Royal Oak - U.S. DOT names Woodward an All-American Road

metromode, 10/22/2009

Woodward Avenue has always been known as Michigan's Main Street, so it should be a no-brainer that it's now an All-American Road. That's the conclusion the U.S. Dept. of Transportation came to this week.

Woodward is now one of 37 byways in the U.S. that is designated as an All-American Road, part of the U.S. Dept of Transportation's National Scenic Byways Program. Staff at the Woodward Avenue Action Association expect the new designation to bump up tourism and investment dollars along the corridor.

"It raises the profile of Woodward Avenue not only in America but around the world," says Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator with the Woodward Avenue Action Association.

What sets Woodward apart is its heritage as the home to the U.S. automotive industry. Historic places like the Ford Piquette Plant (where the first Model Ts were made) in Highland Park show the area's importance in the story of the United States. New signage describing this history and the new designation are expected to be erected along Woodward next summer.

"It's always the story the road tells that can't be duplicated anywhere else that sets it apart," Brown says.

Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator with the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke

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