Originally Posted by
casscorridor
I don't really agree with the sentiment that the city should recreate its streetcar system of the early 20th century. It worked for the city then, but it's not what we need now. We need regional transportation, i.e. light-rail/commuter rail into the suburbs. Fact of the matter is that Detroit is no longer where the majority of people in this region live or work. The city, of course, should be the focus and center of the region, and transit should be oriented toward it. But recreating the streetcar system would do little to address regional transportation needs.
Buses also will not work for this. Are there any examples of a bus system that can serve such long distances? Rail is needed. Downtown needs connections to places like Dearborn, Southfield, Troy and Warren. I hate to say it, but it's true. I think making such regional connections would go light-years further to help Detroit than any streetcar. It would make living in the city more desirable [[because of transportation) and would make Downtown more desirable to companies to locate because it would be at the center of the transit system. A couple streetcars in/around Downtown can be part of the system, so we build up typical high-density urban core, where people don't need cars. But what is really need is *regional* transit.