EASTPOINTE, Mich. – A stretch of 9 Mile Road in Eastpointe will be reduced from five lanes to three.
City council put the plan to a vote Tuesday (Feb. 6) night during a packed meeting where most residents spoke out against the reduction.
Council voted 3-2 on tentatively reducing 9 Mile Road to three lanes between Pleasant and Tuscany avenues.
Many business owners were adamantly against the proposal to reduce 9 Mile Road to three lanes.
Several business owners attended the meeting, voicing concerns about how the lane reduction will keep customers away.
The owner of Wash Pointe Car Wash on 9 Mile Road said the lane reduction will cause the car wash line to back up into traffic. He also said the backups will drive customers away.
Felecia Thompson, the owner of takeout restaurant “By Felecia” on 9 Mile at Cushing Avenue, said she can already envision the mess these changes will make.
“If it’s just one lane, you’re never going to be able to get out, and traffic is going to be backed up way down,” said Thompson.
Community members and city leaders who supported the lane reduction said studies prove such a change would attract businesses and improve walkability and safety.
Even with the tweaks to the proposed plan, public safety officials opposed the lane reduction and expressed concerns about how it would impact response times.
“As the fire chief, I can not support it because it will cause delays,” said Eastpointe Fire Chief Brian Marquardt.