Changes Coming to Hazardous Sidewalk Parking Area in Ann Arbor

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The city of Ann Arbor is making changes to the hazardous sidewalk parking area in front of the Main Street Party Store, a liquor store located at the northwest corner of Ann and Main streets. Cars and trucks have regularly parked across the public sidewalk, forcing pedestrians to walk in the street and creating safety risks. The City Council voted unanimously to declare the parking area a hazard and approved closing the street curb opening that allows vehicles to drive over the sidewalk. While the store's onsite parking will be reduced, new street parking spaces will be added nearby to offset the loss.

Why it matters

The current situation in front of the liquor store has been recognized as unsafe and unpleasant for pedestrians for nearly a decade. Crash data shows a pattern of vehicle-to-vehicle crashes related to the existing perpendicular parking area, and observations found vehicles frequently obstructing or fully blocking the public sidewalk, putting pedestrians at risk. The changes aim to improve safety and the overall streetscape in this high-traffic area of downtown Ann Arbor.

The details

The city's plan includes eliminating the perpendicular parking spaces in front of the liquor store and closing the large curb cut that allows vehicles to drive over the sidewalk. This will be replaced with four short-term curbside parking spaces directly in front of the store and four more curbside spaces across the street. While the store's onsite parking will be reduced, the city says the new street parking configuration will provide just as much overall parking capacity in the area. The broader Ann Street makeover project will also add a mid-block crosswalk, garden beds, streetlights, benches, and bike hoops to improve the streetscape.

• In 2017-2024, there were five crashes where vehicles backing out hit eastbound vehicles on Ann Street.
• In October, a three-day observation found 432 vehicles partially obstructing the sidewalk and 72 fully blocking it, with 14 instances of vehicles and pedestrians sharing the same space within less than 3 seconds.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The Ann Street makeover project is expected to last from spring to fall of 2026, with the changes to the parking area in front of the liquor store as part of that broader effort.