Creating a more Visitor-Friendly Detroit

[canuck]

This CityPass thing is a great idea. Question: in some of the cities which have such a thing, who issues it? I mean, does the City itself run the program, or some kind of business improvement association like a chamber of commerce, or a visitors' bureau, or who?

I'd just like to know who to try to sell this to

Check out the promotional video on the Tourism Montreal site;

http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/MontrealTV

There are a couple of events featuring free bus and museum and gallery shows on two chosen itineraries during culture days in Montreal:

http://www.journeesdelaculture.qc.ca/?lang=en

[Chuck La Chez]

Well, if they want to make it more visitor friendly, how about...

1) getting one of those red double decker buses that gives a couple hour tour of city like they have in London and New York and subsidize it like the People Mover. $10 sounds very reasonable.

2) setting up a Murmur program like in Toronto. You have these street signs in front of historical buildings or a payphone with a number to call and it tells you stories about the building, street or neighbourhood. http://toronto.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi...murtoronto.ca/

They can also have a list of phone numbers to call on the people mover if people want to hear a recorded message on stories of a certain area, etc.

3) Have someone update the visitor website information regularly.

I love those ideas!

[begingri]

This CityPass thing is a great idea. Question: in some of the cities which have such a thing, who issues it? I mean, does the City itself run the program, or some kind of business improvement association like a chamber of commerce, or a visitors' bureau, or who?

I'd just like to know who to try to sell this to

http://www.citypass.com/contact
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityPASS

I tried to do a little research, but I still have no idea who you'd contact. I'd say the best option would be CityPass themself so they could contact the institutions to include. That or the Detroit City Council to get them to call CityPass and get it arranged.

[MikeM]

Infrastructure improvements - better signage, pavement markings, and directions. The city has a confusing street pattern; I feel sorry for visitors trying to find their way around. Signs on surface streets directing you to the freeway suddenly disappear or give no indication whether you need to turn left or right at an upcoming intersection. How about adding "To Airport" to the I-94 West signs, etc., and place them overhead not on the shoulder, and while were at it, illuminate them.

[Blue]

www.detroiturbanadventures.com

that is a flyer i found in the Detroit Beer Company.
They have two different tours.
One is "The D you must see" for 25 Dollars, 2 hours, departs 1 pm tues-sat at 1515 Broadway.
and "Detroit's Rise, Fall and Renewal" 20Dollars, 2 hours, tues-sat, 3.30 pm

the first ends with free food and the second with free beer.

[canuck]

www.detroiturbanadventures.com

that is a flyer i found in the Detroit Beer Company.
They have two different tours.
One is "The D you must see" for 25 Dollars, 2 hours, departs 1 pm tues-sat at 1515 Broadway.
and "Detroit's Rise, Fall and Renewal" 20Dollars, 2 hours, tues-sat, 3.30 pm

the first ends with free food and the second with free beer.

That is pretty clever, no need to wrestle with me to get me onto the second one...

[Robinson Advertising]

The most pressing need is a central information hub were visitors would be able to stop, have all the information for the city for visitors. This would have gift shops , restaurants, eatery"s , etc..with welcome to Detroit" signage
With all the vacant land we have what better way to utilize our resources.

[youngdetroiter]

French 777,

Thank you for sharing your ideas with us. More than a few dear fogies abandoned the city and/or allowed her to deteriorate, so I wholeheartedly feel that it is up to us Generation Y-ers to reinvigorate, repopulate, and revitalize our city.

More than half a decade ago, I put an informal report that I wrote in the hands of former Mayor Kilpatrick and other leaders regarding supporting the removal of my high school, Communication and Media Arts, from the school closure list. Thereafter, former Deputy Mayor Adams showed up at the school to show support from the Mayor's Office.

That being said, you cannot underestimate the potential power of your report if it goes before the right eyes. While you cannot ensure that every recipient would read or even open the report, you can, nonetheless, e-mail it to as many as possible. One or more leaders may attempt to implement it. Even if you don't receive credit for it, you would have contributed to the health and vitality of our fair city, in a quest for improved quality of life, for our generation and generations to come.

Therefore, in closing, I would recommend that not only you send it to Pugh, but to all the council members, the Mayor's Office, the Chamber of Commerce, and even to contacts at the respective museums or mentioned attractions.

- Young Detroiter
"Believe 'n the D!"