Trucks Off Our Streets!

New pilot studies to count trucks and measure air quality

The Trucks Off Our Street (TOOS) project empowers residents in Detroit to track truck activity and monitor air quality in real-time to provide a data-backed platform for community members to advocate for safer streets and improved health. 

The TOOS Dashboard is a collaboration between Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV), the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition (SDCBC), the citywide TOOS Table, the University of Michigan, and JustAir. Funded by the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, the project builds on the work of the TOOS Table as a coalition of grassroots organizations and residents from across Detroit working toward a healthier city by reducing diesel truck traffic in residential areas. The TOOS Dashboard helps equip communities with real-time data to advocate for policy change and embed public health priorities in city decision-making.

How it Works

The project uses pilot monitoring systems developed by JustAir to monitor freight traffic and air pollution. The system is currently a prototype and is being deployed with TOOS Table partners via short-term studies at high truck traffic locations across the city.

For each study, truck count and air quality data are collected continuously, and the TOOS Dashboard allows partners to generate reports. Each installation lasts about two weeks and produces localized data that can inform everything from neighborhood-level organizing to citywide policy proposals, including the upcoming Truck Routes Ordinance.

Get Involved

Through at least the rest of the year, SDEV will continue to work with the TOOS table and other community partners to identify suitable locations for other short-term, pilot studies. To express interest in this project and receive future updates, please fill out this Google Form. TOOS will also launch a public website to feature data from the Dashboard and provide early insights into truck traffic trends across Detroit.