The ROW for the Detroit interurban lines are still there for the most parts and the wide streets,based on early photos were because they also had a rail line sharing.
So the connect ability with surrounding cites,which would also increase ridership rates in order to offset the slower parts is there without the extra costs of having to acquire additional ROW like a from scratch system would.
There seems to be independent groups pushing for it and an RTA but if the ROW is already there,you can bypass that city and there is not really anything they can do to stop it,there seems to be more of a focus on what one cannot do then what they can do.
What makes it even worse is at a time when barrels of cash are sitting there ready to be spent,Detroits representatives that could get their hands on it are focused on everything but and have been throttled over issues that have zero to do with the city that voted them in to look out for them.
Politics has everything to do with it if you are trying to do it based on taxpayer dollars,if you do not have anybody in your corner you are basically screwed and as it stands,yea at this rate it probably will never happen.
You might be better off courting the private investor groups that are getting into establishing transit lines,originally they were built by private companies.
Yes it was a different senário back then but trends have a habit of returning.
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