Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.
What's the weather for today?
Clear skies tonight turn into sunshine for Thursday. Temps will flirt with 60°. Mid 70s may sound good on Friday, but that may spark severe storms Friday night. There's a slight rain chance on Easter.
Any traffic issues?
Traffic is moving smoothly as of 6:30 a.m. this morning; we will update this article if that changes
The top stories to know about
Program will reimburse Michigan drivers for damage from potholes
There isn't much worse than hitting a pothole and having to shell out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, to fix your car.
Unfortunately, it's something all too common for us in Michigan, but now, you could get some of those repairs paid off.
It's through the Pothole Payback Contest, happening now, through the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) – paying back drivers for their car repairs. The chosen winners could get some much-needed help.
When I went out, it didn't take me long to find drivers who have been impacted by potholes.
“Just hit a pothole, bent the rim, control arm, front end work," Nathan Young said.
“How much did you have to pay to fix it?” I asked.
"I think like $400," he said..”
Now through June, MITA is giving five drivers a month up to $758. Why that amount? It's the average cost Michigan drivers pay in repairs because of bad roads.
You can enter the contest by clicking here.
'Atrocious.' Clinton Township community frustrated with rough residential roads
From runners to truck drivers, those in Clinton Township say pothole-riddled roads are making local streets unsafe.
“There’s divots and there are potholes. When I have to get over for cars, I’m a little nervous I’m going to roll an ankle,” said Megan Makin, who frequently runs in the area.
Truck driver Karl Savage said the problem is just as bad, if not worse, behind the wheel.
“I’ve come through here with, of course, a box truck as well as a semi, and I got to tell ya, I’ve actually blown a tire on an 18-wheeler,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of days watching other people try to avoid potholes, almost hit other people because they’re more worried about hitting a deep hole in the road than they are hitting another car.”
Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem says the issue isn’t just a nuisance, it’s the most pressing challenge facing the community.
“We have 203 miles of subdivision streets in Clinton Township — 122 of them are currently ranked ‘poor’ to ‘failed,’” Gieleghem said.
Changes in Corktown: MDOT and city of Detroit host meeting on Michigan Avenue redesign
Changes are coming to Corktown, with Michigan Avenue set to get an overhaul.
The road will be completely redone from Campus Martius Park to I-96. The project plan was first met with some criticism from Corktown business owners and residents. Among the issues were a lack of parking, limited lanes and removal of the iconic bricks.
However, after months of working toward a solution, Michigan Department of Transportation and city of Detroit officials presented updated plans to the community.
“We modified the design to put in two traffic lanes in each direction. The other thing we heard was make Michigan Avenue safer — slow traffic down, make the sidewalk crossings shorter, just make it more of a main street than a thoroughfare,” MDOT spokesperson Rob Morosi said. “Right now, it's thoroughfare. You see a lot of big trucks rumbling through here, you see a lot of vehicles at high speeds coming down Michigan Avenue — that’s going to stop.”
MDOT and the city held another community meeting Wednesday night, presenting their current plan to Detroiters. It includes more pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, wider sidewalks with outdoor cafe seating and coils in the road to wirelessly charge electric vehicles. It comes as the design is nearing the finish line.
“Michigan Avenue is getting older. The more you delay, the older it gets, the more expensive it gets," Morosi said. "So, we want to get this project moving.”
