Transfer the People Mover to M-1 Rail

[Mikeg]

There would be no way to build this without federal involvement. Woodward is M-1, a national scenic byway. Every project done to reconstruct it has used federal money. Reconstruction was to be part of the project as you can't build a railroad without shoring up its base first.

So what you're trying to tell us is that
a) Ray LaHood and a bunch of elected "seagulls" would have shown up here to announce the federal funding for the road reconstruction portion even if the project just involved the originally proposed 3.4 miles to be built with private funds
b) the red tape associated with that federal road reconstruction funding would have been enough to cause the M-1 group to miss their ground breaking target by more than a year anyway.

Somehow, I don't think so. Expanding the system out to Eight Mile Rd. by using additional federal dollars was the kiss of death for light rail happening on Woodward Avenue anytime soon. Here's hoping that M-1 can keep thier consortium together long enough for a regional transit authority to be formed with a revenue source that is sufficient to fund the operation of both the BRT system and a 3.4 mile light rail system.