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Because Detroit’s M1 light rail line has been brought up in other threads, I thought it should have its own space.
For those who don’t know, Detroit’s M1 light rail line is a privately planned project to bring modern mass transit to Detroit’s Woodward Avenue corridor. The M1 line will connect the central parts of the city along a 3.4 mile track including Downtown’s central business and entertainment districts, Midtown’s cultural and university districts, and Uptown’s New Center area.
The project, which is backed by Detroit billionaire business tycoons Rick Karmanos, Roger Penske, Mike Ilitch, and Dan Gilbert, will run from Detroit’s brand new Riverwalk at Hart Plaza to the city’s northern boundary at 8 Mile Road. It is the first real attempt at mass transit in Detroit since the 1987 building of the People Mover, a 3-mile elevated tram circuiting Downtown Detroit.
As developments in the central parts of Detroit continue to progress, the need for a light rail-type system is apparent. The M1 line will complement the PM’s Downtown circuit, DDOT and SMART bus services. The light rail train will benefit Detroit’s visitors and tourists, city workers, and residents by making it possible to travel to the city’s main destinations without a car and the hassle of buses. It will improve the mobility of all who enter the city.
For visitors to Detroit, the M1 line will make it possible to arrive in Uptown Detroit from anywhere in the country by Amtrak train and easily get to Downtown’s many hotels, sports and entertainment venues. It will also open up access to the city’s other attractions like the Detroit Institute of Arts, which would have previously been difficult to reach without a car or knowledge of the local bus system.
For Metro Detroiters who come into the city for a specific event, the M1 line will make it simple to get to many of Detroit’s popular destinations located across the city without having to drive-park-pay, drive-park-pay, and drive-park-pay multiple times during a single trip.
For those who work in the city, the M1 will make the use of a car optional while traveling between Detroit’s busiest areas, which cuts down on traffic congestion, finding a place to park, and parking fees. It will also make inter-day trips to more restaurants for lunch and meetings very easy.
For residents who live along Woodward, traversing the most heavily utilized parts of the city will no longer require the use of a personal vehicle for short trips. It will also finally enhance Detroit’s urban lifestyle, bringing it closer to other major cities where mass transit is a way of life. Detroit residents will be more mobile and able to easily take advantage of everything living in the city has to offer.
Studies have shown that light rail, such as that planned for Detroit, is cost-effective and preferred by many riders over buses. Similar light rail systems have been successful in many other cities, such as Portland, Oregon. A tangential, yet important, benefit a light rail line will bring is increased property values and much needed business development around its stops. It also makes the City of Detroit more attractive to businesses contemplating relocation to Detroit and a necessity by young and old would-be employees.
As Metro Detroit’s regional awareness of the benefits of mass transit are realized, the M1 will not only provide an example of design and project requirements, but will be an immediate link-up from which to build more track outward. Extending the line into Detroit’s inner-ring suburbs will improve many Metro Detroiters’ accessibility to the city and will provide a central focus point for a highly segmented region of over 4-million people. In time, as certain areas draw-in and become denser, other areas further out will become less dense, thus, stemming the massive pattern of sprawl, which is unsustainable in terms of roadway and utility lines that service few people.
The completion of the M1 rail line is a key step in our region’s future as we seek to be more competitive with other major cities for jobs and new residents. Currently, the most recent information reports construction on the M1 rail line to begin in 2013, and full service to begin in 2014.
To be clear, I am in no way affiliated with the M1 rail project or its backers. I am just a Detroiter and former suburbanite that strongly believes mass transit is a critical element to turning around our region. As other cities have implemented mass transit systems and reaped the benefits of federal funding to do so, it is time our region put the pedal to the floor on getting some tracks laid. I also personally feel that no amount of mass transit could convince me to give up my car, only provide me more options for different travel needs.
Below are some links regarding the project’s development:
I just don't see mass rail transit as being something that would work well for Detroit at this time simply because downtown doesn't have the amount of business concentration that other large cities have; the business areas are spread all across the metropolitan area. It would be a nice luxury, but that wouldn't make it cost effective. If reviving the City and the region is the goal, the money could be spent on better things.
I have to agree with Bhaalspwan, Detroit is different than many other large metropolitan areas across the country where many of their large corporations are concentrated in the urban core (downtown). This use to be the case for Detroit many decades ago, but that has all but vanished.
Of course there are still some very reputable and large businesses in Downtown Detroit, but not enough to subtain this rail line, that would only go to 8 Mile road might I add.
You have to take into consideration that GM, Compuware, Comerica, Chase, and law firm employees that work downtown probably won't want to ride rail into the city even if it was an option to them. Many of the employees that work at the locations that I mentioned probably don't live in the City of Detroit, let alone the Woodward corridor.
While it would be nice to see mass transit in the Detroit Metro area, I like it would be more beneficial to have a Detroit to Ann Arbor line before the one along Woodward Ave.
It said funded by 125 million in private funds, is that being matched by federal dollars? I know when the light-rail was constructed here in Phoenix, it went way, way, way, way over budget and the final price tag was in the billions!
However i do remember the nay-sayers here in AZ groan and moan about the upcoming change, said no one would ride, said it was a waste of time and money. The light-rail super-ceded its ridership expectations from day 1 and continues to do so
It said funded by 125 million in private funds, is that being matched by federal dollars? I know when the light-rail was constructed here in Phoenix, it went way, way, way, way over budget and the final price tag was in the billions!
However i do remember the nay-sayers here in AZ groan and moan about the upcoming change, said no one would ride, said it was a waste of time and money. The light-rail super-ceded its ridership expectations from day 1 and continues to do so
Most of Phoenix's businesses are in Phoenix proper, while the suburbs are mostly residential, excluding a few such as Scottsdale.
I suppose no one will know how many will actually ride the system until it's actually built, but it could turn into a disaster project for those private investors if they don't build it correctly (geographically).
In all reality, the rail line should travel far up Woodward through Ferndale, Royal Oak and beyond. It should also makes it's way to Southfield, thereby connecting Southfield to Downtown Detroit, the Metro's two largest business hubs.
The problem is a lack of support from Lansing and suburban community leaders. Before the People Mover was built, President Gerald Ford had committed around $800 million for a Metro Detroit subway system, but the region couldn't agree on design, so it failed, and what we got was a 3 mile circulator downtown, which is fine, but not comprehensive mass transit comparable to other cities.
There was an interesting OpEd in the NYT today about the decline of suburban sprawl. In Metro Detroit, we can't really build much farther out. Doing that is far less cost-effective than mass transit. It costs Michigan billions to construct and maintain 4-lane highways out to outer-reaches of SE Michigan, which only serve the needs of a few people in low density suburbs. The demand trend is shifting in favor of more urban centers, which is why 20-30 somethings have been leaving the Metro Detroit area for Chicago and other places. Here's the NYT article: Blueprints for a Better ‘Burb - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com
Metro Detroit really needs to get ahead of the curve here (or at least on the curve). I am convinced that businesses and people are not going to choose our region if we are the only ones without mass transit and other city essentials that are appealing. I think this why Dan Gilbert is involved with M1 after he has moved his Quicken Loans empire to Downtown.
Most of Phoenix's businesses are in Phoenix proper, while the suburbs are mostly residential, excluding a few such as Scottsdale.
I suppose no one will know how many will actually ride the system until it's actually built, but it could turn into a disaster project for those private investors if they don't build it correctly (geographically).
yes, but the light reail runs from central phoenix to tempe, none of the riders commute from the sububs to downtown. Majority of riders live within the 5 miles to downtown, and the others are students going between campuses (downtown phx & tempe).
There are plans to extend the next phases to the western suburbs (which lack freeway options).
I relaly hope this works for detroit despite all its challenges
I love the rational thinking here. No one is in downtown so don't build it. Why would a company locate to downtown Detroit when they have terrible infrastructure? These infrastructure improvements are needed to attract business to Detroit.
I love the rational thinking here. No one is in downtown so don't build it. Why would a company locate to downtown Detroit when they have terrible infrastructure? These infrastructure improvements are needed to attract business to Detroit.
Exactly. A lot of people who might want to work in Detroit, Southfield, Dearborn, or wherever, don't want to be car dependent or will not have been car dependent in the place they formerly lived. Cities and regions with infrastructure are going to continue to win businesses out from under us everytime.
I understand that this is Detroit, car capital of the world, and we want people to buy cars. That's fine. But mass transit and car ownership are not enemies. Like I said above, I will always own a car. I like taking road trips, driving up north, and heading out to the lake, but that doesn't mean I want to drive a car and pay for gas for every single trivial task that I must perform in a day. A rail line will give people more options while traveling within Metro Detroit.
One argument is that because everything is so spread out in our region, transit won't work. I think the opposite is true. Because things are so sprawled out, mass transit makes MORE sense. It opens up the ease of getting around to various places and reduces the cost of exapanding and maintaining highways that go essentially nowhere. The fact is that roads cost billions more than what would ever be spent on mass transit and are in need of constant repair. It is almost a pipe dream at this point, but every main destination in the Metro area should be connected somehow, starting with Ann Arbor and Detroit, and then the other suburban Detroit hubs to follow. If that happened, this region would be the poster child for success and efficiency. Tack on the available workforce, low real estate prices, and Metro Detroit becomes the premier location to set up a business.
I think the population of inner Detroit, many of whom that don't have cars, would ride a light rail. A rail from Midtown to Downtown would see minimal returns, but a rail all the way out to Royal Oak would see GREAT returns for the city. Seems we'd be a long way from that, but hopefully it gets done.
On the other hand.... PLEASE STOP WASTING MONEY ON THE PEOPLE MOVER.... it is beyond useless. The ride costs .50, and I have to believe the ridership after the work day is over is slim to none. I really how much money we've wasted on having this thing running for so long? Would anybody really be up in arms if we got rid of it???
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