 
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 394
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 5:42 pm: |    |
Our family moved out of Detroit in 1958. At the time there were only a few one-way streets. What is the history of this change? It seems that EVERY street in Detroit and Hamtramck is one-way. I can't understand the purpose of this. Does anybody know? |
Viziondetroit
Member
Username: Viziondetroit
Post Number: 1462
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 5:47 pm: | |
There are more two-way streets than one-way in Detroit.. mainly where I live 7 ad 75 there are a lot. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1693
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 5:48 pm: | |
Back then, it was probably to relieve the congestion. The Grand Blvd. loop and surrounding areas were another large city in itself from the 30s-70s. Not to mention, back then you had over a million workers (compared to under 500,000 now) that commuted through there daily (from the CBD, the Industrial district, the New Center Area, etc.). Probably like our own smaller Midtown Manhattan.
There was also a lot of traffic lights at every other intersection. I guess after the 70s, all of that did get pointless.
(Message edited by detroitrise on February 28, 2008) |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 397
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 5:51 pm: | |
If I recall, the only one-way streets (main streets) at the time (1958) were Second and Third. I am referring to the side streets.
(Message edited by Ladyinabag on February 28, 2008) |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1694
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 5:54 pm: | |
Yeah, I'm sure those came about during the early 70s or late 60s.
They are all over (back towards Belle Isle, SW Detroit, etc.). |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 403
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 6:11 pm: | |
I know that they are everywhere. Whose bright idea was it? |
Melody
Member
Username: Melody
Post Number: 156
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 6:24 pm: | |
I thought it was like that in Hamtramck because there are few driveways. If everyone parks on the street (both sides) then there is only room for one way. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1695
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 6:27 pm: | |
"I know that they are everywhere. Whose bright idea was it?"
My guess is either Young, Gibbs, or Cavanagh. Most likely Young. |
Snoringbeagle
Member
Username: Snoringbeagle
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 6:54 pm: | |
the streets went one way a year or two after a big snowstorm hit Detroit. I was driving a sears service van and the side streets were impassible. Stuck cars facing each other and people just plain parking in the street. |
Jimaz
Member
Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 4670
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 7:19 pm: | |
HA! Welcome to the forum, Snoringbeagle. You must be from Mt. Pleasant.  |
Hornwrecker
Member
Username: Hornwrecker
Post Number: 1990
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 8:01 pm: | |
Yep, it was to facilitate snow removal on side streets, sometime around 1980(?). It seemed to be an experiment in certain areas of the city, like the westside of Van Dyke. I don't think the 'speriment went very well, as snow removal was non-existant back then. |
Hamtragedy
Member
Username: Hamtragedy
Post Number: 101
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 29, 2008 - 12:10 am: | |
Bewick, (and surrounding streets) became one way in '71 or '72. No driveways on those streets. Garage access was thru the alley. In Grandmont also in early '70's all the streets remained two-way but "No Parking Fire Lane" Signs went up on one side of each street. |
Hudkina
Member
Username: Hudkina
Post Number: 129
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 29, 2008 - 12:33 am: | |
I think they need to make more streets one way, especially on streets where most people park on the street. |
Focusonthed
Member
Username: Focusonthed
Post Number: 1712
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 29, 2008 - 1:03 am: | |
One way side streets are the way to go |
1st_sgt
Member
Username: 1st_sgt
Post Number: 139
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 29, 2008 - 10:13 am: | |
One time I was home in Detroit (SW side) on Christmas leave. Our street had turned into a one way while I was away. I had spent six years straight overseas, two in Germany and an ITT (inter theater transfer) to Korea for four. I was having culture shock in returning to the states and the motor city.(there were a lot of changes).
Anyway, I was about to find out why it turned into a one way street.
It was late at night, my Father and I was returning from visiting some of my extended local family. We were in my Dad's 4 x 4 Chevy, off road, big tired and lifted pickup truck. Snow was piled up on both sides of the street and getting deeper by the second.
We were about half way down our street and met a man in an older car coming down the wrong way.
There were cars parked on both sides of the street blocking us and him from pulling over, Snow was piled up, on, around and between them any way. (Some piles were about waist deep).
We sat there a few seconds waiting for something to happen.
He looked like he was not going to give ground and my dad was not backing up either.
I heard my Dad say "oh well" and put it in 4 wheel low, moved up and touched the other guys bumper with our brush guard and stared to gently and carefully (as much as was possible under the circumstances) push him in the snow and ice all the way past our house. We backed in over a snow bank into our semi cleared parking space (like I said it had been snowing).
He waited a few seconds and watched us get out of the truck.I guess he figured it wasn’t a good time to confront two large men in a large truck wearing camouflage field jackets and black toboggan hats. He continued down the street the wrong way.
I knew right then one way streets are a good thing in the winter. (If one way is obeyed). |
Mdoyle
Member
Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 352
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 29, 2008 - 10:41 am: | |
Was second ever 2 ways where its divided just passed 94 going through New Center? Friends from out of town always flip when I goto the left side since it appears at first to be a 2 way divided street. It really seems to make very little sense. Also what year did WSU turn Second into Gullen Mall? |
Paczki
Member
Username: Paczki
Post Number: 54
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 29, 2008 - 11:38 am: | |
The street I lived on turned into a one way street in the early '70's. As mentioned above there were no drive ways, there was parking on both sides, and the streets were narrow. If cars were traveling both ways down the street someone would need to pull into an empty parking spot so the other car could pass.
At the time all of the cars were rear wheel drive. To keep weight in the back of the car we always had bags of sand in the trunk along with a shovel. In addition to adding weight to the back of the car the sand could be spread in the tire tracks when you got stuck to give you traction when you were "rocking" the car to get out of the rut.
One of the things the kids in the neighborhood would do was called bumper hitching. The boys would hide between the parked cars and when a car would come down the snow packed road they would run out and grab the back bumper of the car while squatting down and get pulled down the street on their boots. Not very safe. I can just imagine how the news channels would report this activity on the evening news! |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 429
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 5:16 pm: | |
I hate to bring this back up, but one-way streets are a waste of gas. I purposely went the wrong way on a turn-around today. I saved about three blocks, and a chance of getting stuck in the snow. I hate to be such a bad girl, but this city needs me, |
Detroitnerd
Member
Username: Detroitnerd
Post Number: 1983
Registered: 07-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 5:19 pm: | |
Sometimes there's no other way to accommodate all the street parking. You have to burn up some extra gas to get where you're going, but nowhere near as much as freeway cloverleafs, recommended detours, etc.
As a person who lives on a two-way street, on snowy days like this I wish it were one-way: That would mean no SUVs charging straight at me and playing chicken. |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 430
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 5:22 pm: | |
Hornwrecker. Snow removal is just about non-existent now. The City has been selling salt to Oakland County while the streets of Detroit suffer. Plowing seems to be non-existent. Maybe that 8.5 Mil could have bought some new plows. I can't see how one-way streets, though they are still being parked on, can ease snow removal. I hear "snow emergency" warnings on the news for the suburbs (meaning that they can't park on any streets through the threat of towing or a ticket, so that they can be plowed), but never for the City.
(Message edited by Ladyinabag on March 05, 2008) |
Detroitjim
Member
Username: Detroitjim
Post Number: 9
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 6:15 pm: | |
The idea for one ways came about after a giant snowfall in the mid 70's(1976?).On the tail end of the snow was a brief warmup(a few hours) with rain. Then a hard freeze.
After that the side streets resembled inverted rails.
You could not steer out of the ruts(There were very few front wheel drive cars then). A car traveling in the opposite direction resulted in a standoff. Somebody would have to reverse their course.Back then it was bad enough with the disputes on who was to go backwards. I can only imagine how many lives have been saved ,to this day, by implementing the one ways, given the Detroit method of conflict resolution.
LEAD!•••
You gonna bagup ride nah.
No you is M.......r!
Pop pop ba bam bam bam bam
(Message edited by detroitjim on March 05, 2008) |
Evelyn
Member
Username: Evelyn
Post Number: 157
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 6:25 pm: | |
Mdoyle: Second Avenue was closed to through traffic in 1964. It was a number of years before it was turned into a sidewalk, though- I want to say during WSU President Gullen's term in the 1970s. |
Alley
Member
Username: Alley
Post Number: 54
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, March 06, 2008 - 6:10 pm: | |
it's easier for Bewick to be one way to keep dope house traffic flowing and less confusing :p |