Ecorse Streetscape
Safety. Walkability. Utility. The DDA designed its Ecorse streetscape to entirely change the way the area looks, functions, and feels. The project carved out on-street parking; lined the street with trees, landscape beds, and bioretention planters; restored crumbling sidewalks; retrofit light poles; and installed benches, bike racks, and trash receptacles. The 2014 economic development project was designed to:
Create a walkable street. Successful downtowns are walkable downtowns. Pedestrians demand safe, comfortable, and entertaining public spaces. The streetscape landscaping provides visual interest for pedestrians. It is also a green barricade between the sidewalk and street, increasing the feeling of safety for walkers.
Create a safer environment for vehicles and pedestrians. Before the streetscape, pedestrians and drivers dangerously competed for the same space. The streetscape makes Ecorse safer by clearly delineating parking spaces from sidewalks. By reducing the number of driveways onto Ecorse, it also lowered the number of conflict points by 66%.
Improve the block’s general aesthetics and increase property values. Before the streetscape, Ecorse was not a fitting gateway to the city. While individual businesses were attractive, the public space was not at all inviting. The streetscape replaced crumbling asphalt and sidewalks, eliminated flooding, and lined the street with landscaping.
Resolve flooding problems. Businesses along Ecorse suffered flooding for many years. The streetscape’s bioretention planters, along with properly graded sidewalks, keep rainwater out of the sewer system and from running in businesses’ front doors.
The $1.8 million project was paid for by the DDA and MDOT Transportation Enhancement Grants. No monies from the city’s general fund paid for any portion of the project.
Ecorse Rd. Streetscape: Before and After: On-Street Parking
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planters, tree, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, new approaches
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planter, tree, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, new approaches
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planters, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, approach removed from main thoroughfare
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads and approaches with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planters, trees, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, new approach
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planters, trees, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, new approaches
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads and approaches with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planters, trees, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, new approach
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planter, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, new approaches
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planters, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
After: On-street parking bay, bio-retention planter, tree, sod replacing crumbling asphalt, new curbs, new approach
Before: Unsafe asphalt parking pads with no clear delineation between pedestrian and vehicular space
