Did you read the link? It closed because that building absolutely sucks and they are going to reopen in a smaller, newer building that makes sense for an urban environment. It was like a morgue in there with low ceilings and bad [[no) lighting. In case you did not understand how wretched that building is, inside and out:
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploa...s-downtown.jpg
As to your point of the ridership of the Woodward bus, I think that bodes well for the success of the Woodward line, no? It's a popular route. Houston's Main Street is not a major corridor like Woodward. Detroit has so much more to gain from a light rail line down its main artery than even Houston with its line [[which again, serves 37K people a day without even hitting major neighborhoods. In a city that has a huge car culture. In a city that sits at 100 degrees with 100% humidity for extended periods of time in the summer. In a city with half the density of Detroit.)
You serious, Clark? Light rail in yellow, Pavillions in blue. Have you been to Houston? Have you ridden the rail line?
Attachment 18731
The office portion of the Pavillions is fully leased and the retail is at about 65%, which is lower than they'd like, but there are still plenty of new open places there. Again, the CBD is not going to be able to compete with the retail district of Houston - but bars and restaurants are doing just fine, of which there are 10 or so in the Pavillions alone.
How exactly would you like us to show you how rail can be successful if you refuse to consider any actual examples of development along transit stops? If you have a path where there's little-to-no development, and then you put in transit, and then you start to see development sprout up along the transit stops, I think we can all use our common sense there. Of course, the conclusion is subject to rebuttals but your wholescale exemption of any real-life examples is a bit misguided.
Nobody is saying that transit and transit alone creates this development, mind you. Yes, it is a variety of factors. I've noticed the tendency of people on this site to let the enemy of the good be the great. "If a solution doesn't fully take care of the problem, then don't implement it!"
"Did we slash Council's perks?" "That's only $6M, a drop in the bucket!"
"Lease Belle Isle?" "That's only $6M, a drop in the bucket!"
"Hey a small advertising agency is opening downtown!" "It's only 40 people and they won't move down there, a drop in the bucket!"
"Hey, a light rail system funded primarily by private businesses!" "It won't completely revitalize downtown on its own, a drop in the bucket!"
Other cities have been collecting those drops for decades and now have a full bucket, just so you know...