[ram2]

Originally Posted by detwahDJ

And yes, freeways were built probably to spur auto sales, regional mass transit was fought tooth-and-nail by the suburbs, and the possibly by the auto industry. Lots of stuff between industry and government probably went on behind closed doors, but residents are left to speculate. The huge auto industry in truth answers to no one.
Doesn't sound to me like anything comparable in Chicago or other big cities.

And the railroad industry destroyed the canal industry 150 years ago....

[magellan]

I don't know that Detroit Metro area was decimated by the lack of a good transit system, but I will say it can't grow again in the 21st Century without a robust transportation system (commuter rail, subway, light rail, bus rapid transit, bike lanes, commuter buses, good highways, expanded airport, all combined and connected).

Someone find me a thriving large city in North America (not Southern retiree growth) that doesn't have a robust transportation system... Shoot, even Houston, Phoenix, and Dallas are all beefing up their transit systems.

[detwahDJ]

I have posted similar stuff before, but this is the Berlin fast rail system - U-bahn (underground rail), S-bahn (fast surface rail).
http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/berlin/trip/su_bahn.pdf

To get the total mass transit picture, one must overlay the streetcar (tram) and bus systems.
Berlin Straßenbahn Netzplan | Tram Network Map

.
Tram ride in Berlin - Line 68 - YouTube

Buses & Bus Routes - Berlin.de

Bike trails are also a serious mode of transportation - one can easily get run over by aimlessly wandering onto a bike path.
Just a bit of perspective on what some other cities have done - and their thinking on mass transit.

[wrema]

Many awful points

[ver0nica141]

I must say I have lived in Michigan my whole life. First, in Romeo which is the north end of Macomb county until I was about 13. I remember child hood memories there are fantastic, not much crime, still had a farm feel to it, and was a great school system. I then moved up north to Tawas, which is IOSCO county unfortunately one of the worst school and economical counties in Michigan. So now I'm an 18 year old female living in Utica MI, roughly 30 minutes from 8 mile and in, I want to say, central of Macomb county. Much better then up north as far as opportunity goes, the city itself is a little dirty, with AWFUL pot holes in the winter. Nearly a flat tire every few blocks, mine being one of them a month back. I think areas like Troy, Rochester Hills, Romeo, and a few others are still PERFECTLY SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS. However, their is TERRIBLE neighborhoods from me, 30 minutes away, and if you do ever go visit DETROIT you will see abandoned, vandalized, and boarded up homes all along the freeway. I honestly have never dared to go anywhere besides where museums, Wayne State University or tiger stadium is. Would I recommend someone to move here? I really wish the answer was yes, As I have loved and lived in Michigan my whole life. However, I myself am looking to move out of state.