There's been talk about rapid transit on Woodward for years. But what about Gratiot?

[hybridy]

If you live, work, shop, play, worship, or visit Macomb County or on Detroit's east side, you should know that it's finally Gratiot's turn!



The Regional Transit Authority is undertaking a study of the best way to provide rapid transit along the entire length of Gratiot Ave, Detroit to Mt. Clemens.
You can see their initial findings and help shape plans for Gratiot Rapid Transit at a series of public meetings this week:

• TOMORROW, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 11am – 3pm
  
  • at Eastern Market, Shed #5, in Detroit
  
  
• TOMORROW, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 4pm – 7pm
• at Roseville City Hall, 29777 Gratiot Ave.
• at Matrix Human Services, 13560 McNichols [[just west of Gratiot) in Detroit
• Thursday, Oct. 1, 4pm – 8pm

http://www.rtamichigan.org/best-proj...ratiot-avenue/

[iheartthed]

They haven't actually gotten around to rapid transit on Woodward, either...

[1953]

Time for a train from downtown to Mt. Clemens.

[401don]

With a stop at the CY Int'l hopefully!!!

[Bobl]

If it happens, the Grand Rapids system should be looked at. Functional, and cheaper.

[Honky Tonk]

Great! Can't wait to visit Port Huron by Blight Rail.

[DetroitBoy]

Every passenger gets a bullet proof vest before boarding.

[subsidized]

IMO, I think it would more beneficial to put something on Michigan Ave going out to DTW before running something up Gratiot.

[rex]

We will have a short little piece of light rail going up Woodward to New Center basically servicing Midtown. There are people living and working around midtown. Gratiot going east is pretty sparse all the way from downtown to 8 mile. Just looking at an aerial view. Its probably safe to assume a portion of that which is still standing is unoccupied and/or on a list to be torn down. Light rail between Eastpoint and Roseville makes some sense.

Going up Gratiot as well as Michigan ave might idk, catalyze new residential growth near downtown in the areas that are already nearly cleared away. Add Eastern Market and Corktown to the rail system

[Chicago48]

We will have a short little piece of light rail going up Woodward to New Center basically servicing Midtown. There are people living and working around midtown. Gratiot going east is pretty sparse all the way from downtown to 8 mile. Just looking at an aerial view. Its probably safe to assume a portion of that which is still standing is unoccupied and/or on a list to be torn down. Light rail between Eastpoint and Roseville makes some sense.

Going up Gratiot as well as Michigan ave might idk, catalyze new residential growth near downtown in the areas that are already nearly cleared away. Add Eastern Market and Corktown to the rail system

I agree with this. They can plan it, they can plan all they want, but unless they get a private company to finance it, the government[[s) would be wasting their money to build rapid transit up Gratiot. There's nothing along that route. Even commercial businesses are sparse. You need people, esp. working people for all this development they're dreaming about. LOTS of people. Developing downtown is one thing, but expanding it to the neighborhoods, esp. the east side is another.
There's nothing along Jefferson's route either.

[mikeg19]

We couldn't even get Woodward light rail to 8 mile, why the hell are we even talking about another line on another street? Let's try and get M1 running up to 8 Mile/Royal Oak and then consider expansion. Plus, as was mentioned in a previous post, Michigan Ave makes WAY more sense then going up Gratiot on the east side. You'd need bulletproof glass and armed guards on the train. The east side needs to stabilize before we go that route.

[hybridy]

We couldn't even get Woodward light rail to 8 mile, why the hell are we even talking about another line on another street? Let's try and get M1 running up to 8 Mile/Royal Oak and then consider expansion. Plus, as was mentioned in a previous post, Michigan Ave makes WAY more sense then going up Gratiot on the east side. You'd need bulletproof glass and armed guards on the train. The east side needs to stabilize before we go that route.

Michigan Avenue planning is happening in tandem FYI

http://www.rtamichigan.org/best-proj...chigan-avenue/

[Junjie]

We couldn't even get Woodward light rail to 8 mile, why the hell are we even talking about another line on another street? Let's try and get M1 running up to 8 Mile/Royal Oak and then consider expansion. Plus, as was mentioned in a previous post, Michigan Ave makes WAY more sense then going up Gratiot on the east side. You'd need bulletproof glass and armed guards on the train. The east side needs to stabilize before we go that route.

M1 and this aren't really related.

M1 is a mostly private effort [[with some government help) to build a streetcar to New Center. That's it.

This is a public effort under the regional Rapid Transit Authority to implement rapid transit on all three of Gratiot, Michigan, and Woodward. A system, if you will. It will require asking voters for money in Fall 2016, and it's 100% guaranteed to be "rapid" buses, not rail, because the way the RTA was created by the Michigan legislature sets up special barriers to building rail at all.

[mikeg19]

M1 and this aren't really related.

M1 is a mostly private effort [[with some government help) to build a streetcar to New Center. That's it.

This is a public effort under the regional Rapid Transit Authority to implement rapid transit on all three of Gratiot, Michigan, and Woodward. A system, if you will. It will require asking voters for money in Fall 2016, and it's 100% guaranteed to be "rapid" buses, not rail, because the way the RTA was created by the Michigan legislature sets up special barriers to building rail at all.

I think some people in the post are referring strictly to rail and others to rapid transit. I was referring strictly to the rail topic. Sorry for any confusion.

[Hypestyles]

The drastic lack of public transit options are why I have to leave. Transit here sucks. This "rapid" bus plan may well get scuttled at the 11th hour, just like the rail plan to 8 mile. Always with the "just maybe" talk, then, nothing.

[ndavies]

Without dollars for the RTA none of this is happening. The RTA looks DOA.

[Junjie]

Without dollars for the RTA none of this is happening. The RTA looks DOA.

The RTA is currently putting together the master transit plan that they will bring to voters for funding in fall 2016, which will cover Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw. Hence the public meetings about Gratiot and other topics. Their deadline for unveiling that plan is December of this year. They've also hired what looks like a capable CEO in Michael Ford.

It's far from DOA but you're absolutely right that it all depends on dollars. Determining what those dollars would build and then securing them is their current project through next year.

Website is here. The events page has lots of other public meetings coming up for Michigan corridor and for the master plan in addition to Gratiot.

[Junjie]

I think some people in the post are referring strictly to rail and others to rapid transit. I was referring strictly to the rail topic. Sorry for any confusion.

Gotcha, in that case agreed with your points.

[cramerro]

I think some people in the post are referring strictly to rail and others to rapid transit. I was referring strictly to the rail topic. Sorry for any confusion.

mikeg, the problem for me is that these are distinct matters that need to be distinguished. Yes, M1 Rail is a RAIL system... but it is not rapid. So why all the clamoring that we "need to run M1 up to Royal Oak before we add another corridor"... ? If M1 was extended, as designed, as a streetcar to Royal Oak it would probably take you about an hour to ride it there each way. Taking SMART or even DDOT would be faster and more effective.

These studies are looking at RAPID transit, rail or bus or subway for that matter, that changes the mobility picture along these corridors. With equal or better frequency and signficantly improved TRAVEL TIME, the RAPID part is the key word, not the 'rail'.

Also FWIW, Gratiot is the #2 highest ridership route in the region, and is SMART's #1 highest ridership route. While land use [[or lack thereof) may not be transit supportive for sections of Detroit, the corridor as a whole has an incredible amount of residential and commercial destinations AND it is a parallel/alternative corridor to the congested I-94.

[Junjie]

mikeg, the problem for me is that these are distinct matters that need to be distinguished. Yes, M1 Rail is a RAIL system... but it is not rapid. So why all the clamoring that we "need to run M1 up to Royal Oak before we add another corridor"... ? If M1 was extended, as designed, as a streetcar to Royal Oak it would probably take you about an hour to ride it there each way. Taking SMART or even DDOT would be faster and more effective.

These studies are looking at RAPID transit, rail or bus or subway for that matter, that changes the mobility picture along these corridors. With equal or better frequency and signficantly improved TRAVEL TIME, the RAPID part is the key word, not the 'rail'.

Also FWIW, Gratiot is the #2 highest ridership route in the region, and is SMART's #1 highest ridership route. While land use [[or lack thereof) may not be transit supportive for sections of Detroit, the corridor as a whole has an incredible amount of residential and commercial destinations AND it is a parallel/alternative corridor to the congested I-94.

Good point. Also to the land use thing, ideally rapid transit will also shift that over time. E.g. people and businesses will locate near transit once it is built [[over the long term), even if some areas are not intensely developed now. Transportation infrastructure is a form of planning.

[EastsideAl]

In retrospect, probably a mistake to get rid of this system.

[MicrosoftFan]

Get rapid transit on Fort! Show Downriver some love. All we have is like 1 smart line.

[eastland]

Without dollars for the RTA none of this is happening. The RTA looks DOA.

You are right on target. The Mayor and Hertel aren't going to give up any funding that they could use for their own systems.

[MeganDetroit]

They are proposing Bus Rapid Transit a lot like the Grand Rapids Silver Line.

[MeganDetroit]

That's part of the plan too!
Details at http://www.rtamichigan.org/best-proj...chigan-avenue/

They're studying Woodward, Gratiot and Michigan for initial rapid transit lines.

There will be public meetings about Michigan Ave / DTW transit next week:
http://www.rtamichigan.org/fall-public-meetings/