Reflecting on the People Mover.... (Detroit, Coleman: neighborhood, construction, schools)

[fmax]

Reflecting on the People Mover.

A lot of politics surrounded the conception and construction of the People Mover.

At the time some people felt very strongly the People Mover would be very successful...

While others thought the People Mover would be a great folly.

Does the People Mover now meet or exceed all expectations set at the beginning of the Project?

Should the People Mover be kept, maintenance costs and all; or should it be disposed of. Perhaps auction it off on E-Bay?

[Nearborn]

The People Mover makes me think of Eddie Murphy doing Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood.

[Dexterguy]

Ebay? How would you sell it on ebay? The people mover is basically a toy for the city and makes it look like a "real" city from the air anyway. They knew what they were building back in 1987 and that is how it was built. If they wanted to build a real working people moving system they should have build it through other parts of the city and the suburbs connecting it to downtown. As mentioned in other threads many suburbanites wanted and still want very little connection bewteen the city and the suburbs. Until this tention is totally gone the region is going to remain the same.

Look at the new proposed rail system going up Woodward Ave. It totally ends at the city/suburbs border (8 Mile). The suburbs want it that way though and that does not help the city.

[Coldjensens]

The people move is a joke. You can get places faster by walking. It does nto really go anywhere. Still it has appeal to children and tourists as a fun ride kind of thing. It is a nie way to do a little mini tour of downtown.

I remember when it first got built. There wa some big problem because Coleman Young insisted on using his buddies to build it and parts of it fell down. I think someone got hurt or killed.


I am not sure why they built it. they knew it woudl be dopey when they built it. It was probably a pork project. A way to get some government money into the area. Who cares if you are building a statue, a median or a silly slow moving train that goes nowhere. If the Federal government is paying for part or all of it, build it, it provides jobs.

[Nearborn]

A bigger flop than the People Mover was the trolly. That sure didn't last long did it? And remember what they did with the canvas awnings when the peole mover actually started moving? They put canvas awnings on the windows at people mover level of all the vacant buildings that the people mover passed so you couldn't see the blight. Out of sight, out of mind.

[fmax]

I agree with all of you. Instead of paying on maintenance for the PM the money could better schools or police. "How would you sell it on ebay?" We'd have to unload it on a 3rd world nation.

[usroute10]

Nearborn, the trolley first started in the mid 1970's, and ended in 2003, so actually it was around longer than the People Mover has been around.

Actually, Detroit has the distinction of being the first city to bring back the streetcars after having ditched them in the 1940-50's like so many other cities had done. But because downtown was in decline during much of the trolley's existence, it finally died.

Detroit, MI

EVERYBODY ON HERE NEEDS TO KNOW THIS FACT!!!!

THE PEOPLEMOVER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE TERMINUS OF A COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Detroit downtown peoplemover, advanced automated urban transit

"The larger forecasts were derived using an assumption that the peoplemover would be the final link in a multibillion dollar regional transit system that would have four subway lines, two region commuter rail lines and greatly improved bus service serving downtown."

Detroit Downtown People Mover (DPM)

"It was originally intended to be the downtown distributor for a rapid-transit system which was not built."

IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A STAND ALONE TRANSIT SYSTEM!

Also, the city of Miami built a Peoplemover system at the same time as Detroit. They actually expanded theirs in 1994. Their peoplemover is called the "Metromover" and it runs on rubber tires. Is Miami stupid? They connected their peoplemover to their heavy rail system, called MetroRail.

Miami-Dade County - Transit

[fmax]

"THE PEOPLEMOVER WAS SUPPOSED " You are correct. The Detroit PM failed to meet expectations.

[Bhaalspawn]

"Coleman's train. Coleman's train. If we don't get it built, we'll have a sidewalk up on stilts."

[usroute10]

rmax, the People Mover would not have been a failure if the rapid transit lines that were supposed to feed into it, HAD BEEN BUILT.

Isn't that obvious? It was NOT INTENDED to a stand alone system. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF A REGIONAL RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT DIDN'T GET BUILT!