Feds, Snyder kill Woodward Light Rail Line

**stinkytofu** · December-13-11, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I'm sure the threat of bankruptcy played a part...

Wouldn't some due diligence by LaHood clearly shown that bankruptcy was possible when he first started pushing this? Heck, even last month/year when he was pushing this?

**R8RBOB** · December-13-11, 10:35 PM

I would like to applaud Mayor Dave Bing, Governor Rick Snyder and Sec. of Transportation Ray LaHood for stating the obvious. That Detroit is a poor fuckin' city filled with poor folks. The citizens are so damn poor that they aren't worthy of having a 21st century form of mass transit in their city but they are worthy of having an updated bus system that will fail just like the two current systems. How nice to be a Detroiter.

**corktownyuppie** · December-13-11, 10:36 PM

You all have already expressed my anger, and I'm trying to stay calm. So I have a related question. Did we at least get an agreed-upon regional transit authority out of this?

**corktownyuppie** · December-13-11, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by j to the jeremy

Right you are sir. The Woodward line would have greatly benefited the bus system as a whole.

The SEMCOG line to A2 has been off the table, informally, for a while now.

I was just on SEMCOG's website. Here's the December 2011 update...
http://www.semcog.org/A2D2UpdateDecember2011.aspx

It mentions hope for limited schedule for special events. Hey, it's a start.

**R8RBOB** · December-13-11, 10:45 PM

Okay, I have refer to The Onion video clip......

http://www.theonion.com/video/obama-...ith-hig,18473/

**casscorridor** · December-13-11, 10:47 PM

Who wants to bet the Whole Foods will pull out?

One of the main things they were considering was the Light-Rail, because the MLK/Mack station was steps away.

Detroit.... fare well, and goodbye.

**stinkytofu** · December-13-11, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

Who wants to bet the Whole Foods will pull out?

One of the main things they were considering was the Light-Rail, because the MLK/Mack station was steps away.

Detroit.... fare well, and goodbye.

If that happens...oh boy...

**iheartthed** · December-13-11, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

Wouldn't some due diligence by LaHood clearly shown that bankruptcy was possible when he first started pushing this? Heck, even last month/year when he was pushing this?

It was only this month when the governor began to publicly say that bankruptcy for Detroit is an option.

**JenniferL** · December-13-11, 10:52 PM

My enthusiasm for the light rail vanished when they said it would only extend from downtown to 8 Mile Road. There's absolutely no point in making 8 Mile and Woodward the destination for anything. There's NOTHING there!!! Even if the new strip mall plans actually come to pass [[and I have my doubts about that), it's still not enough. The light rail has to actually take people to places they want to go. Downtown Detroit to the airport to Ann Arbor would be ideal. Or go all the way up Woodward to Pontiac, so passengers can get off in Ferndale, RO, and Birmingham. But Woodward Avenue between 6 Mile and 8 Mile is a dead zone, as is Woodward between New Center and the Highland Park border.

**casscorridor** · December-13-11, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

If that happens...oh boy...

Yes, and I'm sure Megan Owens or Sue Mosey can fill you in on more. There were many developments in the works hoping for the Light-Rail. Heck, probably even the Broderick tower or Whitney building. Everyone keeps advertising how the ligh-rail is coming, blah blah blah. No one is going to listen to someone say "hey a bus is going to come!"

Anyway, there was an estimated 3 BILLION dollars in economic development headed for Woodward corridor, and its all pretty much shattered now. There will be a Studio One apartments here and there, a couple rehabs here and there, but nothing more. No huge turn around we've all been waiting for.

**313WX** · December-13-11, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

Who wants to bet the Whole Foods will pull out?

One of the main things they were considering was the Light-Rail, because the MLK/Mack station was steps away.

Detroit.... fare well, and goodbye.

I doubt they are coming anyway.

And if they do [[majority of it being funded by taxpayers), they would likely fold within 2 years.

Remember Zaccarros? If no place in the city can support a Kroger and a slightly smaller Whole Foods minus the national corporate name, there's no way it can support a Whole Foods.

**Novine** · December-13-11, 10:53 PM

"You all have already expressed my anger, and I'm trying to stay calm. So I have a related question. Did we at least get an agreed-upon regional transit authority out of this?"

An agreement? An agreement by Snyder, who couldn't deliver votes for a bridge and Bing, who can't deliver anything for the city? Oh sure, there's talk of an agreement. I'm sure the Republicans in Lansing and L. Brooks Patterson are going to push that forward as fast as they can.

**313WX** · December-13-11, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Did we at least get an agreed-upon regional transit authority out of this?

That ain't happening.

Even if Snyder is willing to sign it, it's DOA in the legislator. If the freep commenters are representative of the folks who voted for majority of the "leaders" in Lansing right now, then forget about it.

**antongast** · December-13-11, 10:57 PM

Fucking Neanderthals. Everyone in a position of power in this fucking city, region and state, they're all fucking Neanderthals. I don't know where we find these drooling, knuckle-dragging idiots, or who decides that they need to be in a position of power [[I sure as shit don't vote for them), but somehow they never fucking go away, and when they do, their replacements are just as bad. Transit ain't hard, folks. Everybody else figured it out a long time ago. But Detroit? No, we can't, because we're governed by fucking Neanderthals. I need a fucking drink.

**R8RBOB** · December-13-11, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

You all have already expressed my anger, and I'm trying to stay calm. So I have a related question. Did we at least get an agreed-upon regional transit authority out of this?

Regional transit authority is DOA. You're L. Brooks Patterson and Rick Snyder, the same Rick Snyder who couldn't get his Republicans to vote for his bridge comes to you and say, support my BRT plan. As Patterson, you say "why would I support a new bus system when the current system is failing? What does Oakland Co. get out of high-speed buses?

Talks of a regional transit authority will become white noise and then nothing.

**English** · December-13-11, 11:01 PM

Any way this can be reconsidered? I fail to see the logic behind this.

**313WX** · December-13-11, 11:07 PM

For those who were wondering, Detroitdad [[Sean_of_detroit) may be still trying to hang in there...

I believe this is him posting a comment in response to this on the Freep.

http://www.freep.com/comments/articl...-line-scrapped

Sean Jagodzinski I am outraged as a young business student and a Detroit father with my family in the city. This of course, also will likely halt or significantly delay high speed and commuter rail lines between Detroit, Dearborn, Metro Airport, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, and Chicago. This lght rail line was supposed to be a connection "that professionals wouldn't be ashamed to ride", with the Northern suburbs and Downtown Detroit.

Occupy protesters, where are you!?

**corktownyuppie** · December-13-11, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

That ain't happening.

Even if Snyder is willing to sign it, it's DOA in the legislator. If the freep commenters are representative of the folks who voted for majority of the "leaders" in Lansing right now, then forget about it.

I'm curious to see what happens in the legislature. But you're right, I'm not holding my breath. As for the freep commenters, perhaps you will pleasantly surprised that just about every single comment is about how the leadership royally screwed this up.

http://www.freep.com/comments/articl...-line-scrapped

**313WX** · December-13-11, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

As for the freep commenters, perhaps you will pleasantly surprised that just about every single comment is about how the leadership royally screwed this up.

http://www.freep.com/comments/articl...-line-scrapped

This is a very recent change. I was referencing the freep commenter pre-facebook mandate.

I am relieved however that there are a fair number of people just as upset as we are about this...

**corktownyuppie** · December-13-11, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

This is a very recent change. I was referencing the freep commenter pre-facebook mandate.

I am relieved however that there are a fair number of people just as upset as we are about this...

In my circles -- and despite our fiscal conservatism, we also see transit as an investment into the future of the city -- there is not one iota of sympathy for the recent announcement. If we had to sacrifice light rail in exchange for finally getting a successful Regional Transit Authority created into law, I will admit that at least it's a trade that might be better off in the long run.

Snyder better deliver on that RTA.

**antongast** · December-13-11, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

In my circles -- and despite our fiscal conservatism, we also see transit as an investment into the future of the city -- there is not one iota of sympathy for the recent announcement. If we had to sacrifice light rail in exchange for finally getting a successful Regional Transit Authority created into law, I will admit that at least it's a trade that might be better off in the long run.

Snyder better deliver on that RTA.

It's not an either-or. If there was an RTA with a funding stream, rail wouldn't be dead. Without an RTA with a funding stream, anything else we try is going to fail too.

**urbanhat** · December-13-11, 11:16 PM

Wow, this is hugely disappointing. I moved back here in part because the light rail actually looked promising. I made it seem like living here could be tolerable. Now maybe it will never be tolerable.
I know there have been a lot of false starts in transit in Detroit, but this was SO close. The damn funding was in place. This is just ridiculous.

**corktownyuppie** · December-13-11, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by antongast

It's not an either-or. If there was an RTA with a funding stream, rail wouldn't be dead. Without an RTA with a funding stream, anything else we try is going to fail too.

I understand the logic of what you're saying. But I can also imagine a conversation where Snyder says, "Bing, if you guys go bankrupt there's no way you'll be able to operate this thing. Patterson is afraid that in a bankruptcy situation, his constituents would suffer. Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne are agreeing to politically support an RTA, but you have be willing to drop light rail for now and settle for BRT."

**casscorridor** · December-13-11, 11:22 PM

1) Republicans and Democrats = the same damn thing --- slash and burn every good project.

2) Snyder/Bing are pissing off just about every last damn person in Michigan/Detroit

3) When/where will we occupy?