Detroit Public Transportation: 2014 and beyond.

[Detroitnerd]

Gee, I sure am glad we don't have any rail-based transit in metro Detroit. I really love driving at 20 mph on our glorious, ice-covered freeways and seeing people's cars abandoned by the sides of the roads. All that fishtailing really gets my heart pumping. I'd sure hate to get onto a warm train in the morning that laughs at ice and snow and gets me to work while I read a paper and sip coffee. Those Eastern philistines don't know what they're missing ...

[brizee]

Gee, I sure am glad we don't have any rail-based transit in metro Detroit. I really love driving at 20 mph on our glorious, ice-covered freeways and seeing people's cars abandoned by the sides of the roads. All that fishtailing really gets my heart pumping. I'd sure hate to get onto a warm train in the morning that laughs at ice and snow and gets me to work while I read a paper and sip coffee. Those Eastern philistines don't know what they're missing ...

How about a bus that STILL has to negotiate traffic and slow to 15 mph on days like today?

It's still gonna be at least 5 years before we get it, because reasons.

[Hermod]

Gee, I sure am glad we don't have any rail-based transit in metro Detroit. I really love driving at 20 mph on our glorious, ice-covered freeways and seeing people's cars abandoned by the sides of the roads. All that fishtailing really gets my heart pumping. I'd sure hate to get onto a warm train in the morning that laughs at ice and snow and gets me to work while I read a paper and sip coffee. Those Eastern philistines don't know what they're missing ...

Everybody loves warm, comfortable, and convenient trains [[with on-board wi-fi and stations full of little boutiques and eateries).

Edna needs a train to get her from her home at Mack and Chalmers to her job at lakeside Mall.

Al needs a train to get from 23 Mile and Romeo Plank to his job at Southfield and 9 Mile.

Bill needs a train to get him from Livonia to his job at the Lake Orion auto plant.

Und So Weiter

[Detroitnerd]

Everybody loves warm, comfortable, and convenient trains [[with on-board wi-fi and stations full of little boutiques and eateries).

Edna needs a train to get her from her home at Mack and Chalmers to her job at lakeside Mall.

Al needs a train to get from 23 Mile and Romeo Plank to his job at Southfield and 9 Mile.

Bill needs a train to get him from Livonia to his job at the Lake Orion auto plant.

Und So Weiter

On behalf of my entire generation and those younger than me, I'd like to thank your generation for setting up the majority of our built environment as a total clusterfuck that can never be retrofitted up for transit. Job well done, Hermod. Job well done.

[Gistok]

Gee, I sure am glad we don't have any rail-based transit in metro Detroit. I really love driving at 20 mph on our glorious, ice-covered freeways and seeing people's cars abandoned by the sides of the roads. All that fishtailing really gets my heart pumping. I'd sure hate to get onto a warm train in the morning that laughs at ice and snow and gets me to work while I read a paper and sip coffee. Those Eastern philistines don't know what they're missing ...

And how would you get from your house to the mythical mass-transit? Either walk or take a car... And for those fortunate enough to walk... won't the same ice-covered freeway conditions be the same for all pedestrian sidewalks [[unless you like to walk in the street)... from your house to the mass-transit? Won't all that heart pumping not put onto the roadway... get channeled to trying to walk over snow drifted and ice covered walkways?? Perhaps a broken limb from slipping on the ice, will take your mind off the pirouettes you won't be making on the freeway?

Better watch what you wish for!

[Detroitnerd]

And how would you get from your house to the mythical mass-transit? Either walk or take a car... And for those fortunate enough to walk... won't the same ice-covered freeway conditions be the same for all pedestrian sidewalks [[unless you like to walk in the street)... from your house to the mass-transit? Won't all that heart pumping not put onto the roadway... get channeled to trying to walk over snow drifted and ice covered walkways?? Perhaps a broken limb from slipping on the ice, will take your mind off the pirouettes you won't be making on the freeway?

Better watch what you wish for!

Yeah, I lived two blocks from the subway in New York. Oh, my, that was horrible. I walked two blocks to the subway and was on a dry platform waiting for a train that came every few minutes and was whisked into the city. Yeah. Wow. That was tough. Thanks for the warning, Gistok.

[oladub]

And how would you get from your house to the mythical mass-transit? Either walk or take a car... And for those fortunate enough to walk... won't the same ice-covered freeway conditions be the same for all pedestrian sidewalks [[unless you like to walk in the street)... from your house to the mass-transit? Won't all that heart pumping not put onto the roadway... get channeled to trying to walk over snow drifted and ice covered walkways?? Perhaps a broken limb from slipping on the ice, will take your mind off the pirouettes you won't be making on the freeway?

Better watch what you wish for!

Light rail can be very successful given enough important stops and population density. The Hiawatha line in Minneapolis is stellar success connecting two airport terminals, the Mall of America[[biggest shopping mall in US), the U of MN [[40,000 students), and downtown all in 12.3 miles with 19 stops. Except at both ends of the route, stops are about a mile apart. There is gradual residential and commercial development near its stops other wise, as you point out, the walks can be long. However, stops are at busy intersections served by transfer busses.

[Detroitnerd]

Light rail can be very successful given enough important stops and population density. The Hiawatha line in Minneapolis is stellar success connecting two airport terminals, the Mall of America[[biggest shopping mall in US), the U of MN [[40,000 students), and downtown all in 12.3 miles with 19 stops. Except at both ends of the route, stops are about a mile apart. There is gradual residential and commercial development near its stops other wise, as you point out, the walks can be long. However, stops are at busy intersections served by transfer busses.

Shhhhhh! Oladub! You're not supposed to support light rail! And don't say "light rail"! Use dismissive terms like "choo-choo" or "trolley" or else people might take this thing seriously!

[mwilbert]

And how would you get from your house to the mythical mass-transit? Either walk or take a car... And for those fortunate enough to walk... won't the same ice-covered freeway conditions be the same for all pedestrian sidewalks [[unless you like to walk in the street)... from your house to the mass-transit? Won't all that heart pumping not put onto the roadway... get channeled to trying to walk over snow drifted and ice covered walkways?? Perhaps a broken limb from slipping on the ice, will take your mind off the pirouettes you won't be making on the freeway? Better watch what you wish for!

Icy condition have their challenges, but my personal experience is that I would much rather walk to the train station [[or drive a much shorter distance to the train station) and take the train than to drive. If nothing else I don't need to worry about whether I'm going to run into someone or something.

[That Great Guy]

For every dollar communities inves in public transportation generates approximatley $4 in economic returns

Source

http://www.apta.com/mediacenter/ptbe...FactSheet.aspx

[DetroitPlanner]

For every dollar communities inves in public transportation generates approximatley $4 in economic returns

Source

http://www.apta.com/mediacenter/ptbe...FactSheet.aspx

Wow APTA said that? That is like the Mackinaw Center saying Trickle Down Economics works.

[Detroitnerd]

Wow APTA said that? That is like the Mackinaw Center saying Trickle Down Economics works.

No, it's not. You making this spurious comparison is like the Mackinaw Center saying ... anything.

[DetroitPlanner]

No, it's not. You making this spurious comparison is like the Mackinaw Center saying ... anything.

My point is most news is biased. Granted Mackinac Center is an extreme example.