Libertarians bash light rail

[R8RBOB]

The story was simultaneously carried by Channel 2 and The Detroit News.

Yahoo News also picked it up as well

People keep forgetting that DETROIT HAD A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM UNTIL THE 1950'S.

It failed.

[[Guess what, part of it also went up Woodward).

Even assuming that this project does get off the ground and is built, who will they transport? Where will they take them? Work? Shopping? Why won't they prefer to use the freeways?

With declining population and revenue [[Rob Bobb of all people is asking for a $332-million handout), not only is the People Mover analogy correct, but because of the questions above, light rail will never succeed.

And when politicians pull out the "We must educate the public" argument [[2:43) hold on to your wallets!

This means that they don;t have a clue either.

$500-million can be spent on more important matters than making a few people happy.

Oh look, it's the Master Control Program.... MCP, your comments sure come off robotic. You believe that since it failed before, it will fail again. If the US had that attitude man would have never made it to the moon. And you surely don't understand the way money is doled out. If 500,000,000 is marked for transportation then the money has to be used for that purpose. You can't use the money for let's say emergency services. The money is either going to used by Detroit or another city would be happy to take it. Now the money by the Ilitches, Penske well that's a different story but it takes money to get money.

[iheartthed]

You believe that since it failed before, it will fail again.

Actually, it didn't fail before. It was discontinued in favor of a more expensive and less efficient system that is still currently in use today.

[R8RBOB]

Actually, it didn't fail before. It was discontinued in favor of a more expensive and less efficient system that is still currently in use today.

I know it didn't fail but the previous poster wanted to insert "hyperbole" to make the point that it would not be a good idea.

[MCP-001]

Actually, it didn't fail before. It was discontinued in favor of a more expensive and less efficient system that is still currently in use today.

Since it is no longer around, I would call that a failure regardless of the circumstances behind it.

[Bearinabox]

Since it is no longer around, I would call that a failure regardless of the circumstances behind it.

So now explain to us why we should listen to you, when your arguments are based on a definition of the word "failure" that you just made up yourself?

[canuck]

Yep, MCP

The reason it might not be worth the effort is that the city is so disintegrated that the value of installing light rail in Detroit proper is debatable. There is certainly good reason to extend suburban rail to the suburbs but Detroit should retain the central pivot from which lines start. Subway tunnels are too expensive a proposition for the region. As for freeway use favored over rail, well if you look at the way Detroit continues to encourage building parking as opposed to park and ride as it exists in all major metros, it is simply because there is no mass transit to speak of. People will use it because it is a hell of a lot cheaper to commute in public transit than in a car. And chances are it will get a lot cheaper with energy scarcity.

[MCP-001]

Yep, MCP

The reason it might not be worth the effort is that the city is so disintegrated that the value of installing light rail in Detroit proper is debatable. There is certainly good reason to extend suburban rail to the suburbs but Detroit should retain the central pivot from which lines start. Subway tunnels are too expensive a proposition for the region. As for freeway use favored over rail, well if you look at the way Detroit continues to encourage building parking as opposed to park and ride as it exists in all major metros, it is simply because there is no mass transit to speak of. People will use it because it is a hell of a lot cheaper to commute in public transit than in a car. And chances are it will get a lot cheaper with energy scarcity.

One, I don;t subscribe to the Peak-Oil hysteria.

Two, that position pre-supposes that there will be nothing available in the future to meet our energy needs.

I'm not that pessimistic.

[MCP-001]

Oh look, it's the Master Control Program.... MCP, your comments sure come off robotic. You believe that since it failed before, it will fail again. If the US had that attitude man would have never made it to the moon. And you surely don't understand the way money is doled out. If 500,000,000 is marked for transportation then the money has to be used for that purpose. You can't use the money for let's say emergency services. The money is either going to used by Detroit or another city would be happy to take it. Now the money by the Ilitches, Penske well that's a different story but it takes money to get money.

I see that you avoiding answering all of my points.

You are also generous with other people's money! Even when it comes from the biggest Sugar Daddy of them all: Uncle Sam!

I, on the other hand, am not.

I've already pointed out that Detroit can use money in more important areas like Police, Fire and Ambulance Service.

I'll toss the same question to you, why do you feel that public safety is unimportant compared to thie train to nowhere?

[R8RBOB]

I see that you avoiding answering all of my points.

You are also generous with other people's money! Even when it comes from the biggest Sugar Daddy of them all: Uncle Sam!

I, on the other hand, am not.

I've already pointed out that Detroit can use money in more important areas like Police, Fire and Ambulance Service.

I'll toss the same question to you, why do you feel that public safety is unimportant compared to thie train to nowhere?

Hmm, putting words into my words...interesting.

Being a resident of Detroit, I would not want lack of police, lack of firemen and lack of EMTs. Detroit needs all the money available to keep those services going. They are essential for the city of Detroit.

That said, your programming is in need of an upgrade. You are aware that money geared towards police, fire or EMTs is not going into the train to nowhere yet you are convinced that TPTB can move transportation money towards essential services. They can't. The money is marked for transportation so let's use the money for what it is designated for. And by the way, if the "train to nowhere" was to disappear, the police, the fire and the EMTs will be in the same shitty boat that they are in and this city will still be stuck in the mud.

As for answering your posts, they come off carved in a tree somewhere in Wonderland. Alice, I'm not generous with OPM maybe it's because I don't have any money to be generous with but as I stated before if Detroit don't use the money someone else will.