DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Dearborn won a nearly $25 million grant from the federal government to revamp one of the city’s major thoroughfares.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program is giving out $5 billion in grants over five years, awarding $813 million to 385 communities this December. It’s all aimed at preventing roadway deaths and serious injuries.
One of Dearborn’s busiest roads, Warren Avenue, is a major thoroughfare full of local businesses. Some are decades old like Warren Bike Shop, which opened in 1972.
“We do sales, repairs, we get all kinds of customers,” owner Mohamad Cheikh said. “In the summer a lot, there’s always groups coming in.”
Cheikh’s father opened the shop 51 years ago and it’s been in the same spot ever since. While their inventory has changed, the street it’s named after hasn’t seen any investment in over 20 years — until now.
“We’re happy to hear there's such a grant for Warren Avenue,” Cheikh said.
Along with Detroit, the city of Dearborn won a grant for $25 million. All of it is going toward the city’s 2-mile stretch of Warren Avenue.
“I think they (U.S. Department of Transportation) understand the significance of such a sum of money and the significance of this grant to reinject life to what is really a thriving business corridor in the heartbeat of our city,” Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said. “This is on the high end. This is on the upper limit of what you can apply for.”
Hammoud says the city is making Warren Avenue a formal business district, adding facade improvements and branded signs. However the $25 million will be used for mainly safety changes.
“Warren is known to have many accidents. We've had many unfortunate pedestrians that have lost their life over the last year or so,” Hammoud said. “We want to make sure we bring in some measures to reduce or eliminate all pedestrian incidents that occur.”
In just the last year, two pedestrians have been killed on Warren Avenue. One was an 82-year-old-woman killed on Sept. 5 while crossing Warren Avenue near Freda Street.
The first happened in January on Warren. The man who was killed was the uncle of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who also wrote a letter in the grant application sharing her story, helping to secure the funding to be used for safety improvements.
“Some of the things we're talking about is bump outs to allow for safer on-street parking, create biking and pedestrian pathways along the 2-mile stretch,” Hammoud said.
The exact changes are still in the planning phase, but bike lanes and pedestrian crossings would be a huge help for Warren Bike Shop, hoping any investment will keep them there for another 51 years.
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Cheikh said of the projects. “I think it’s very good for the community. It's also good for safety. It’s good for everybody.”
Hammoud said 2024 is expected to be the planning phase of this project with construction happening in 2025 or 2026.
