LANSING – State Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) today expressed her outrage that the Detroit International Bridge Company (DIBC) changed the configuration of West Grand Boulevard without permission from the city of Detroit in order to give priority to customers of the Ambassador Bridge.
"This is an insult to the people of Detroit," Tlaib said. "The fact that the Detroit International Bridge Company made these changes without contacting city or state officials is unacceptable. They are treating the residents of Detroit like second-class citizens to Ambassador Bridge customers, and they need to stop this behavior immediately."
The DIBC is a privately owned company that owns the Ambassador Bridge. The group also is proposing to construct a six-lane international bridge next to the existing Ambassador Bridge.
On Wednesday, the DIBC changed the configuration of West Grand Boulevard to facilitate access for Ambassador Bridge customers to a newly-opened duty free shop and gas station. The changes include:
- Completely fencing off 23rd Street.
- Moving the access road to the Bait and Tackle shop to West Grand Boulevard, the third time the road has been changed.
- Placing up to three people (traffic flaggers) in the middle of West Grand Boulevard and Fort Street to unfairly block local residential traffic and give preference to Ambassador Bridge customers.
Tlaib reached out to numerous city and state officials regarding the changes, and found that none of them had been contacted by the DIBC. After being contacted by Tlaib, the Michigan Department of Transportation requested that the DIBC immediately remove the traffic controllers. The city has yet to respond.
"These changes are bad for Detroit, and the DIBC is putting our citizens at risk," Tlaib said. "Unauthorized changes without notice can lead to confusion, which puts pedestrians and drivers in dangerous situations. I urge all residents to contact their local officials to voice their concern and help reverse these changes."