Bing: I killed train because you wanted me to

[Zacha341]

Agreed. Woodward Light Rail is too much money, local, state and or federal [[well all light rail seems ot need federal funding) in one place, down one road, even if it's going all the way to Pontiac, MI! When your car is down or you don't or can't drive you need transportation in many directions with the option to get to varied suburbs, with some level of reliability.

The Woodward light rail was a boondoggle in the making - this century's People Mover! Hurray for Bing and LaHood. Fast buses are the way to go. Of course Detroit doesn't know what a fast bus is, let alone a bus.

[ghettopalmetto]

Agreed. Woodward Light Rail is too much money, local, state and or federal [[well all light rail seems ot need federal funding) in one place, down one road, even if it's going all the way to Pontiac, MI! When your car is down or you don't or can't drive you need transportation in many directions with the option to get to varied suburbs, with some level of reliability.

I wonder if you said the same thing when I-696 was under construction.

[mwilbert]

Woodward Light Rail is too much money, local, state and or federal [[well all light rail seems ot need federal funding) in one place, down one road, even if it's going all the way to Pontiac, MI!

I believe the concept behind this statement is mistaken. It is a lot of money, but what we need in metro Detroit is more concentration of resources, not the dispersion which seems to be the norm. If you spread services all around, unless you have a really big pot of money, they won't even be noticeable. It is the density of existing activity around Woodward that would have made the LRT potentially transformational [[in a limited area, I'll admit).

Since I don't think the BRT will ever exist, I doubt it will transform anything, but assuming it is eventually constructed, it will certainly be many years later, and I don't think there is any likelihood of any critical mass of transit-related development around the other arterials.

[casscorridor]

I believe the concept behind this statement is mistaken. It is a lot of money, but what we need in metro Detroit is more concentration of resources, not the dispersion which seems to be the norm. If you spread services all around, unless you have a really big pot of money, they won't even be noticeable. It is the density of existing activity around Woodward that would have made the LRT potentially transformational [[in a limited area, I'll admit).

Since I don't think the BRT will ever exist, I doubt it will transform anything, but assuming it is eventually constructed, it will certainly be many years later, and I don't think there is any likelihood of any critical mass of transit-related development around the other arterials.

Yeah, you really summarized a very solid argument here. I would add that Michigan has a big problem with this idea that we need to spread all our resources across every inch of the state/region like it's peanut butter... which is why we have some of the most expansive sprawl relative to the size/density of our central city. We really need some serious focus on one corridor, Woodward, before we can move on to other areas. We need at least one large, vibrant area of the city with excellent transit, services and amenities that can then spread to other areas.

[GoGrixdale]

I believe the concept behind this statement is mistaken. It is a lot of money, but what we need in metro Detroit is more concentration of resources, not the dispersion which seems to be the norm. If you spread services all around, unless you have a really big pot of money, they won't even be noticeable. It is the density of existing activity around Woodward that would have made the LRT potentially transformational [[in a limited area, I'll admit).

Since I don't think the BRT will ever exist, I doubt it will transform anything, but assuming it is eventually constructed, it will certainly be many years later, and I don't think there is any likelihood of any critical mass of transit-related development around the other arterials.

Yeah, you really summarized a very solid argument here. I would add that Michigan has a big problem with this idea that we need to spread all our resources across every inch of the state/region like it's peanut butter... which is why we have some of the most expansive sprawl relative to the size/density of our central city. We really need some serious focus on one corridor, Woodward, before we can move on to other areas. We need at least one large, vibrant area of the city with excellent transit, services and amenities that can then spread to other areas.

Nothing to say but...

+1