Detroit's freight boom puts truck rules to the test
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More trucks are expected at a major Southwest Detroit freight terminal as it expands — testing the city's recent progress keeping them off neighborhood streets.
Why it matters: Southwest Detroit residents have endured decades of heavy truck traffic that brings noise, pollution and safety concerns to residential streets.
State of play: The $112 million Detroit Recharged project will modernize and expand Norfolk Southern's Livernois Intermodal Facility near Livernois Avenue and Federal Street.
- The city expects increased freight activity to bring more trucks to the facility but doesn't yet have an estimate for how much traffic will increase, spokesperson Georgette Johnson tells Axios.
Zoom in: Detroit plans to redesign the Livernois-Federal intersection to prevent trucks entering or leaving the terminal from traveling south toward residential neighborhoods, Johnson says.
- Instead, trucks will be directed north on Livernois toward I-94 or along John Kronk toward Miller Road.
- A new automated gate system is also expected to reduce trucks queuing on Livernois, cutting noise, emissions and congestion.
Flashback: Detroit installed new truck restrictions on Southwest residential streets last fall after years of complaints.
- Truck traffic has since fallen 60%-80% at targeted locations, city freight specialist Augusta Gudeman told Planet Detroit.
- The city tells Axios that figure comes from monthly monitoring at 18 Southwest intersections, comparing current volumes with those before the restrictions.
What they're saying: Longtime Southwest Detroit resident Deb Sumner tells Axios that the restrictions have reduced truck traffic but haven't eliminated it.
- Residents can still "hear the semi-trucks, smell them, feel your house shaking," she says.
- Sumner wants physical infrastructure that prevents trucks from entering residential streets as freight activity grows.
Zoom out: The expansion comes as Metro Detroit's freight network enters a new era following last month's opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which created a direct highway connection between Canada's Highway 401 and I-75.
What's next: Construction on the Livernois terminal improvements is expected to begin in 2027, pending Federal Railroad Administration approval, per Planet Detroit.