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Pontiac council renames North Woodward Loop to Chief Pontiac Boulevard after public feedback
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Summary
After public input and a months-long discussion, Pontiac City Council voted unanimously to rename the northbound portion of the Woodward Loop to Chief Pontiac Boulevard. Council debated whether to use “Parkway” instead of “Boulevard” and considered public-submitted alternatives during a public hearing that drew dozens of residents and emails.
The Pontiac City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rename the northbound portion of the Woodward Loop to Chief Pontiac Boulevard, a change prompted by the Michigan Department of Transportation’s reconfiguration of the Woodward Loop.
Council President McGuinness said the decision follows several meetings and public outreach, including emailed responses, Facebook comments and an in-person hearing that produced more than 40 responses: a majority favored Chief Pontiac Boulevard over the historic Park Street name.
The council considered a late amendment to use “Parkway” instead of “Boulevard.” Councilman Jones moved the amendment and Councilman James seconded; the amendment failed after roll call. The council then adopted the Chief Pontiac Boulevard resolution by roll call vote (Jones, McGuinness, Parker, Rutherford, Carrington, Goodman and James voted yes; 7 yeas, no nays), directing staff to inform MDOT before the department finalizes signage and construction.
Why it matters: MDOT’s work to convert the Woodward Loop from a one-way loop to a two-way boulevard will remove the Woodward name from the northbound footprint. Without a city decision, MDOT would revert the old corridor to the historic “Parke”/“Park Street.” Council held extra outreach to ensure the new name aligned with community sentiment and local history.
Public input and council debate: At the public hearing dozens of residents and commenters favored “Chief Pontiac Boulevard” as a way to preserve local identity; several others supported “Park Street” or proposed other names. Planning questions during the council debate focused on technical differences between “boulevard” and “parkway,” and whether future MDOT landscaping would match the chosen suffix. Council members said they considered Park Street’s historic value but ultimately backed Chief Pontiac Boulevard after tallying written and spoken feedback.
Next steps: The council’s resolution asks the administration to take necessary steps to implement the renaming and to notify the Michigan Department of Transportation prior to MDOT’s sign ordering and final construction milestones. The item takes effect under the standard municipal implementation process.
