Hi,

After vigorously researching the people mover there is one thing I found in all of the articles: The People mover was meant to be part of a regional transit system that never was. Now obviously this is true, but none of the articles outline a single plan. Throughout all the articles I've read I've gotten these parts of a plan:

  • A Commuter Rail line to Port Huron
  • 4 Light Rail Lines radiating from the Downtown area
  • A Crosstown Subway down I-94
  • A Woodward subway line running underground until McNichols, then running in the median of Woodward
  • Commuter Rail to Ann Arbor, Pontiac, Port Huron, Toledo
  • A Royal Oak subway under Washington or Main streets


These conflicting description of SEMTA's Rapid Transit Plans confuse me. Even more is this map:
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And this newspaper:
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A few questions would have to be: Light Rail or Heavy Rail? How many Commuter Rail lines, and where would they terminate? Once the Rapid Transit/ light rail lines reached downtown, where would they go, or would they run onto the people mover?

So can somebody tell me what the Rapid Transit plan was for Detroit in the 60s/70s/80s?

Thanks,
Confused Armchair Urban Planner