Welcome to July and our Annual Meeting issue! We are always excited to partner with one of our Districts for the ITE International Annual Meeting and this year is no exception. We have been working closely with our ITE Great Lakes District to put on another great event in the beautiful city of Detroit, Michigan. This is the fourth time we’ve held ITE’s Annual Meeting in Detroit: first in 1947, again in 1957, and then again in 1974.
Michigan has a rich history in the pioneering days of ITE—of the first 10 ITE International Presidents, half had degrees from the University of Michigan. As a proud Wolverine alum, of course I had to mention this. This region has also been the most frequent host of ITE’s Annual Meeting, thanks in large part to a string of meetings held in Chicago during World War II. In total, 24 ITE Annual Meetings have been held within the boundaries of what we today call the Great Lakes District.
I mention ITE’s history in this region, but I should also mention the region’s history more broadly. At our Tuesday plenary session during the Annual Meeting, you’re going to hear about the M-1 (Woodward Avenue) Corridor Prioritization Plan. This is significant because Woodward Avenue has some incredible historical significance. Originally a well-worn Native American path called Saginaw Trail, Woodward Avenue became a gravel road in the 1820s. By 1909, Woodward Avenue boasted the first mile of concrete highway in the world. The first! Woodward Avenue also carried streetcar lines from the 1860s until the 1950s. Ford Motor Company produced Model Ts at plants just off Woodward Avenue, and it is widely reported that Henry Ford chose the Woodward corridor in part because its excellent transit access allowed workers to take the streetcar to the plant. This is important transportation history!
But like so many things that changed after World War II, the streetcar system went by the wayside as zoning changes, coupled with freeway construction, shifted the city’s population to areas away from the older streetcar lines—and prioritization of automobile traffic became the norm. Ten years ago, the state and local communities realized that we needed to return to some of those earlier prioritization scenarios. They began this transformation with a new streetcar line known as the QLINE, which opened along part of M-1 in 2017.
The plenary session I mentioned will explore how that paradigm is changing yet again and what it means to transition from vehicle-focused systems back to people-centered mobility networks. It will highlight how design, policy, and partnerships can improve safety outcomes, expand equitable access to opportunity, and promote thriving, connected communities. Many of the communities along the 24-mile corridor of the M-1 are advancing this shift through a corridor prioritization plan. The discussion panel will further draw on their experience to illustrate how transportation professionals can integrate safety, access, and sustainability into decision-making, and how local and state initiatives are transforming both urban and rural contexts.
This is just one of 75+ sessions, posters, workshops, and tours that will make the Joint ITE International and Great Lakes District Annual Meeting a must-attend event. Hope to see you there!