In the 1940s, Detroit, like many communities across the country, saw the highway system tear through Black neighborhoods. It disrupted the way of life where new music, foods and culture thrived. 

But now, Michigan and other states around the country are working to re-connect communities torn apart by highways. That’s true for the project to undo I-375 and it’s also true for a new project to cap I-75 that would connect downtown to midtown Detroit. 

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The Downtown Detroit Partnership, Michigan Department of Transportation and The City of Detroit have spearheaded this initiative. Public engagement sessions began recently on the I-75 project. 

To explain the details and idea behind capping I-75, Downtown Detroit Partnership CEO Eric Lawson and Detroit Director of Planning and Development Antoine Bryant joined The Metro.

“It’s, as you said in the opening, an opportunity to really start to think about how we reconnect our communities, how we repair some of the damage that was caused back in the ’50s and ’60s,” Lawson says. “But most importantly, how we can lean into the growth and the momentum that is taking place both in the core as well as throughout the city.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with Lawson and Bryant.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 25, 2024: 

• Detroit Documenter Tyrone Anderson and Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade return to The Metro to discuss changes that could be coming to the city’s rental ordinance program. Data Driven Detroit estimated that there are over 120,000 rental properties in the city and only 9 percent of these properties have a certificate of compliance. 
• This week you’ve been hearing conversations with candidates running for two open seats in Detroit’s 36th District Court. Today, we conclude our series with Andrea Bradley-Baskin. 
• The Arab American Empowerment Summit is taking place today and tomorrow at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn. The event features music, food and panel discussions led by local leaders. Co-founder of the Arab American Foundation Warren David joined the show.

The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan will assume control of Detroit’s QLINE service this month.

Since construction of the railway began in 2014, the plan has always been to eventually transition it from the nonprofit M-1 Rail to a public entity, according to RTA Executive Director Ben Stupka.

“And when the RTA was established around the same time, it was always kind of thought and planned that the RTA would be that entity,” Stupka said.

This change opens the service to new sources of state and federal funding.

“As a government entity, the QLINE is now eligible for state and federal transit funding, which will help stabilize operations moving forward,” Stupka said.

QLINE riders will not see significant changes in service. Fares will remain free and hours will remain the same. The only visible update may be the addition of the RTA logo on streetcars.

Stupka added there are no immediate plans for expansion. “Our focus remains on delivering efficient service, but we are committed to exploring future options,” Stupka said.

Ridership has increased more than 25% this year over 2023, with over one million riders last year.

The RTA also operates the Dax Airport Express and D2A2 Ann Arbor Express as part of its growing portfolio of transit services for Southeast Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is lifting some restrictions for transporting certain hazardous substances across the Ambassador Bridge this fall.

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MDOT will ease restrictions on transporting fuels and materials for batteries beginning Oct. 29. The bridge’s owners requested the looser restrictions, saying it can respond quickly to a fire or spill. 

MDOT commissioned a technical study  in June 2021 to evaluate the risks associated with transporting restricted materials on the Ambassador Bridge from Porter Street in Detroit to Canada, the state reported. MDOT subsequently collected more than 80 letters from elected officials, business owners and community members, many expressing support for the looser restrictions.

Restricted materials will only be transported during off-peak hours, under the supervision of vehicle escorts, according to the state.

Other headlines for Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024:

• The city of Detroit is holding informational sessions this month to teach local nonprofits how to apply for grants to expand or improve their programs.
• Detroit is also offering free estate planning workshops to residents during the month of September.
• The Brightmoor Artisans Collective is recruiting volunteers for its Beautification Day event Saturday, Sept. 7. 
• The Paradise Wellness Academy is hosting a free Community Health Education series this month, featuring live cooking demonstrations and tips for preparing nutritious meals, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Sept. 12, 19 and 26. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

When relying on clean sources of energy, like the sun and the wind, we need a way to store that energy for later use.

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That’s where battery technology comes into play. Batteries are used to store and transfer energy from solar panels and wind turbines. The problem with batteries is they’re expensive and can be dangerous. In some cases, people have died in explosions involving batteries in electric bikes.

UL Solutions hopes to change that. The global safety science company recently opened a new $100 million safety lab in Auburn Hills to conduct comprehensive testing on electric vehicle batteries.

To discuss the new facility and how battery technology works, Vice president and General Manager of Energy and Industrial Automation Milan Dotlich and Senior Vice President of Communications Kathy Fieweger joined The Metro.

Use the media player above to listen to the interview with Dotlich and Fieweger.

More headlines from The Metro on Aug. 29, 2024: 

• WDET’s comedy showcase “What’s so Funny about Detroit?” takes place at the Old Miami tonight! We’ll talk about the event, and some of the most interesting comedians in town with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper.
• Lots of music events are taking place this Labor Day weekend, including the Detroit Jazz Festival. Chris Collins, president of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation, joined The Metro to share details about this year’s event.
• The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is also happening this weekend. To discuss the festival, we were joined by WDET’s Mike Latulippe and festival organizer John Szymanski, whose band The Hentchmen are playing at the festival with Jack White on Monday.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.