The year-long project focused on creating more space and garnering curb appeal for the historic district. Areas that were renovated include sidewalks, lightning, bike lanes and landscaping. The bulk of the work took place between Margareta and Eight Mile Road. The remainder of construction includes a sidewalk installation on the west side of Livernois, north of Pembroke, along with landscaping and the addition of benches and lighting.
New features on Livernois Avenue include:
- Travel lanes that will be reconfigured to have one lane for traffic in each direction to reduce speeds and the addition of a new dedicated center left-turn lane;
- Wider 24-foot sidewalks to allow for café seating for businesses, along with new lighting and landscaping;
- Dedicated bike lanes that will be at sidewalk level, as opposed to street level, and
- The removal of the median will provide direct left turn access to all residential streets along the corridor, making it easier for drivers to get to the businesses. On-street parking on at least one side of the street will be available.
During the construction, parking and access to retail locations was a major issue for customers and business owners. The City of Detroit says that there is free off-street parking lots available which include 150 spaces.