Preparatory Work for M-1 Rail Begins

[Honky Tonk]

It doesn't benefit me either since I live in the burbs, but I know transit systems weren't built in a day. DC, Houston, Portland are all great example of cities who had to rebuild their transit systems and found great success in doing so. I'm sorry there isn't a stop outside your door, but maybe there will be one close by and walk-able to someday. You're not brainwashed for having a car, you're brainwashed into thinking it's the only option available when in fact it isn't. You can have reliable mass transit, we just need to put pressure on the powers that be to fund it and build it.

Look, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck this morning. I've been to NY, Montreal, CT., etc.I've been on and know people in other parts of the planet commute in other ways besides the automobile. Metro-Detroit isn't laid out like other parts of the planet. Like it or not, we went with roads. The roads are already in place. People live all over Metro-Detroit around these roads. Come up with something useful to move mass amounts of people on the already existing roads. To think you're going to change all that, and lay in miles of track, or get everyone crammed into the Broderick, so they'll ride the Bi-Polar Express, just doesn't seem feasible to me. I don't buy into it.

[Mackinaw]

I don't live in the 'burbs, I live in Detroit. The Blight Rail is going to do absolutely nothing for me, or anyone else I know that needs viable, reliable mass transit.

I see, it's a bad project because it doesn't help YOU or YOUR friends. "That MTA system in New York? It sucks ass bro. I don't go there. My friends don't either. Don't use it. Sucks."

Next, explain for me again how building the first 3.3 miles of track and linking the city's densest and most promising areas does "absolutely nothing" to advance the ball for regional transit? Particularly in our current context: strong car culture to overcome; bankrupt city obtaining a free system from private and federal money; strong trends of people moving to midtown and downtown; high need to attract new residents from other states who might not be okay with owning a car or two, and might find a short rail commute appealing; state/regional political scene that is about 20 years beyond, with people needing their eyes and mind opened about the proper balance of transportation funding; city in need of tax revenue [[have you noticed all of the development projects recently completed, underway or about to start along the Woodward Corridor?)

Be sure to copy us on your letters to Mayor Duggan and our state and federal reps seeking funding for improved transit on your corridor and the full-funding of RTA so that we have "viable, reliable mass transit" for ALL.

[Honky Tonk]

I see, it's a bad project because it doesn't help YOU or YOUR friends. "That MTA system in New York? It sucks ass bro. I don't go there. My friends don't either. Don't use it. Sucks."

Next, explain for me again how building the first 3.3 miles of track and linking the city's densest and most promising areas does "absolutely nothing" to advance the ball for regional transit? Particularly in our current context: strong car culture to overcome; bankrupt city obtaining a free system from private and federal money; strong trends of people moving to midtown and downtown; high need to attract new residents from other states who might not be okay with owning a car or two, and might find a short rail commute appealing; state/regional political scene that is about 20 years beyond, with people needing their eyes and mind opened about the proper balance of transportation funding; city in need of tax revenue [[have you noticed all of the development projects recently completed, underway or about to start along the Woodward Corridor?)

Be sure to copy us on your letters to Mayor Duggan and our state and federal reps seeking funding for improved transit on your corridor and the full-funding of RTA so that we have "viable, reliable mass transit" for ALL.

Oh Wise One, enlighten us with your wisdom and knowledge. Show us the way so we too may open our eyes and minds and be one with the Magic Choo-Choo. Let us seek solace and gainful employment @ Ho' Foods, or bring drink and sustenance to the stadium attendees, @ any of the newly annointed Bernstein Bear Bars. By these methods, with your spiritual influence, our City will once again rise from the ashes. Someone pass me the purple Kool-Aid.

[That Great Guy]

I see, it's a bad project because it doesn't help YOU or YOUR friends. "That MTA system in New York? It sucks ass bro. I don't go there. My friends don't either. Don't use it. Sucks."

Next, explain for me again how building the first 3.3 miles of track and linking the city's densest and most promising areas does "absolutely nothing" to advance the ball for regional transit? Particularly in our current context: strong car culture to overcome; bankrupt city obtaining a free system from private and federal money; strong trends of people moving to midtown and downtown; high need to attract new residents from other states who might not be okay with owning a car or two, and might find a short rail commute appealing; state/regional political scene that is about 20 years beyond, with people needing their eyes and mind opened about the proper balance of transportation funding; city in need of tax revenue [[have you noticed all of the development projects recently completed, underway or about to start along the Woodward Corridor?)

Be sure to copy us on your letters to Mayor Duggan and our state and federal reps seeking funding for improved transit on your corridor and the full-funding of RTA so that we have "viable, reliable mass transit" for ALL.

for ALL to pay $$$$ more.

Ma$$ Tran$it is an inve$tment we ALL benefit from.

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme more.

Make our transit employees get $ix digit $alaries to bu$ burger flippers to jobs paying minimum wage working 30 hours per week and make them ALL pay for Obamacare

And the $EMCOG 2060 Fantasy for Action burger express Wallybus Plan.

[SpartanDawg]

Oh Wise One, enlighten us with your wisdom and knowledge. Show us the way so we too may open our eyes and minds and be one with the Magic Choo-Choo. Let us seek solace and gainful employment @ Ho' Foods, or bring drink and sustenance to the stadium attendees, @ any of the newly annointed Bernstein Bear Bars. By these methods, with your spiritual influence, our City will once again rise from the ashes. Someone pass me the purple Kool-Aid.

you sound like someone that just realized they've been shut down in their argument... couldn't have said it better myself Mackinaw..

don't be bitter it's not reaching your areas yet, it's a start, and it's a start in the only place in detroit that can sustain a Light Rail.. give it 5 years or so and who knows what may happen.

Can't wait to be riding it through midtown and downtown!!! :-)

Signed,
midtown resident

[ghettopalmetto]

Look, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck this morning. I've been to NY, Montreal, CT., etc.I've been on and know people in other parts of the planet commute in other ways besides the streetcar. Metro-Detroit isn't laid out like other parts of the planet. Like it or not, we went with a robust streetcar network. The rails are already in place. People live all over Detroit along these rails. Come up with something useful to move mass amounts of people on the already existing rails. To think you're going to change all that, and lay in miles of freeways, or obliterate half of downtown, so they'll drive on the expressway, just doesn't seem feasible to me. I don't buy into it.

--1940s Detroit

[MSUguy]

for ALL to pay $$$$ more.

Ma$$ Tran$it is an inve$tment we ALL benefit from.

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme more.

Make our transit employees get $ix digit $alaries to bu$ burger flippers to jobs paying minimum wage working 30 hours per week and make them ALL pay for Obamacare

And the $EMCOG 2060 Fantasy for Action burger express Wallybus Plan.

Those in the real world understand you get what you pay for, wonderwhy Ohio has better roads than us? It's not magic or that they build them better they spend nearly one billion more per year than us on maintenance.

The same is true when it comes to public transportation, it's not a secret why every major city is better than ours, it's simple they spend the money. Unfortunately, some people have been conditioned to expect something for nothing when when it comes to investments in our infrastructure.

[Honky Tonk]

Those in the real world understand you get what you pay for, wonderwhy Ohio has better roads than us? It's not magic or that they build them better they spend nearly one billion more per year than us on maintenance.

The same is true when it comes to public transportation, it's not a secret why every major city is better than ours, it's simple they spend the money. Unfortunately, some people have been conditioned to expect something for nothing when when it comes to investments in our infrastructure.

Spending money effectively is the key, not throwing more @ the problem.

[ghettopalmetto]

Spending money effectively is the key, not throwing more @ the problem.

And just what is your definition of "effectively"? I presume you have some kind of objective metric for this standard, and not just vague buzzwords.

[Honky Tonk]

And just what is your definition of "effectively"? I presume you have some kind of objective metric for this standard, and not just vague buzzwords.

I assume you actually have no clue what I'm talking about, and aren't trying to bait me?

[ghettopalmetto]

I assume you actually have no clue what I'm talking about, and aren't trying to bait me?

I'm trying to see if *you* know what you're talking about.

So please, tell us: What's more "effective" than a 3-mile streetcar that will cost Detroit *nothing* for construction or 10 years of operation?

[dtowncitylover]

Well DDOT and SMART don't have the proper funding to make an effective system. I think with the resources they have, they do use it effectively. I haven't heard of mismanagement or corruption from the two organizations. They're just too poor. So would more money help? Sure! But yeah, more money could mean a higher risk of mismanagement.

[Mackinaw]

Spending money effectively is the key, not throwing more @ the problem.

Enlighten us, wise one! Preach it! Tell us about how to make the transit budgets more effective! And don't forget to show us the letters you're sending about the regional transit that you acknowledge we desperately need, and how M1 is not nearly enough.

[Honky Tonk]

Enlighten us, wise one! Preach it! Tell us about how to make the transit budgets more effective! And don't forget to show us the letters you're sending about the regional transit that you acknowledge we desperately need, and how M1 is not nearly enough.

Here's the post I responded to. Notice he's talking about "roads". You may also recall that a gasoline tax has been added per gallon in MI to raise revenue for "roads". You may have also read that monies from the gas tax, over the years, has been siphoned off for "other things". SO, instead of donating more taxpayer $'s towards "roads", which now the meaning has been changed to include "infrastructure". I'm kind of puzzled what "letters" or any of your other rants have to do this? You sound a bit frustrated. "Oh fudge".



Originally Posted by MSUguy
Those in the real world understand you get what you pay for, wonderwhy Ohio has better roads than us? It's not magic or that they build them better they spend nearly one billion more per year than us on maintenance.

The same is true when it comes to public transportation, it's not a secret why every major city is better than ours, it's simple they spend the money. Unfortunately, some people have been conditioned to expect something for nothing when when it comes to investments in our infrastructure.

[Mackinaw]

He analogized to roads, and then made a point concerning "public transportation".. you know, the subject matter of this whole thread. You are losing it.

[Lowell]

Progress report from today along Woodward downtown...

[canuck]

A lot of good will come from this, I am certain of it. The dream team of multi-millionaires and billionaires didn't choose Royal Oak or Southfield to drop their choo-choo on. Guess where they did?

[noggin]

This is how Detroit compares to other cities in mass transit. Great graphic. http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?subways

[dtowncitylover]

This is how Detroit compares to other cities in mass transit. Great graphic. http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?subways

Wow thanks for that!

[emu steve]

My big question and not being facetious:

How much of Woodward along that 3 mile route will be repaved or milled and paved or whatever...?

One of the ancillary benies of this project is a lot of better roads, for even cars to run.

[innercitydoc]

Thanks for sharing. They left out Charlotte though, which has a fairly extensive light rail system which is actively expanding.

[dtowncitylover]

http://www.freep.com/article/2014082...1-Rail-traffic

So we have this article. Nice, simple piece about three major things happening downtown tonight. But then the Free Press says, about M-1 Rail, "a steetcar-like tram". I hate to argue about semantics and I know that we know little about transit here but a simple Google/Wikipedia search might help them. Tram, streetcar, and trolley are synonyms. It's like saying a "couch-type sofa".

[Mackinaw]

They can't resist overcomplicating things. Or they're just dumb. Streetcar or light rail are the appropriate words.

[professorscott]

They can't resist overcomplicating things. Or they're just dumb. Streetcar or light rail are the appropriate words.

I prefer "Street car or light rail are the appropriate word-like terms".

[SDCC]

I prefer "Street car or light rail are the appropriate word-like terms".

I favor the word trolley myself