This story was originally published by Outlier Media.
In Detroit, schoolchildren face an unusual obstacle on their way home: semitrucks. On Lonyo Street, children like 8-year-old Abdullah Mansoob must navigate heavy truck traffic just to get from school to home and back again to the park.
Challenging Routes for Young Pedestrians
Abdullah’s walk home should be straightforward, with just two blocks to cover, bordered by houses and Romanowski Park. Yet the path is complicated by semitrucks that rumble through the neighborhood at all hours, connecting I-94 to a nearby truck yard complex.
This route isn’t the only option for truck drivers, who could choose a longer path via Wyoming Street that avoids schools and minimizes risk for children. However, many opt for Lonyo Street, a choice unimpeded by any current mandates from the City Council, which has yet to implement a truck route ordinance.
“It’s a shortcut,” explained Shaddad Mansoob, Abdullah’s father. “Wyoming is out of the way for (truck drivers). It’s like a few extra minutes, so they don’t want to do that.”
Children like Abdullah face hazards every day due to these shortcuts. “When trucks drive, the dust goes in my eyes and face,” Abdullah noted. The real danger, though, comes from diesel exhaust, which is linked to severe health issues like respiratory illnesses and heart disease.
Shaddad emphasizes the impact on the community’s health: “Everybody has a respiratory problem over here. I myself have asthma. My kids do.”
City’s Efforts and Resident Concerns
Detroit’s truck traffic is not limited to Lonyo Street but is a city-wide issue, with nearly 128,000 loaded containers entering the city in July. A city study counted an average of 1,600 trucks daily at a depot near Lonyo.
Residents have long expressed frustration over the truck-induced noise and road damage. The recent death of a pedestrian struck by a semi has heightened calls for action.
City officials, including Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration, are working towards banning trucks from certain streets and enhancing enforcement. Sam Krassenstein from the Department of Public Works announced plans to post new truck restriction signs and consider physical street changes to deter trucks.
City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero and others hope an ordinance will pass soon, though enforcement remains challenging. “Whatever ordinance we decide to go with, we want to ensure that it has a strong enforcement mechanism … that changes behavior and improves pollution or safety concerns within their neighborhood,” stated Council President Mary Sheffield.
Community Resilience
Despite the ongoing issues, Shaddad Mansoob remains committed to his neighborhood. With deep family roots and a supportive community, he is determined to advocate for change. “I wouldn’t live anywhere else,” he said. “That’s why I want to make this area better for the future children growing up here, for my children.”
This article first appeared on Outlier Media and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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