After M-1 Rail

[MicrosoftFan]

http://www.woodwardanalysis.com/evaluation/

I can't remember where, but there have been rumors about expanding to other streets such as Jefferson.[/FONT][/COLOR]

Maybe an extention of the M-1 Streetcar down Campus Martius, along Jefferson East to Elmwood Park/ Belle Isle? I could see that be great for Rivertown.

[ekleezy]

Yeah, I believe the possibility of expanding to Jefferson East is being looked at. Nothing specific released that I'm aware of, so I'm not sure how far it would go if it happens. I could see that being extremely beneficial for the area too.

[Junjie]

Maybe an extention of the M-1 Streetcar down Campus Martius, along Jefferson East to Elmwood Park/ Belle Isle? I could see that be great for Rivertown.

The recent request for qualification for a new east riverfront development plan stipulated that any such plans developed should include a "Conceptual framework plan for transit including: ...  Connectivity and expansion of M1 Rail via East Jefferson Avenue, including proposed design, budget and financing." This is a request for companies to submit plans for development that include M-1 and says nothing about whether M-1 itself is looking to extend the line out Jefferson [[though I hope they do).

East Riverfront RFQ

As to the main question posed about extending M-1, this discussion has come up before and repeatedly gets bogged down in the difference between a streetcar and light rail rapid transit [[LRT). M-1 is a streetcar. According to others on this board there have been some provisions made for it to transition to LRT north of New Center, but nothing is on the table right now. The vehicles can be the same, but it's the difference between stops every other block and running in traffic with cars [[current streetcar) versus stops every half mile or so and dedicated lanes / elevated tracks / tunnels [[LRT).

The meta-point, as always, is that transportation choices guide development. If we want to create new, dense transit-oriented development, then at some point we have to build high capacity rapid transit even if current usage doesn't "justify" it as a response to existing trips. That would be my argument for building LRT in Detroit. M-1 to 8 Mile as streetcar would be a bad investment - too slow to serve that purpose. But as a thing focused on moving people around "greater downtown" [[Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge, Hart Plaza to Grand Blvd) streetcars could have a lot of value.