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Old 02-23-2011, 07:03 PM
 
Location: Downtown Detroit
1,497 posts, read 3,492,023 times
Reputation: 930

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Quote:
Originally Posted by MIW14 View Post
Wow. Reading that you begin to wonder how other cities ever managed to build similar or more complex systems. I mean, could there be any more hurdles?

It's comforting to know that at least some people are committed to seeing it through. I really cannot picture Metro Detroit being a viable place in 20 years without any kind of mass transit. If we can get the Woodward line built, from Detroit to the suburbs, we will at least have something to cling to. In the future, cities that put forth the effort and built transit systems are going to have huge advantages over those that did not.
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Old 03-08-2011, 03:35 PM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,861,925 times
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This is somewhat cheesy, but totally makes light rail decisions understandable:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egc_MwazUWo
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Old 03-08-2011, 07:31 PM
 
Location: Downtown Detroit
1,497 posts, read 3,492,023 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magellan View Post
This is somewhat cheesy, but totally makes light rail decisions understandable:
The video is right. After reading the EIS and looking at what they've built in other cities, the center-of-the-street design is just so much more efficient from a transit perspective.
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Old 04-11-2011, 12:48 PM
 
Location: Downtown Detroit
1,497 posts, read 3,492,023 times
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Update:

Local funding for the M1 Light Rail Line has been secured, but we're still waiting on the Feds. Insiders keep saying the project will break ground in 2012 and be running by 2015, but I can't figure out why it's going to take 3 years to build 3 miles of light rail. That's a pace of one mile per year. Seems like it could be done much faster than that...

Local cost for Woodward light rail project: $211 million - Crain's Detroit Business - Detroit News and Information

Detroit council approves bond sale for Woodward light rail | detnews.com | The Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/article/20110411/METRO01/104110370/Detroit-council-approves-bond-sale-for-Woodward-light-rail - broken link)
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Old 04-11-2011, 04:50 PM
 
68 posts, read 161,982 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ForStarters View Post
Update:

Local funding for the M1 Light Rail Line has been secured, but we're still waiting on the Feds. Insiders keep saying the project will break ground in 2012 and be running by 2015, but I can't figure out why it's going to take 3 years to build 3 miles of light rail. That's a pace of one mile per year. Seems like it could be done much faster than that...

Local cost for Woodward light rail project: $211 million - Crain's Detroit Business - Detroit News and Information

Detroit council approves bond sale for Woodward light rail | detnews.com | The Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/article/20110411/METRO01/104110370/Detroit-council-approves-bond-sale-for-Woodward-light-rail - broken link)
A recent article I read said that the light rail isn't being built in 2 phases anymore, I think their building it all at once. If thats the case 9 miles in 3 years is a decent pace, they could have it done earlier if they really tried harder.
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Old 06-27-2011, 01:59 PM
 
Location: Downtown Detroit
1,497 posts, read 3,492,023 times
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Well, if you've been following along, you probably realize that there has been a recent hangup regarding plans for Detroit's M1 Light Rail Line. The "fly in the ointment" is a disagreement between the the line's private backers and city planners over whether the rail line should run curbside or center-street. While it is expected that Mike Ilitch is a proponent of curbside rail for obvious reasons, it is now clear that Dan Gilbert would agree.

In a statement to MLive, Gilbert stated that he believes the curbside trains will have a major impact on businesses and allow greater interaction with local stores. He cites the trains in Portland, Minneapolis, and Denver for his proposition. Notably, those trains did have large economic impact on the areas they served.

On the other hand, transit experts suggest that Woodward would be better served by a center-street setup. Their reasoning focuses mainly on speed and efficiency. Woodward, they say, is different because of it's sheer size and the current purpose of curbside lanes, i.e. parking, buses, and bicycles. They expect that those additional purposes will frustrate the ability of the train to quickly transport and deposit passengers efficiently and safely.

Personally I think center-street trains would be more effective, but Gilbert's position is not unreasonable.

In any case, let's hope that people can be cordial in working out their differences and get the issues resolved. Either plan is going to be effective both at creating economic development and in terms of transit. Metro Detroit really needs this piece of infrastructure to succeed.

Transport Michigan: In Curbside Rail Remarks, Gilbert Overlooks Woodward Context, Other Lines' Attributes
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Old 06-27-2011, 06:45 PM
 
Location: west mich
5,739 posts, read 6,937,766 times
Reputation: 2130
The only reason Detroiters don't use good public transit is because it's not there. Getting from one place to another by bus only is tedious, time-consuming and inconvenient.
The rail system should incorporate a complementary east-west line, perhaps along Ford Road jogging to midtown.
BTW convenient connections to Chicago's rail system start in Indiana (not Amtrak). The area is light-years ahead of southeast Michigan. Interesting to know who's responsible...
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
I had a wtf moment when I first noticed these stations in my travels.
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:46 AM
 
Location: Downtown Detroit
1,497 posts, read 3,492,023 times
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Okay, good news, the City and the Feds have reached an accord on the plan for light rail, which is a hybrid version of the several models previously discussed in the EIS.

Under this design, the line will be run down the center median from from 8 Mile Rd to Adams St at the top of Grand Circus Park. At that point, the line will run curbside from Adams to Campus Martius. Thus, it is a blended version of prior proposals.

The number of stops is also a hybrid version, whereby there will now be a total of 19 stops over 9 miles. Between 8 Mile Rd and Grand Boulevard (New Center), there will be 8 stops, which works out to approximately one stop every 2/3rds of a mile. This will be the speediest segment of the line. Going south, from Grand Boulevard to Campus Martius Park, there will be 10 stops over a 3 mile period, with each stop about every 1/3rd of a mile.

Next, the line will then split around Campus Martius, and will do a small loop through the Financial District, running down both Congress and Larned. The line then heads north for 4 blocks on Washington Boulevard and dead ends at the Rosa Parks Transit Center near Michigan Avenue.

Clearly, the curbside tracks south of Grand Circus Park and the numerous stops south of New Center is an effort to compromise with the rail line's private backers. Personally, I think there are a few too many stops through Midtown and Downtown, but this will lead to economic development and hopefully appease investors. It is a fair compromise. However, I do not understand the loop through the Financial District. You could simply end the line at Campus Martius without the added expense of running rail down Congress and Larned, which are very congested streets. If I were king, I wouldn't even run the line south of Campus Martius, but rather just have it jog over westbound at Michigan Ave and terminate at the transit center. I don't know what is accomplished by the Financial District "loop." I'd rather see the money spent to extend it to 9 Mile Rd in Ferndale.

Also, this most recent rendition still separates the line into Phase 1 (Grand Blvd to Campus Martius) and Phase 2 (8 Mile to Grand Blvd).

Anyway, here is my Google map of the proposed M1 Light Rail Line: M1 Light Rail Line: City-Fed Accord - Google Maps

Here is the story from the Freep: With map: Woodward light-rail project surges ahead after Detroit, feds agree on a route | Detroit Free Press | freep.com (http://www.freep.com/article/20110629/NEWS01/106290375/Woodward-light-rail-project-surges-ahead-after-Detroit-feds-agree-route - broken link)
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Old 07-02-2011, 09:21 AM
 
Location: Toronto
348 posts, read 638,893 times
Reputation: 270

YouTube - ‪China straddling bus [English computer voice over] the only English copy‬‏
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Old 07-05-2011, 10:21 AM
 
Location: Downtown Detroit
1,497 posts, read 3,492,023 times
Reputation: 930
Okay, Transport Michigan is reporting that most of the M1 private backers have "come around" to the design put together by the city and feds, which was clearly a compromise to meet the needs of everyone. The line will still be efficient rapid transit, but will accommodate the economic develop aspects urged by the private backers.

I think we'll see a public statement soon confirming the final plan and *hopefully* shovels in the ground this Fall.

Transport Michigan: With 91% in Favor, Detroit Opts to Bring the Trains Down the Middle
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