Project No Stand Zone

The Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance Youth Council is composed of high school-aged students who either live, attend school, work or worship in the Cody Rouge neighborhood. In addition to contributing youth voice to community improvement initiatives and participating in leadership training, the Youth Council is actively involved in planning and implementing projects and events that benefit all residents of Cody Rouge. The 2016 Cody Rouge Project Resident Survey indicated that 91% percent of Cody Rouge residents who use the bus system reported that they do not feel there are enough shelters or places to sit at community bus stops. To address the lack of bus seating in the Cody Rouge community, the Youth Council proposed building benches for seven neighborhood bus stops. D2N funded this project.

Project No Stand Zone is a partnership among the Cody Rouge Youth Council, the six high schools located in Cody Rouge and the “Sit on it Detroit” organization. “Sit on it Detroit” utilizes reclaimed wood from deconstructed houses to build bus stop benches. These benches are unique because they beautify the landscape using recycled materials, and also feature a small library in the bottom half of the bench. “Sit on it Detroit” provided prepped wooden benches to be finished and creatively decorated. The completed benches were placed at six local bus stops along West Chicago and Evergreen in the Cody Rouge neighborhood during a community event held in May 2017. Garbage cans were added to the bus stops.