M-1 rail discussion

[rbdetsport]

Professor, what are your thoughts on expanding this line further up Woodward. I know that the LPA was BRT [[which in my mind is unfortunate). But with future growth up Woodward, could we see an expansion of M1 Rail and can it be expanded to act more like light rail?

[professorscott]

Professor, what are your thoughts on expanding this line further up Woodward. I know that the LPA was BRT [[which in my mind is unfortunate). But with future growth up Woodward, could we see an expansion of M1 Rail and can it be expanded to act more like light rail?

I consider it very likely that M1 will be expanded over time, possibly in two directions, which I would guess would be northwesterly along Woodward [[though never as far as Pontiac) and easterly along something like Jefferson. The LPA was designed to address the very long distance route between Pontiac and Detroit, which is not suitable for a streetcar system; it's too long. I think light rail would have been better, but there's no certainty the political will even exists to build a very slimmed-down semi-rapid bus system, let alone anything more costly. We still think it's necessary to widen Detroit freeways, for Christ's sake. Until we grow up, we aren't going to do any grown-up things like build proper transit.

I think M1 will expand northward organically and slowly, as development nudges it to the north. As it goes north from New Center and can run in dedicated lanes in the median [[because there's room for it), it can move more quickly and be more, as you say, like light rail. Of course, the multi-million dollar question is where are the multi millions of dollars for it going to come from.