Comments on: Dearborn Installs New Street Lights on Ford Road

By: rob byrnes

rob byrnes — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:11:40 +0000

I live near Ford Rd. and Schaefer Rd. and I can’t believe I’ve had to wait over 27 months after the Ford Rd. reconstruction was completed to get new street lights. Even the botched Warren Ave project had beautiful street lights installed as the project was belatedly wrapping up. By the way, the Ford Rd. light poles aren’t decorative-they’re the same plain poles that were installed in the early 70′s when Ford Rd. was widened. I’m really concerned that these new lights will provide woefully insufficient illumination just like the dim blue lighting that was originally installed in 1972. The pole bases put in this month are too far apart.The same lights were installed on Michigan Ave. a few years ago and they wisely put an extra light pole in between each pole at the same distance it would be on Frod Rd. IN other words, about one-third more lights than Ford Rd. will have.I guess we’ll have a dimly lit street for another 35 years.If you want to see what Ford Rd. in east Dearborn should look like, just take Ford Rd. west to Evergreen Rd.Those orange sodium vapor lights are what we need east of Mercury Dr. What incompetent is responsible for choosing 137 lights for Ford Rd. when we need twice as many? Also, why are no lights being installed east of MIller Rd.? The eastbound side of Ford Rd. is almost completely dark and bright lights are needed for traffic coming off I-94. When will new lights go on this half-mile stretch? Never, I guess. Finally, can we please change the light bulbs in the large light trees and the Ford Rd.-Southfield Fwy. interchange? Most of the lights at this very busy interchange have been out for years!

By: Paul Mastrogiacomo

Paul Mastrogiacomo — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:34:40 +0000

Dave, I agree completely. Ford Rd. seems like a ridiculous place to do this. You can’t really make an 8 lane divided high speed highway attractive with some nice street lights.

Cloe is right, Michigan is state controlled and it will take more than a better Michigan Ave. to bring back the area. However, it wouldn’t hurt for the city to really push the Michigan Ave. issue more than they are.

By: cloe

cloe — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:01:06 +0000

Alonzo – I may be wrong but, I think, that Michigan Ave is a state highway. Michigan is in control of when the street gets paved.

West Dearborn, unfortunately, will never boom because of the high rents charged by the few landlords that own that part of the city. All they care about is using their properties as tax losses and collecting rents for the few business that can still pay their rates.

By: Alonzo

Alonzo — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:15:17 +0000

If the city would only wake up, repave Michigan Ave, and re-do the sidewalks, the city would boom with new businesses. How about a visit to Down town Rochester mayor? Check out how nice their streets are.

By: Michael D. Albano

Michael D. Albano — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:06:44 +0000

Dave,

Downtown east Dearborn already has historic lights installed, so I assume you’re referring to downtown west Dearborn, which I agree with.

By: Dave Bowman

Dave Bowman — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:12:31 +0000

“By making the area more attractive visually, we continue our constant efforts to keep Dearborn a desirable place to visit, live and do business,” said Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr.

We need some of that thinking along Michigan Avenue, IMHO.