DDOT Light Rail Presentation Today

**dcmorrison12** · April-21-09, 01:59 PM

Hello Everyone!

As a part of Transportation Day at Wayne State, SEAL is hosting DDOT in the Student Center building, room 289 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm tonight! They will be presenting their Light Rail project and they will be updating us all on the progress that they are making. The project manager will be there and he will take any questions that you may have for him. This is open to the general public, not just Wayne State students. It's a great presentation and I hope you can make it out tonight [[April 21st).

**French777** · April-21-09, 02:03 PM

I wish I could go!

Please someone take photo's! if possible. . .

**Russix** · April-21-09, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by dcmorrison12

Hello Everyone!

As a part of Transportation Day at Wayne State, SEAL is hosting DDOT in the Student Center building, room 289 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm tonight! They will be presenting their Light Rail project and they will be updating us all on the progress that they are making. The project manager will be there and he will take any questions that you may have for him. This is open to the general public, not just Wayne State students. It's a great presentation and I hope you can make it out tonight [[April 21st).

Can someone please ask this question on my behalf: When is the next presentation? And if there isn't, why?

again much appreciated!

**ASR89** · April-21-09, 02:35 PM

Thanks for the heads up dcmorrison. I will be there tonight.

**rbdetsport** · April-21-09, 02:41 PM

Can someone ask what is going on with combining the 2 proposals?

**dcmorrison12** · April-21-09, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Russix

Can someone please ask this question on my behalf: When is the next presentation? And if there isn't, why?

again much appreciated!

The next presentation is tonight at 7.

**French777** · April-21-09, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by rbdetsport

Can someone ask what is going on with combining the 2 proposals?

Please! Someone ask this!

**ASR89** · April-21-09, 03:42 PM

Does anyone here know if the parking structures to the west of the Student Centre are for students only or public? I'm trying to figure out where to park.

**Danny** · April-21-09, 04:09 PM

Light rail transit. What does Trainman had to say about the this public transit system in which is NOT going to happen.

**dtowncitylover** · April-21-09, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Light rail transit. What does Trainman had to say about the this public transit system in which is NOT going to happen.

Huh?

I will be there!

**ASR89** · April-21-09, 08:31 PM

Well folks, I just got back from the meeting. The turn-out was kind of low. There were maybe seven people there: Three older folks, two super cute college girls, dtowncitylover [[it was nice to me you), and me.

Pretty much, there wasn't much new information at all. If you've been following the project, you didn't miss anything. Two of the older guys seemed new to the project so I suppose it doesn't hurt to recap.

To rbdetsport & French: I asked about the progress of merging the M1 and DTOGS plans and currently, it's unknown about what they're going to do. Nothing's changed.

Currently, they're on the environmental impact studies. They have to write a report and submit it in order to get federal funds.

To end out the meeting, they showed the demonstration video. It's on Youtube if you haven't seen it.

Another one of the older guys was really adamant about elevated rail. He asked if it was cost-efficient to go with at-grade light rail instead of elevated. They answered that it would be more cost-efficient for at-grade. Elevated and subway modes are pretty much off the table.

There was discussion about the downtown set-up. The different proposals are on DTOGS's site.

Ummmm.... I can't think of anything else. That was pretty much it.

Rant from trainman about public transit in 5....4...3...2...1...

**dtowncitylover** · April-21-09, 09:04 PM

I didn't understand how he could believe that elevated is more cost-effective. Elevated has to be more expensive than at-grade and harder to keep-up. Same old, same old though, like ljbad89 said and tt was nice to meet you too!

**Russix** · April-21-09, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by Trainman

Your YES vote for the August 2010 SMART property tax renewal means NO state money for mass transit and SMART and DDOT.

If transit prominent mass transit advocacy group members get their way, our state will join the many states that no longer provide any money for mass transit. State funds for SMART and DDOT will be history.

This is because it is much easier to raise and secure local and county money and in larger amounts.

In the words of one transit tax advocate, the three most important things the taxpayers need to know at the voting booth is Money, Money and Money. Thus, always vote YES, YES, YES for all mass transit tax increases.

Classic Trainman Nostalgia!

**j to the jeremy** · April-21-09, 10:06 PM

For what it's worth, I was the kid from WSU SEAL that was hosting the event. Thanks to everyone who came out. The turnout was low but it was kind of underpublicized and Wayne is starting finals so people are busy. Just curious, dtowncitylover & ljbad89, do you mind telling me which audience members you were? I remember pretty much everyone who was there haha. You can message me if you want.

**ASR89** · April-21-09, 10:14 PM

Jeremy, I was the young guy in the wool hat. I asked about the status of the DTOGS-M1 Rail merger.

**professorscott** · April-21-09, 11:22 PM

J to the Jeremy, thanks for hosting it. I would have been there myself but at my U we are going through exams as well, and I was giving one. By the time I'd have got there, shooting down toward WSU on the Dexter [[speaking of which bus, has anyone heard from Jjaba lately?) and then walking across to the student center, it'd have been over with already.

Watch these blogs for future such events and I hope to meet you at one!

Prof. Scott

**mauser** · April-22-09, 05:53 AM

Ironic that DDOT would have presentations for light rail, when they actually came into existence when DSR was disbanded and all the street cars were liquidated around 1956.

Yup - pretty ironic alright.

Bearinabox · April-22-09, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by mauser

Ironic that DDOT would have presentations for light rail, when they actually came into existence when DSR was disbanded and all the street cars were liquidated around 1956.

Yup - pretty ironic alright.

Also not true. DDOT was created in the 70s.

**dcmorrison12** · April-22-09, 08:05 AM

In case you were wondering, J to the Jeremy and I are both on the Transportation Committee of SEAL which hosted the event. Unforutnately, Wayne State did not publisize the Earth Week events as widely as they did last year. I did not know this until Monday - the day before Transportation Day - so there was little I could do to quickly advertise the event. I also want to thank everyone who came out. For the two members that did make it, Tim, the project manager for the DDOT Light rail, was supposed to be there presenting. He is very knowledgable about the project and I feel you would've gotten a better experience if he was there, but unfortunately he was sick. I'm still glad that Wilfred and Steve were able to make the presentation though.

**professorscott** · April-22-09, 10:09 AM

DC,

I have met Tim from DDOT several times. Would it be possible to ask him to post an update on DDOT's web site, since we haven't seen any kind of update in a good while? Then we could put a link to it here.

Cheers,
Prof. Scott

**casscorridor** · April-22-09, 10:40 AM

It will be very sad if the two plans are not combined or coordinated in any way.

It is troubling that even John Hertel, CEO of Regional Transportation Coordination Council has intentions to push for the privately-funded plan over the public DDOT plan. It almost seems like he has a vendetta against the city.

The DDOT plan makes sense... it isn't a shoddy people mover 2.0

The DDOT plan runs from Downtown to 8 Mile [[probably to be expanded to Royal Oak in a second phase), while the private plan runs from Downtown to the New Center, with an expansion... maybe... to 8 Mile sometime in the future.

The DDOT is full light-rail, and runs in the middle of street at speeds probably around 50 mph. But the private is NOT light-rail, but rather a street car that runs on the sides of the street, NOT in the middlde. It has more frequent stations, and runs much slower. It will not be good for traveling in and out of the Greater Downtown area for that is the only area it serves, and even if it exteded outwards, the speed is too slow.

Transit Advocates should be demanding DDOT and Private-plans merge immediately, or coordinate a way that the two plans can be built, yet compliment each other. Such possibilites are 1) two are combined the DDOT plan is built to 8 mile 2) the private plan is built to New Center under the specifications of the DDOT plan... being full light-rail, then DDOT builds the extention to 8 Mile or Royal Oak 3) The private plan is changed to be serve a different area... light rail on Jefferson Ave anyone??..... there could be many more possibilities.

But I see the MOST important thing as 1) the system covers more than the greater downtown area [[outside of Grand Blvd) 2) the system is EXPANDED frequently so that it eventually serves most of the city

**Russix** · April-22-09, 01:35 PM

Whats more disturbing is that private backers could be rallying for $148 Million which is the 40% required to build DTOGS but instead have chosen to spend $100 million on TRAIL and throw out any support from the federal government. I guess its worth more than $222 million to build this light rail to their specific interests. This merger is propraganda to suppress the public outcry of the crap their going to build with rumors that its upgradable, compatible, and fast. Watch out for slow moving junk on Woodward in 2010!

**Russix** · April-22-09, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

Transit Advocates should be demanding DDOT and Private-plans merge immediately, or coordinate a way that the two plans can be built, yet compliment each other.

DTOGS has a Phase 1, which would be GCP to New Center. I say M1RAIL should be trashed and the backers called out as treacherous monsters conspiring against the public's best interest.

**French777** · April-22-09, 01:49 PM

I could be [[ Probably) wrong. . . But I thought the point of the M1-Rail is to show the Federal Government that we can operate a rail system and be more eligible for Federal Transportation dollars.

True?

**BShea** · April-22-09, 04:00 PM

DTOGS has a Phase 1, which would be GCP to New Center. I say M1RAIL should be trashed and the backers called out as treacherous monsters conspiring against the public's best interest.

Is this serious or tongue-in-cheek?

I'm also confused why anyone thinks Detroit would have the DTOG money any time soon? The federal New Starts money is not guaranteed, and the last major round saw 40% of it go to NY City alone. It could be years, or never, to get such money. And we all know the city doesn't have the match and has no hope of matching it any time soon. Detroit doesn't have $200 million sitting around, and if it did there are more pressing concerns than light rail, I imagine.

I guess I need educated on why there's such hostility toward private backers wanting to spend their own money, and private foundation money, to build the start of a wider rail system. Especially in an age where dollars are limited.

And would we really want light rail running 50 mph down Woodward? I mean, there's a lot of places to stop along there in the downtown portion, no? So if it's going to run slower and stop more, wouldn't it be wiser to have the cheaper modern street car system instead?

I'm not a transit expert in any sense, but that's how I'm seeing things after reviewing all the plans and talking to transit experts and such.