M-1 Rail construction! Woodward Ave. South of Adams closes July 28

[SpartanDawg]

Did this just get revealed with no fan fare at all?

I'd expect a ceremonial groundbreaking that day or the day before...

Is it actually going to happen?!?!?!

https://twitter.com/TimothyRFischer/...02277144801282

[stinkytofu]

Official. Woodward from Adams to Campus Martius closed for 120 days starting July 28. Finally. http://m-1rail.com/m%E2%80%901-rail-...-july-28-2014/

[SpartanDawg]

Official. Woodward from Adams to Campus Martius closed for 120 days starting July 28. Finally. http://m-1rail.com/m%E2%80%901-rail-...-july-28-2014/

Boom there it is... 30 days and counting.. bout god damn time

[SpartanDawg]

Okay this is the funniest quote of the press release
"Over the next thirty days our team will be pounding the pavement to make everyone who lives, works and visits the Woodward corridor aware of what they should expect from track construction and how to navigate around it once we begin on July 28th"



I feel like they're just messing with people by doing this lolol

[emu steve]

Official. Woodward from Adams to Campus Martius closed for 120 days starting July 28. Finally. http://m-1rail.com/m%E2%80%901-rail-...-july-28-2014/

Great news. Glad to see it starting.

But damn, just going to mess up traffic, etc. Lol.

This is my 'for every [[positive) reaction there is another counterbalancing [[negative) reaction.'

[stinkytofu]

Interested to see how the Thanksgiving Parade route may be impacted by construction...the end of this time frame is right when the parade would be. If they are on schedule they may be fine...then again perhaps they'll be working on other parts of Woodward by then?

[ndavies]

Interested to see how the Thanksgiving Parade route may be impacted by construction...the end of this time frame is right when the parade would be. If they are on schedule they may be fine...then again perhaps they'll be working on other parts of Woodward by then?

Are they still going to be able to have the parade run down Woodward after the streetcar is built or will this just kill off the Balloons? I can't see them disconnecting/removing the overhead power lines just for the parade. They remove the stoplights now. Removing the streetcar power lines seems like a much bigger job.

[SpartanDawg]

Are they still going to be able to have the parade run down Woodward after the streetcar is built or will this just kill off the Balloons? I can't see them disconnecting/removing the overhead power lines just for the parade. They remove the stoplights now. Removing the streetcar power lines seems like a much bigger job.

I don't think streetcar power lines are going to get in the way.. they're not going to run across woodward, just north and south down it.

[ndavies]

I don't think streetcar power lines are going to get in the way.. they're not going to run across woodward, just north and south down it.

They'll run down the middle of the road North of the CBD and in the outside lanes in the CBD. They will be in the way. They have to be suspended from something.

[drjeff]

They'll run down the middle of the road North of the CBD and in the outside lanes in the CBD. They will be in the way. They have to be suspended from something.

The parade has been in Detroit since the 1920s. So they managed to deal with the Woodward streetcar for 30-odd years.

[professorscott]

They'll run down the middle of the road North of the CBD and in the outside lanes in the CBD. They will be in the way. They have to be suspended from something.

Everyone seems to be assuming the streetcar will be running with overhead wires in the traditional fashion. If you read the M1 engineering documents, I do not believe this to be the case. I think the vehicles will be run partly or mostly off-wire.

If the streetcars were on-wire it would be along the curb for most of the route anyhow. Parade floats could easily fit between; Woodward is a pretty wide road. But anyhow I don't think the system will be done in that way, at least not entirely.

[Dexlin]

They'll run down the middle of the road North of the CBD and in the outside lanes in the CBD. They will be in the way. They have to be suspended from something.

So many misconceptions for people who haven't been paying attention...

- First, no. The streetcar is curb/side running for the vast majority of length. Only at both ends do the lines come together to allow the streetcar to loop. Maybe a handful of stations are in the median at either end.

- The current plan is for most of the streetcar to run "off-wire" meaning that it will run without overhead wires for much of the route. It will be powered by batteries along much of the route cutting down on the catenary. This will actually be fairly unique for a streetcar in the United States.

[Mackinaw]

In just over two years, thousands of Detroiters will be able to commute, daily, from home to work or school, without a car. Thousands of visitors to downtown each year will be able to take clean, inexpensive transit to the DIA. One will be able to arrive in downtown Detroit from Chicago and Western Michigan via rail.


..I've never even understood how the parade balloons got around the DPM crossing at GCP. Alas, they'll find their way...

[Bham1982]

In just over two years, thousands of Detroiters will be able to commute, daily, from home to work or school, without a car. Thousands of visitors to downtown each year will be able to take clean, inexpensive transit to the DIA. One will be able to arrive in downtown Detroit from Chicago and Western Michigan via rail.

And of course everyone can do this right now, already, and with higher frequencies than planned by Gilbert.

[stasu1213]

I still believe it when I see the actual groundbreaking of Woodward. As far as the parade goes; John R would be a perfect street for the parade route so would Woodward from Grand Blvd down to Adam

[Dexlin]

I think something significant being lost by both supporters and detrators of this line is what it will mean for development in the downtown proper. This will allow people who want to come to downtown proper other options to park their cars [[particularly in Midtown and New Center), which in turns reduces the demand for parking downtown, which it turn makes these lots more attractive to development. If this is all that the line ever does it will have been a success.

Something else that needs to be taken into mind is that this will accentuate existing DDOT and SMART bus routes. It will not replace any of these services, at least not in the short term. What that means is an increased frequency of mass transit along this 3 mile stretch of Woodward, in general. If you miss the bus, you'll be able to catch the streetcar and vice versa. This is going to make waits for either service significantly shorter.

So, this thing increases transit frequency and incentivizes development along the line, and that's without it being connected to much of anything. Imagine what it could do, then, if its pluged into a region-wide plan. People keep calling it People Move 2.0, and I say good. You can effectively think about this as an extension of the idea and every concentric ring and loop of transit [[this streetcar is called a "circulator" for a reason), and every extension lends more of an argument to connect this thing up with a region-wide system - whether that be bus or rail or both - that feeds into this growing transit core.

[Mackinaw]

Bham, no matter how right you are about the rough [[and I mean very rough) equivalency of traditional bus service, and I am with you, the simple reality is that perception trumps reality, and transit ridership will in fact be higher if the same route is covered by a train rather than a bus. And pursuant to same perceptions, development and population increase will follow.

Do yourself and us a favor and acknowledge that the correctness of your point about bus service comes, first of all, with a) the caveat that bus services has been extremely shoddy and M1 likely offers a true upgrade for those within its range and b) that perception is reality and that due to same the city will in fact benefit from M1.

[SpartanDawg]

Some new details coming out today:

street Lights along woodward will be replaced with new ones.. old ones will be moved to other areas in midtown.. this is peculiar since the current ones are pretty good-looking and nice.. wonder what the new ones will bring


demolition and reconstruction of 75 and 94 overpasses

overhead wires between Henry and canfield in midtown.. rest is off wire

stations will not be 'massive' as to hinder businesses

"Each @M1RAIL station's design will "reflect surrounding historic and local elements" - will engage local art community on this"

[Gorath]

Some new details coming out today:

street Lights along woodward will be replaced with new ones.. old ones will be moved to other areas in midtown.. this is peculiar since the current ones are pretty good-looking and nice.. wonder what the new ones will bring

I would guess that the existing street lights are being removed to be used elsewhere because the new catenary will integrate street lighting into the design.

For example:

[professorscott]

Some new details coming out today:

street Lights along woodward will be replaced with new ones.. old ones will be moved to other areas in midtown.. this is peculiar since the current ones are pretty good-looking and nice.. wonder what the new ones will bring


demolition and reconstruction of 75 and 94 overpasses

overhead wires between Henry and canfield in midtown.. rest is off wire

stations will not be 'massive' as to hinder businesses

"Each @M1RAIL station's design will "reflect surrounding historic and local elements" - will engage local art community on this"

Spartandawg,

Whence the new details?

Thanks,
Prof

[paulj313]

I thought the M1 Rail wasn't going to have catenaries...

[animatedmartian]

Here's the schedule for construction of the Midtown portion of the rail.

http://m-1rail.com/wp-content/upload...4rev_FINAL.pdf

2014
– Track Installation & Roadwork: NB Watson to Canfield
• July – December
– DTE Ductbank: Sibley to I-94
• July 2014 – January 2015
– I-75 Structure Replacement
• Southbound: July 2014 – April 2015
– I-94 Structure Replacement
• Southbound: July 2014 – April 2015


• 2015
– Track Installation & Roadwork: NB Canfield to I-94
• March – June
– Track Installation & Roadwork: NB Sibley to Watson
• June – July
– Track Installation & Roadwork: SB Sibley to Warren
• June – November
– I-75 Structure Replacement
• Northbound: May 2015 – October 2015
– I-94 Structure Replacement
• Northbound: April 2015 – October 2015


• 2016
– Track Installation & Roadwork: SB Warren to I-94
• March – April
– Systems & Vertical Elements : Sibley to I-94
• February – August


Specific dates in 2014:

• I-75 Bridge Southbound Closure

MOT Staging -7/21/2014
MOT Closure -8/4/2014
Excavation/Utilities - 8/11/2014
Demo - 8/22/2014 PM hours

• Watson – MLK Northbound Closure

MOT Staging - 7/21/2014
MOT Closure - 8/4/2014
Shovel in ground - 8/7/2014

• MLK - Alexandrine Northbound Closure

MOT Closure - 8/25/2014
Shovel in ground - 8/27/2014

• Alexandrine - Canfield Northbound Closure

MOT Closure - 9/15/2014
Shovel in ground - 9/18/2014

• DTE Ductbank – Canfield to I-94 Center Lanes Closure

MOT Staging/Closure - 7/21/2014
Shovel in ground - 7/22/2014

• I-94 Bridge Southbound Closure

MOT Staging - 7/28/2014
MOT Closure - 7/30/2014
Excavation/Utilities - 8/4/2014
Demo - 8/8/2014 PM



I-94 and I-75 will be completely closed between the Lodge and Chrysler Freeway during 4 weekends except for game days; once during August, once during February, once during April, and finally once during September.

Basically, there's going to be orange barrels all up and down Woodward including on the freeways.

There's also mention that construction of M-1 Rail will be coordinated with construction of the New Red Wings Arena and the accompanying "retail, business, and residential development from Grand Circus Park to Charlotte Street".

[Danny]

Possibly RTE 53 Woodward Ave. DDOT busses and RTE's 450 460, 465 and 445 SMART buses will making detours.