Duggan: Underground railway tunnel way of future for Detroit Metro

**ABetterDetroit** · June-18-18, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

The idea isn't rail ridership. The idea is investing in public transit and the economic and social benefits it provides.

And you showing me a list of 30 commuter rail systems in the U.S. isn't exactly disproving my point. In fact, I'm unsure what you're trying to show considering most of the big regions that we are trying to compete with it are on there. Then again, we are also on a global stage and we're still struggling.

Please show me a study about the economic benefits of Uber/Lyft that equate to the same benefits of mass transit systems. I'd love to see it.

This Duggan thing, while forward thinking, is probably not going to happen. It's just him trying to show how open he is to big projects. That's nice.

In no way do I support Uber as a viable solution to public transportation. You must have me confused with someone else.

I just answered iheartthed my feelings on public transportation. It does have links but not the ones your looking for.

The lower taxes in the suburbs are only lower relative to Detroit.

Lansing rigged the system to benefit the suburbs and strip the wealth and jobs out of Detroit and move them to the suburbs.

The really stupid part is that while they concentrated on that job, other states where lining up and doing the exact same thing to Michigan.

Property taxes in all of Michigan are too high to compete very well nationally, but in Detroit they are a death knell they are so high. 90 mills is supposed to keep people confused. If you don’t know what that means please learn the math.

I support public transportation but it has to be funded by the same successful tax vehicles it is elsewhere. If public transport has the same lousy tax vehicle hitched to it it will be underfunded, fail and face a day of reckoning when the property tax rates are finally examined as the major growth inhibiter they are. It will happen just like it did to the personal property tax here. It is not a matter of ‘if’ just a matter of ‘when.’ What we have going on is unsustainable long term in relation to other states. They are literally eating off our plate, taking our most talented people away and the jobs that go with them.

https://taxfoundation.org/how-high-a...es-your-state/

https://treas-secure.state.mi.us/pte...TEstimator.asp

**Rpr** · June-19-18, 06:21 AM

There this thingy detroit has no other city has underground salt mine tunnels think out side of the box people

**Rpr** · June-19-18, 06:27 AM

The salt mines are already there ready for a elec train just elevators are needed to reach the tunnels at 150 down as for the crap buss system i road it to trenton it wont drop you off at telegraph cause the ignorant city morons in wood haven brownstown

**canuck** · June-19-18, 12:32 PM

Just came across this article this a.m.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/c...mate&smtyp=cur

**iheartthed** · June-20-18, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Just came across this article this a.m.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/c...mate&smtyp=cur

The real irony is that David Koch lives in New York City, which has one of the best public transit systems in the entire world. He should go live in Detroit or Nashville with that attitude.

**EGrant** · June-20-18, 12:36 PM

NYC may have lots of lines and stops on its public transit system, but it is probably the single worst-managed system of any major city.

That being said, I'm not really interested in hearing the Koch brothers' opinions on mass transit when the research they cite was funded by....drumroll... The Koch brothers, who also have business interests in auto and highway transit.

**iheartthed** · June-20-18, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by EGrant

NYC may have lots of lines and stops on its public transit system, but it is probably the single worst-managed system of any major city.

That's a pretty impossible thing to measure, since no other major city has a system anywhere near as complex. Also, NYC's transit system is operated by a state owned agency. It is not owned by the city of New York.

**Wesley Mouch** · June-20-18, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by EGrant

NYC may have lots of lines and stops on its public transit system, but it is probably the single worst-managed system of any major city.

That being said, I'm not really interested in hearing the Koch brothers' opinions on mass transit when the research they cite was funded by....drumroll... The Koch brothers, who also have business interests in auto and highway transit.

I believe in the Times I recently read that the MTA spend TWICE as much per mile on new construction as the Paris Metro. The labour loving French in their capital only do half as good a job of fleecing taxpayers and transit users as NYC's MTA. They should be ashamed!

As to Koch brothers, the Times article [[on Nashville transit vote, which you probably read) is pretty off-base.

Kochs believe new technologies, like autonomous vehicles, offer a better option. Its not about cashing in. They are unabashed classic liberals and libertarians who are not impressed by how gov't runs things -- see the MTA cost per mile note in first paragraph.

To suggest that their motive is to profit from roads is wrong.

**Bham1982** · June-20-18, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by EGrant

NYC may have lots of lines and stops on its public transit system, but it is probably the single worst-managed system of any major city.

If by "worst managed" you mean highest cost structure, then I agree. But NYC has the highest transit cost structure in the U.S., which has the highest transit cost structure of any nation.

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with managing the system per se. It's that NYC is expensive, and the MTA operates the largest subway system on earth, which is aging and has massive legacy costs.