Featuring state-of-the-art ADA accessible units for people with special needs, the new Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments has set a new standard for the way campus creates a safe and inclusive community beyond the classroom. For most students, crossing Anthony Wayne Drive to get to class or head to their campus housing is a normal part of their day. It becomes a routine that is hardly considered. However, for students with a vision impairment, crossing the street at Anthony Wayne Drive posed the challenge of knowing when it was safe to cross.

After talking with a visually impaired student, Gerry Tilson, Director of SAS Facilities, began working in the Fall 2018 semester with Facilities Planning & Management and the Office of Parking & Transportation Services to make crossing Anthony Wayne Drive safer and more accessible to all students. The group led by Tilson engaged with the City of Detroit’s Traffic Engineering Department to assess the feasibility of adding audible crosswalk signals to the crosswalk leading to the Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments. On January 25, 2019, Wayne State was contacted by the City and informed an audible signal was installed at the crosswalk of Anthony Wayne Drive and Williams Mall, a first for the City.

This safety improvement is very timely as pedestrian traffic across the busy road is expected to increase as construction nears completion on the new apartments. An additional 400 residents are expected to move to the new apartments this coming fallas well as a number of new retail establishments, including the new Campus Health Center, will be opening soon in the Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments.

The City’s Traffic Engineering Department is further exploring this technology and is seeking feedback from the campus community. If you would like to share your thoughts, please reach out to Treesa John, Facilities Planner, by email at treesa.john@wayne.edu.

For more information, contact:
Nick Board
Student Auxiliary Services
nboard@wayne.edu
313-577-2313