DPM seen as transit disaster. Looking for DPM photos.

[animatedmartian]

http://articles.latimes.com/1985-12-...t-people-mover
JAMES RISEN | Times Staff Writer

December 08, 1985

DETROIT — The Detroit People Mover, the 2.9-mile automated rail system under construction in a loop above this city's downtown district, is over budget and behind schedule, has lost its central purpose and tends to fall apart. To top it all off, federal transit officials don't think very many people will ride it once it is finished.

Otherwise, it has been a huge success. At least for local jokers, that is, who would be lost if they didn't have the People Mover, which looks a lot like the Disneyland monorail, to kick around. Whether they call it the train to nowhere, the mugger mover or the downtown bobsled run, the message is the same: The People Mover is widely seen as a huge boondoggle and a classic example of government bureaucracy run rampant.

Well, if they aren't doing enough, they're doing too much. Oi!

I am curious as to why there aren't many archive photos of DPM under construction or at least what the original plans looked like. Any help?

[mtburb]

I am curious as to why there aren't many archive photos of DPM under construction or at least what the original plans looked like. Any help?

I did start a thread earlier this summer that has a photo of one of the DPM stations from an early plan: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...e-People-Mover

I don't know of any photos of the DPM under construction, but on a thread I started today there is a video taken on the DPM the year it opened: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...st-before-1989

[Hamtragedy]

The Detroit News archives I'm sure has pictures of the section by Larned that crashed to the ground shortly before the DPM's inaugural run. It was only plastered on the front page of both newspapers the next day.

[animatedmartian]

The Detroit News archives I'm sure has pictures of the section by Larned that crashed to the ground shortly before the DPM's inaugural run. It was only plastered on the front page of both newspapers the next day.

I found some stories that said it fell during construction.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...4080%2C2459678

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...5071%2C1106483

Something interesting I found out is that Regan cut the budget from the PM and wanted to divert funds to a billion dollar super collider?!

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...1337%2C2004435

I guess it was going to be built near Stockbridge, Michigan. They ended up building it in Texas but ended up not finishing it due to "budget problems".

What the eff, dude?! Since when did $5 billion dollars seem more economically safe than $300 million dollars? Just more things to complain about, smh.

[stasu1213]

I had aways wondered why the People Mover structure was made out of concrete beams instead of just steel or some type of metal railing like other rail system across the country are made of. Is not cement more costlier especially elevated than metal?

[ddaydetroit]

I just left bangkok they have a system similar to the people mover made out of concrete that goes for miles thats very functional and in the morning and evening is packed. when I go back thru BKK I will take some pictures

[mwilbert]

I don't think steel would be cheaper than concrete. If it were, you wouldn't see all those freeway overpasses constructed from concrete. I think that when people were constructing elevated trains or roadways in the past [[Chicago Skyway, old Boston Central Artery) they didn't have the concrete technology they have now.

[East Detroit]

The Detroit News archives I'm sure has pictures of the section by Larned that crashed to the ground shortly before the DPM's inaugural run.

Sounds very dramatic and scary until you realize it crashed to the ground while they were raising it, not while they thought it was good to go for travel.

[Wesley Mouch]

I don't think steel would be cheaper than concrete. If it were, you wouldn't see all those freeway overpasses constructed from concrete. I think that when people were constructing elevated trains or roadways in the past [[Chicago Skyway, old Boston Central Artery) they didn't have the concrete technology they have now.

A few years ago, I heard an MDOT engineer say on the radio that the cost to repaint a steel highway bridge was close to, or more than new construction cost, due to the environmental protection necessary to sandblast. I think this may be a major reason why steel isn't used as much as it used for such purposes.

I can't help but wonder about the life of pre-stressed concrete bridges like Zilwaukee or the I-280 bridge in Toledo. What do you do when they start to fail. With steel you can at least sandblast and weld.