To many, Traverse City’s image has become synonymous with excessive drinking. However, there is an effort to counteract drunken behavior in the downtown area.
Inebriated bridal parties, bar crawls that end with trashed beaches.
Traverse City locals have had enough of dealing with the effects of out-of-towners’ good times.
Starting this week, the city’s Downtown Development Authority is holding focus groups with residents and business operators to discuss how to improve the area’s culture of drinking.
Jean Derenzy is the C.E.O. of the D.D.A. She says they have struggled to find cities in other parts of the country who have successfully changed behaviors.
“We haven’t really received a lot of input from other communities on how they have worked with that drinking culture.”
The focus groups will happen over the next several weeks and Derenzy says she hopes to bring solutions to local commissioners.