A few things here:

1) I would prefer a much longer BRT bus line with raised platforms, dedicated ROW, and signal priority

2) Transit is a service. Just like the police and fire department. Those departments don't pay for themselves. Just like I-75 that we're spending two billions dollars on to refresh between Square Lake Road and 8 Mile doesn't "pay" for itself. Infrastructure, police, fire, water and sewer mains, water and sewerage treatment, and transit are all SERVICES that we have decided have value and that we would invest in them.

3) We should continue to fund and INCREASE funding to transit. However, we should also make sure that those dollars are spent the best way, efficiently, and responsibly. I would make arguments that BRT from the Detroit River to Pontiac would cost LESS and provide much more benefit than a rail line. I don't think the Q-Line is a total waste of money, but we do need to critically analyze how we spend our limited transit budgets.