NORTHVILLE (WWJ) - What began as a pandemic measure to help struggling restaurants in downtown Northville has turned a full-blown lawsuit against the city as residents fight what they say is a traffic nightmare.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Northville's City Council made the decision to close Main Street to traffic, allowing restaurants to expand seating into the roadway so they could serve more guests in compliance with pandemic protocols.
The pedestrian-only zones continued after the pandemic ended as more and more people were drawn downtown -- and with the influx of people came the influx of traffic on other nearby streets to the ire of residents.
Those living near downtown have spoken out about the closures, which they say has caused major traffic troubles, and spoke out loud enough that city counsel members voted to open the roads in November, but to shut them down during the summer months beginning in May.
On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Main and Center Streets are open to traffic for the first time since 2020.
But residents say they want the roads open like they were prior to the pandemic -- all year round.
Mary Elwart-Keys, who heads the Let's Open Northville non-profit, told WDIV that opening the roads for six months and closing them for six months isn't compromising with area residents.
"A compromise is not, 'I'm going to give you this, and you're gonna like it,'" she said.
The Northville City manager did not allude to WDIV if he had reviewed the lawsuit.
