Transfer the People Mover to M-1 Rail

[Danny]

Here's an idea... be gentle if it's completely ignorant on some fronts.

1. Transfer control of the Detroit Transportation Corp. [[People Mover operator) to M-1 rail. Saving the City and State $4.5 Million in annual subsidies.
2. Allow them to expand The People mover up Woodward to the Amtrak station using the $100 million they have pledged [[which is about 40% of the estimated cost to build the rail line from River to Amtrak station).
3. Transfer the track to grade somehow near the Grand Circus Station. Build only 4 stations I-375, Mack, Warren, I-94 [[40% of the number of stations originally planned) [[the downtown loop was redundant with the People Mover anyway)
4. M-1 then becomes responsible to operate the loop as a non-profit, using increased advertising dollars to make up the short fall of no government subsidy.

I know this is completely simplified, but it seems like a win, win. Because let's be honest, the People Mover is going dark in two-years if nothing is done.

I'm going to have to agree with mikeg's comments. That plan is not going to work. Today our mass transit in Detroit and its suburbs is on the D-DOT and SMART'S lifeline. And since there is little regional growth no more state, local and federal dollars going to any proposed mass transit. We should have a discussion with jobs, jobs, jobs, before could see mass transit.

Nice try lo_to_d