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About

The Ambassador Bridge, North America’s busiest international border crossing, sees approximately 10,000 trucks cross over the Ambassador Bridge every day. In 2020, there is a second public bridge scheduled to open connecting Detroit and Windsor. The new bridge is expected to increase truck traffic by 125 percent. This would result in 22,500 trucks crossing between both bridges. This vast increase in truck traffic will cause a vast increase in pollution, which will have a negative impact on the health of many residents who live near the freeway.

In February of 2017, Radical Productions youth surveyed residents of Southwest Detroit and learned that one of the major problems impacting their neighbors was pollution and traffic, particularly trucks backed up on the freeway. We will be working with the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition (SWDCBC). As well as the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC), to solve these problems.

One of the primary concerns around truck traffic is truck idling. This is when trucks remain stationary with the motor on, releasing pollutants that create health risks for residents. According to a city of Detroit ordinance, any commercial vehicle over 8,500 gross lbs is limited to 5 consecutive minutes of idling during any 60-minute period, unless there's an exemption. Read the ordinance for yourself here. Truck idling also contributes to noise pollution which negatively affects the quality of life of residents. Our app allows users to make video recordings of truck idling and measure how long they are idling for, as well as where they are idling. These records can be used to inform policy makers on the problems facing communities.

Our goals are that community members will be able to enforce the idling ordinance through public documentation and collection of infractions, which will be accessible immediately upon release and ongoing. With the database there will be a substantive collection of data demonstrating the need for increased police enforcement by late fall and winter of 2018. Our anticipated outcomes include increased partnership amongst organizations working to mitigate traffic and pollution, less truck pollution and traffic in the area, and that data collected will provoke increased enforcement by Detroit traffic enforcement. Overall, we hope that this app will contribute to the rerouting of trucks to idle in safer locations.

  • 14,891 tons

    Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions created by diesel trucks in Wayne County, equivalent weight to 12,000 subcompact Ford Fiestas

  • 752 tons

    Highway diesel emssions created each year in Wayne County, equivalent weight to 125 elephants, or 5 blue whales

  • 125%

    Expected increase in truck traffic with the building of new bridge. The average height of a human is 5ft 10in if it increased by 125% our average height would be 7ft 4in