Governmental Center Defaced With Eighth Street Complaint

By Patrick Sullivan | May 22, 2018

Traverse City police are looking for a frustrated motorist who took out his or her anger on city hall.

Someone spray-painted “8th Street 4 Lane – fix NOW” in red paint near the entrance to the Governmental Center on Boardman Avenue some time over the weekend.

Chief Jeff O’Brien said Monday that the vandalism was under investigation and detectives would review surveillance footage in an effort to identify whoever is responsible.

Eighth Street between Boardman and Woodmere Avenue was reduced from four lanes to three several years ago in order to add bike lanes and a left turn lane and make the corridor more pedestrian-friendly. At the time, city officials announced that the crumbling corridor would be reconstructed in 2018, but the project has been pushed back to 2019. The lane reduction and deteriorating conditions in the corridor have been an ongoing source of complaints from some residents and drivers in the community.