I-94 Rapid Transit Line- Detroit to Airport

[Bham1982]

Better tell that to Michael Bloomberg, before New York spends $1 billion+ to extend the 7 train to the Javits Center.

You can't very well take transit anywhere if you don't have it in the first place. ;-)

The 7 train extension has absolutely nothing to do with the Javits Center.

It's being built because the Far West Side has no subway service, and the Hudson Yards area was just rezoned for massive office towers.

In fact, the Javits Center will likely be moved to Queens [[Long Island City area) in the coming years. They decided to cancel a multi-billion Javits expansion, becuase the Manhattan real estate is far too valuable for a low-slung convention hall.

Instead, they're just doing an interim renovation. The long-term plan is to sell the center for highrises, and use the proceeds to build a new center in a cheaper area.

[bailey]

I've ridden the buses in LV. They are great. Almost BRT with pre-emptive signals, a voice that uses GPS to call the stops. Its amazing.

...well then Detroit should do BRT... it'd be about a billion dollars cheaper.

[iheartthed]

The 7 train extension has absolutely nothing to do with the Javits Center.

It's being built because the Far West Side has no subway service, and the Hudson Yards area was just rezoned for massive office towers.

In fact, the Javits Center will likely be moved to Queens [[Long Island City area) in the coming years. They decided to cancel a multi-billion Javits expansion, becuase the Manhattan real estate is far too valuable for a low-slung convention hall.

Instead, they're just doing an interim renovation. The long-term plan is to sell the center for highrises, and use the proceeds to build a new center in a cheaper area.

That part of Manhattan really isn't that valuable [[relatively speaking) because of the lack of transit access. The only thing over there now is auto dealerships and auto repair shops.

[Detroitnerd]

...well then Detroit should do BRT... it'd be about a billion dollars cheaper.

And what you get is service that is a wee, tiny, itty-bit better than bus service. And a lot more expensive than just bus service. And very little in the way of TOD.

If you try to do mass transit on the cheap, you are going to get small returns on a much larger investment. But nobody here seems to realize that, so keep pushing ...

[Bham1982]

That part of Manhattan really isn't that valuable [[relatively speaking) because of the lack of transit access. The only thing over there now is auto dealerships and auto repair shops.

Well, it wasn't that valuable prior to rezoning, but it is now. And, once the subway opens, it will be much more valuable.

There are plans for gigantic office mixed-use complexes. Related [[a major Manhattan developer) is building a 12 million square foot complex, with demolition currently underway. Brookfield, a Canadian firm, is building a 6 million square foot center.

And all those auto dealers and warehouses are in the process of selling or have sold. Mercedes sold and moved, for example. The Copacabana club sold and moved.

Javits won't be sold for many years. They're curently renovating the center, so it's probably good for a decade or two.

[iheartthed]

...well then Detroit should do BRT... it'd be about a billion dollars cheaper.

For the purposes of connecting the airport to downtown it probably makes more sense to have a commuter rail. The tracks are already there. There would just need to be monorail system to connect a station to the terminals. The rental car companies were on board with the monorail years ago, so not sure why it never came to be. [[Probably because the commuter rail project fell through.) But the commuter rail would not only connect the airport to downtown, it would also connect the airport to Ann Arbor. At this point those three destinations make the absolute most sense for connecting via rail.

[ghettopalmetto]

For the purposes of connecting the airport to downtown it probably makes more sense to have a commuter rail. The tracks are already there. There would just need to be monorail system to connect a station to the terminals.

Hell, you don't even need that. The rail station at BWI works pretty darn well by shuttling people to/from the airline terminal via bus.

Alternatively, though, I'd be all for recycling the People Mover for this purpose. :-)