The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is preparing
metro Detroiters for the upcoming reconstruction of I-94.

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The “Restore 94” project, which will begin early next year, is a $353 million overhaul of 12.7 miles of freeway in the communities of Allen Park, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Romulus and Taylor and Melvindale — from east of I-275 to west of Michigan Avenue.

MDOT held two public information sessions Downriver this week about the project, where residents shared concerns about construction noise and increased traffic. MDOT says studies are
being done to see how both could be mitigated.

At least two eastbound and westbound lanes of I-94 will be open during the construction, but occasional closures may occur, MDOT said.

The Restore 94 project comes as reconstruction of I-696
has eastbound traffic shutdown from
M-10 to I-75. That closure will last until 2027.

Other headlines for Friday, March 28, 2025:

• The nonprofit Focus: HOPE is partnering with Skilltrade and Detroit at Work to offer a medical assistant training program beginning Saturday, March 29. Eligible candidates must
 have a high school diploma/GED, be 18 years old or older, and
have reliable transportation. Space is limited.
• Arab Women United is accepting artist submissions for their
Arab Heritage Art Celebration in April.
 The event, held during Arab American Heritage
Month, will showcase the creativity of Arab artists. The lineup
 includes live-art performances, henna-drawing opportunities,
 poetry, music and more.
• Madness is still taking over March with the NCAA March
Madness tournament and two hometown favs. The Michigan
State Spartans and the University of Michigan Wolverines have two big match ups Friday night that you can watch at Parlay Detroit.
They are having a watch party that will last until 2 a.m., with live entertainment by DJ Trust. Tip off for the Michigan State-Ole Miss game is at 7:09 p.m.
Tip off for the University of Michigan-Auburn game is at 9:30 p.m.

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

For a good chunk of the 20th century, railcars took Detroiters from point A to point B. 

Along Gratiot and Grand River, people didn’t even own cars. They were too expensive, but there was also no reason to because streetcars crisscrossed Detroit and even went out to places like Port Huron and Ann Arbor. 

In 2025, new cars are really expensive, car insurance is very costly, and public transit is worse today than it was 100 years ago. Today on The Metro, we’re looking at the history and future of public transit in the Motor City. 

Guests: 

• Robert Pfaff: A professor of community and regional planning at Iowa State University. He wrote his dissertation at the University of Michigan about the history of Detroit’s streetcar system.
• Robert Cramer: Director of Detroit’s Department of Transportation. 

We also asked listeners:

“What would convince you to take public transit in Detroit? How fast, how convenient, do the buses or the Q-Line — or some kind of rail system — need to be for you to take it?”

Christina in Detroit said: “I believe in the last four years (public transit is) getting better. Is it the greatest thing in the world, the greatest thing since, like sliced bread? No. But I also think that there is strides, especially with Kramer involved, coming from Detroit People Mover to D-DOT tells me there’s gonna be a lot of changes.” 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on March 26, 2025:

• Mayor Mike Duggan gave his last State of City address last night. He touted his accomplishments and his work to build coalitions. We talked to WDET Senior News Editor Quinn Klinefelter about the speech. 
• The Department of Education does a lot of things to support college students. One of its primary functions WAS to administer federal student loans and payment plans for college students and graduates, pograms that help make college accessible for students of all income levels. Michelle Zampini is the Senior Director of College Affordability for The Institute of College Access & Success. She joins the show to talk about what student loans and repayments could look like under the Trump Administration. 

• WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper talked with Detroit Symphony Orchestra president Erik Ronmark about the release of “Blues Symphony” via Third Man Records. This interview first aired on In The Groove.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover Michigan’s new interactive Public Health Data Dashboard; the Detroit Department of Transportation’s upcoming public hearing on future service changes and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Michigan’s new public health dashboard

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has launched a public health dashboard.

The Michigan Public Health Data Dashboard provides policymakers with data on public health trends, based on State House and Senate districts. The data is accessible to lawmakers, local officials, and advocacy groups for public health metrics. It includes health outcomes, such as mortality data, blood lead levels, and health behavior trends. It also has social and economic factors, physical environment trends, and clinical care trends such as prenatal care.

The metrics aim to offer a snapshot of how each district is doing in comparison to the statewide average. To check out the dashboard, visit michigan.gov/healthstatistics. 

DDOT to host public hearing

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is hosting a public hearing at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 20, to gather feedback from residents about service changes that begin this summer.

Proposed changes — which go into effect June 22 — include route schedule changes along Grand River and Jefferson streets, among other routes. Several of the routes will expand service frequency, adding time slots throughout the day, while others will get shortened. 

The hybrid hearing will take place at the Rosa Parks Transit Center, 1310 Cass Ave., Detroit, and on Zoom.

House GOP to vote on tax rollback 

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall says there will be a floor vote this week on a bill to roll back the state income tax rate. The measure would reduce the rate from 4.25% to 4.05%.

That’s where it was two years ago when high tax revenues triggered a law that reduced the income tax. Republicans argued the cut should have been permanent, but the state attorney general and the Treasury determined it was only good for a year. 

Hall says the bill being voted on this week will ensure that future automatic reductions are permanent. 

“And so what we’re going to do is we’re going to move to reverse the Democrat income tax hike and roll that back to 4.05% where it should be,” he said. “And, as you know, every small business and worker in Michigan pays the income tax and so this is going to really help them with the cost of living right now.”

Democrats say that would reduce revenue. They challenged Republicans to say what budget cuts they would make to pay for the lower income tax. 

–Reporting by Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network.

Severe Weather Awareness Week

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared this week Severe Weather Awareness Week. This comes after a severe weather over the weekend, with storms and tornadoes crossing several states.

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DFIS) encourages Michigan residents to acquire insurance coverage for potentially severe weather conditions. They suggest residents review insurance coverage to check for flood insurance, take inventory of personal belongings, and gather emergency contacts.

They say securing important documents and protecting finances by having an emergency fund is also important. DFIS says people with property damage should report a claim, work to document and prevent further loss, and be wary of fraudulent contractors. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/DFIS.  

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