Street Design Guidelines

Introduction

Detroit’s streets serve critical functions: while their primary purpose might be to help people and goods move, our streets also serve as places for socializing, shopping, and exercising. They are places for artistic expression and community gathering. Detroit’s streets fundamentally impact people’s quality of life, health, mobility, and safety. Recognizing the important role that Detroit’s streets play in the lives of our residents and visitors, the City of Detroit is introducing the Streets for People (SFP) Detroit Street Design Guide to provide guidance and recommendations on all aspects of street design in Detroit.

Designing Streets for Safety

Our highest priority is to design streets that are safe for all users. From 2014 – 2018, 435 pedestrians, people on bikes, drivers, and passengers died in traffic crashes in Detroit and 1,639 more were seriously injured. Our goal is to eliminate these preventable, life-altering tragedies, acknowledging that the responsibility for traffic safety is shared between designers and users. We will use this guide to design streets where all people feel safe, secure, and welcome.

What is the Purpose of this Guide?

The Streets for People Detroit Design Guide communicates expectations regarding the design of Detroit’s public streets. The intent of this Guide is to ensure that Detroit’s streets serve all users: pedestrians, people on bikes, transit users, and drivers of all ages, abilities, and identities.

Who should use this guide?

The Guide is primarily intended as a resource for City engineering and planning staff, but it is also a resource for residents, decision-makers, developers, advocates, and neighborhood groups. The Guide should also serve as a reference for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Wayne County Department of Public Services when designing or improving streets under their jurisdiction within the City of Detroit.

What's included?

This document includes guidelines for the range of street types in Detroit. Further details on street furniture, sidewalks, bike facilities, and more are included.