Urban Neighborhood Initiatives is giving its annual Hero of the Neighborhood awards this week.

Simone Sagovac, director of the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition, is being recognized for her work with Trucks Off Our Streets. 

The impact of truck traffic

She says the work began a few years ago to get protections to prevent truck routes from going through neighborhoods. 

“On some of the streets, there were ranging between 500 and even up to 1,200 semi trucks, and we’re talking heavy-duty semi trucks that are part of our global economy here, and they were cutting through our neighborhood streets,” she says.

Sagovac says the trucks cause damage, emit emissions, and cause health impacts.

“There’s just a whole array of issues on top of the safety issues of living with trucks and people not being able to have kids play in the yards… we knew that it needed a larger strategy, so we formed the Trucks Off Our Streets Coalition that has representation from across all of the city districts,” she explains.

She says the organizations are rooted in the community that works with residents directly on issues related to trucks in the industry, air pollution and health.  

Study underscores the issue

The work resulted in the Southwest Detroit Truck Route Implementation Study, a pilot program to create the first designated truck route network by placing signs in the city. It was developed by the Southwest Detroit Truck Network Implementation Study in 2024 to manage truck activity and reduce traffic impacts in Southwest Detroit. 

Sagovac says Detroit communities are dealing with high environmental impacts, resulting in high rates of asthma and hospitalizations. 

“From our data, children under 18 living next to a truck route have 68% higher asthma rates, so it is really significant, and it’s something that is within local control to address by having more sensible, healthier truck routes, and there are other strategies too,” she expresses.

Her response to the recognition

Sagovac says she’s grateful for receiving an award, but she says it’s a community effort.

“First, it’s very surprising to be recognized, but it’s not surprising for all of the work that so many in the community have done over these years,” she shares.

Although Sagovac is not Latina, she says receiving an award feels validating that her work is making a difference. 

“It’s an incredible honor, probably the biggest honor to be recognized by people in the community. I feel like it validates something that’s really important to me, which is trust,” she says.

She says she’s happy to be a part of moving the work forward.