Dequindre Cut Expansion Coming - Connecting to Hamtramck and Midtown

[jtf1972]

When you say "Interstate highways" do you refer to highways that bisect states or merely highways that are labeled as "interstate?"

I-96 is completely self contained within Michigan.

Would interstate commerce also mean that rail should be funded through federal subsidies? Or does cargo by rail have to fend for itself while by road is supported by federal taxes?

If you really want to break it down, wouldn't completely eliminating federal funding of everything be the only true model for actual competition? If a locality community or state wants to compete, then they can levy an appropriate tax amount. Sure, communities such as Detroit may be at a bit of an advantage over those with fewer residents, but then so be it. Hell, if I want a 16 lane superhighway that goes from point A to point B, I should have every right in this world to take whatever money I can rightfully get, buy the land and build my road.

I support federal regulations on things & usage of taxes. I just think many of the things our taxes are used on help to make it more difficult to make a better society. [[funding roads at a much higher rate than public transit, for example)

[royce]

Although no trains run south of Gratiot through the Dequindre Cut, there are often rail cars near Mack Avenue. Saw some today. Does anyone know what they are used for?

[Detroitnerd]

Although no trains run south of Gratiot through the Dequindre Cut, there are often rail cars near Mack Avenue. Saw some today. Does anyone know what they are used for?

I've seen that too. I presume they're using it like a siding, just to store cars temporarily or something?

[Hamtragedy]

The incinerator and the scrap-yard have rail access. I was working in a unit in the Milwaukee Lofts, and would lose one employee every hour for fifteen minutes when a "choo-choo" would roll by, literally 20 feet away. Usually just an engine and one or two cars, back and forth all day.

[Rocko]

That would be the Detroit Connecting Railroad, which operates what is left of the Dequindre Cut between Milwaukee Jct. and Mack Ave. They have a few customers on their line still: A large scrap yard near the incinerator, a place that gets tank cars [[EQ Detroit?), and there is [[or used to be) a place that would do cold storage and receive the occasional refrigerator car at East Ferry, plus one or two team tracks which are used occasionally. The cars seen down near Mack are usually gondolas for the scrap yard and they tend to get large blocks of them from time to time and keep some at the southern end of the tracks until they have room for them. The track has a spur just south of Mack going into the site of a demoed factory, and the main track fizzles out south of Mack and it looks like the rails end just north of Wilkins. So they won't really be removing much rail, or taking out access to any active rail customers by building the extension of the cut up to Mack. Which considering the rail line is still active south to that point, is far enough for the trail to go, since then it will be able to curve off into Midtown.

I also hope the bridge rebuilds will actually happen this time. And it would be nice if they would rebuild those other ones the promised before, too.

[rb336]

I am not in favor of federal money being used for local parks. But this money is going to be spent despite my opposition to that expenditure. I will full enjoy the expansion once built. When I lived in New York, the transit system wasted SO MUCH MONEY you would not even believe it. But I lived there and still rode the subway. When I am a member of Congress [[note: I am never running for Congress), I will not vote to spend national money on local projects. But I will enjoy the amenities of my community, even those whose funding source was not the one I would have employed to get such a project built.

hmmmm....the definition of hypocrisy?

[Rocko]

From the Free Press:

Detroit biking, walking paths get $10-million federal grant

WASHINGTON -- Detroit bikers and walkers got good news Friday.The federal Transportation Department officially revealed a $10-million award to improve the bike and pedestrian connections between downtown Detroit and the RiverWalk, Eastern Market, Midtown and Hamtramck.

The $10-million grant will offset the $25-million overall cost of the Link Detroit project and also will improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety by separating their routes from automobile traffic between Detroit landmarks, the federal government said in a release.The money is coming from the TIGER [[Transportation InvestmentGenerating Economic Recovery) program.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the proposal for a $137-million light-rail line along Woodward Avenue would not be receiving a $25-million TIGER grant, though U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has set that amount aside for the project if the group developing it can hit certain benchmarks in the next two months.U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said Tuesday that the $10 million for Link Detroit was approved, calling it "a major boost to plans that will improve residents' access to key destinations.

"It will help generate construction jobs immediately," he said, "and more jobs in the future as it spurs development in and around Detroit."

According to Levin's office, Link Detroit includes capital improvements at Eastern Market; plans to link the Dequindre Cut, Hamtramck and Midtown Loop greenways, and reconstruction of the Adelaide, Division and Wilkins street bridges over the former Grand Trunk Railroad line.

U.S. Rep. Hansen Clarke, a Detroit Democrat, praised the award, calling Link Detroit "a crucial step toward a more sustainable and livable community.

"Word of the award came from the Transportation Department on Friday as LaHood announced TIGER awards for 47 projects in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Together, the awards total about $500 million.

TIGER grants have totaled more than $3 billion for more than 200projects since the program was enacted in 2009.

[gthomas]

They're adding new streetscape in the eastern market area soon, this is a creative ideal for the area.

[Jimaz]

Ha! So they're making the trees look like giant carrots? That's whimsical.

[stasu1213]

When will construction start on the extention?

[DetroitPlanner]

I am going through bids this afternoon and came across this one:

LETTING OF JULY 12, 2013 ENG. EST. LOW BID
PROPOSAL 1307050 $ 18,003,290.40 $ 14,199,507.75
PROJECT TGR3 82022-115633
LOCAL AGRMT. 13-5314 % OVER/UNDER EST.
START DATE - AUGUST 30, 2013
COMPLETION DATE - NOVEMBER 29, 2015 -21.13 %

Bridge replacements, bridge removal, construction of wide
foot shared-use path, pavement repair, and addition of bike
lane striping and streetscaping at multiple locations in
the city of Detroit, Wayne County.

5.00 % DBE participation required

BIDDER AS-SUBMITTED AS-CHECKED

Angelo Iafrate Construction Company $ 14,199,507.75 Same 1 **
Dan's Excavating, Inc. $ 14,772,302.62 Same 2
Walter Toebe Construction Company $ 15,123,218.84 Same 3
C. A. Hull Co., Inc.
Anlaan Corporation


Looks like we will be seeing some action very soon.

[Django]

Do we have 14 Mill and 75 cents for a bike path? I love the idea, I love the cut and use it all the time but???

I hope it all works, this is the kind of thing that brings ppl to live down here.

The Grand Trunk Building will make a great canvas for those taking the new path and the wind rarely brings the incinerator smell that way.

[DetroitPlanner]

The cost of the project is not just the cost of slapping down some asphalt. There needs to be bridges above the pathway either removed or fixed, the soil is contaminated to a certain degree, land needs to be cleared then re-landscaped, lighting, benches, and a safe path created to tie it into the mid-town loop.

Transportation dollars are being used because it is linking activity centers [[riverfront, market, med center, wayne state). Will it benefit economic development and provide recreation as well? Of course, but those are just bonuses of having a well planned transportation network.

[Wesley Mouch]

I neither see a direct connection nor understand the source of your anger.

Local public parks, in my opinion, are the function of local and state governments to maintain and provide, where they so choose. Local roads, in my opinion, also should not receive federal dollars. Interstate highways should, as a function of the federal government's constitutional function to manage interstate commerce. I reject entirely the notion that local [[and state) governments are there merely to be the branch office of the federal government, dispensing national money. While that is my argument for constitutional roles for various levels of government, it is also practical. When localities take money from the feds for projects, they can't afford them once the federal money shrinks or disappears. Moronic governors of California and Illinois in 2009-2010 applied a massive amount of federal stimulus money to fund their operations, and now have catastrophic budgetary problems. California actually has more unfunded mandates than Greece, where there is now a lot of commerce taking place with bartering. In other words- free money can cost you more than you can afford in the long run.

I'm not as far to the edge as you, Mikey, but you're basically right. Keep the feds as far away as possible. We don't need their money. And we don't need their strings. And we don't need them taxing us to get money to give us. Spend your time worrying about Syria.

see from City Journal: Federalism, Red and Blue Both Right and Left are telling Washington to back off.

[DetroitPlanner]

Technically local roads do not receive federal aid unless they are on the federal aid system [[big roads). Transportation is a network and arterials and collectors are needed to facilitate commerce.

There is debate about the role of the feds in providing transportation dollars that they derrive from the gas tax. Places like Michigan are donors so we get back much less than we give; and states like New York or North Dakota recieve a lot more than they collect. N Dakota does not have the population and New York has a very expensive transit system to operate. This is where the problem lies. States like Michigan want to get back what they feel are owed to them while states like New York or North Dakota don't want to give up the good things they got. This leads to inaction in reducing the role of the feds. What needs to be asked is what should the role of the feds be now that the interstate highway system is built and in many places needs to be re-built, and should they be involved in helping to start up more expensive transit projects that eat up more and more money as they become more numerous and attract more riders? If too many people move to transit, and we have policies that increase gas mileage, how are we going to pay for all of this, when gas tax is the primary source and we are starving it while creating more demand?

[gthomas]

Is this still planned or still a concept? Or will it stay vacant? That's a huge "prime" location for something great there:




In place of a Amphitheater, I will consider residential development "highrise" with ground retail catering to healthy lifestyle people using "The cut" such as, sports accessories and goods store, "Salad Creations", Fitness Center and Dog cafe'. Let it be a gateway to Lafayette Park, Eastern Market District. I saw this and said "This will be cool on that plot of land".

[Django]

From what I can tell they've started clearing out the old tracks from Gratiot to Mack. Once North of Mack those train tracks are used but only to store a few railcars now and again. City Scrap doesn't use the trains anymore to move the scrap metal so I assume North of Mack would be the next step.
Amphitheater at Dequinder X Gratiot, I cant see that happening anytime soon, wonderful spot, free and clear of buildings though.
Im looking forward to having the old steel crossing guards removed there at Mack. The one on the North side is down and the counter weight right in the way. Its right smack dab in your face riding up to it. At night you could be seriously hurt on a bike and I wouldn't be surprised if someone hasn't already started a lawsuit over being hurt. I called the Railroad about it but nothings happened

[DetroitPlanner]

Is this still planned or still a concept? Or will it stay vacant? That's a huge "prime" location for something great there:


[/IMG]

I am sure it is still planned, but is it fundable or needed? My guess is not. The extension has a legitimate transportation use in that it will link the current trail better with Eastern Market, Wayne State, and Hamtramck. It will also allow for a few bridges to get the attention that they deserve.

With much better amphitheaters at Chene Park and Hart Plaza that mostly go unused, do you think that another would be wise? You're right there is land there to do something with, how about a picnic grove to complement Eastern Market eateries? Any other ideas?

[Django]

Maybe start another Jail? Cells with glass walls, it'll be a tourist attraction, we could privatize it and make some money.

I like the park idea better. Never thought about the fact that we really dont need another amphitheater. Sounds like someone came up with "a great idea for Detroit" and it's probably his brother who happens to build amphitheaters. Don't get me wrong, I love the Cut.

[marshamusic]

Don't forget this- "The Container" that currently sits on Russell, will eventually end up back on the ledge of the Cut, when it expands northward to Mack. It is conceived as a "boutique hotel", which I thought was crazy when I first heard about it, but having been there many times now, in what will be its lovely anteroom, I can see the possibilities.
http://detroitcollisionworks.com/

[cosine]

I posted some pics of the recent work on the extension on the other thread discussing this topic: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...estrian-bridge

[Zozo]

Haven't seen this mentioned here before, or in any Detroit publications for that matter, but it appears there are ongoing negotiations between the City and Eastern Market Corporation and the "railroad" to extend The Cut to East Grand Boulevard and eventually beyond. Todd Scott of the Detroit Greenways Coalition hinted at this during a recent episode of The D Brief podcast.

http://www.thedbriefdetroit.com/spot...ays-coalition/

[O3H]

How about expansion into neighboring Warren ?
Maybe people will want to cycle into the city,
instead of drive there, and then hop on a bike ?

http://detroitgreenways.org/bike-map-and-parking/

[ndavies]

How about expansion into neighboring Warren ?
Maybe people will want to cycle into the city,
instead of drive there, and then hop on a bike ?

http://detroitgreenways.org/bike-map-and-parking/

The Dequindre cut isn't going to do that. However, The Iron belle trail is supposed to start at Belle Isle, go east and then connect to Conner. It then runs North through Warren, running through Iron Mountain

all the way to

the western edge of the UP.

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,...634---,00.html

http://www.midnr.com/Publications/pd...App/index.html

[O3H]

Thanks NDavies - need to do some exploration this spring/summer/fall