  Kslice Member Username: Kslice Post Number: 141 Registered: 04-2007 |
Taking the Pm down now would just be stupid. We've spent all that money on it and cant very well just give it up. Whats worse than an almost useless train? Tearing down the almost useless train track instead of making it use full. If the PM goes down everyone out side the city will say, Oh typical Detroit, doesn't have the brains or money to make anything work. If the PM got extended or more light rail added to the point where people wanted to ride it it would be a great victory for the city. It's either admit defeat when your behind or try a new game plan to get ahead. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 9842 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: OK, I will amend it. Some of the suburbs fought it. I assumed that it didn't need to be quantified at that level. The feds pulled the money for regional mass transit becuase the region, as a whole would not approve it because some of the suburbs refused to support the plan. Does that make you a little happier? | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1388 Registered: 04-2006 |
Uh, yeah... but no. The reason the DPM is so monetarily inefficient is because it's so damn physically limited. It's really unfair to compare it to NYCTA or even the Detroit buses. You cannot even transfer efficiently from a DDOT bus onto the DPM. Thus there is no incentive for anyone to use it beyond a novelty. It might as well be the monorail at Disney World in it's current state. If it were tied into a larger transit system that served a larger segment of people then it's operating cost per passenger would probably reduce dramatically. | ||
Higgs1634 Member Username: Higgs1634 Post Number: 154 Registered: 10-2005 |
My personal favorite PM stops are the "Bricktown" and "Greektown" stations. Those stops are less than a block apart. | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 199 Registered: 10-2006 |
I wish Metro Detroit and Downtown had something like the D.C metro system! | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 995 Registered: 10-2003 |
So to Mackinaw's point, why not a street car down the middle of Woodward from Grand Circus right next to the people mover station to New Center... to start....and eventually to Ferndale and Royal Oak. Make it an express... 1 stop at the DPL, return at Grand Blvd. Simple connection between focused target areas that adds value to the roller coaster. How much would that cost? | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 9843 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Sounds like a good idea that culd be implemented pretty quickly with a reasonable cost. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 1867 Registered: 10-2003 |
Perhaps this handy guide will help.  | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 806 Registered: 11-2003 |
Is there technology (Motion sensors) that would allow the PM to skip stops where people are not present? The amount of time it stops to pick up no one can get a little ridiculous. | ||
Oakmangirl Member Username: Oakmangirl Post Number: 68 Registered: 08-2007 |
Apparently, too much. It's easier to subsidize more parking structures. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 1858 Registered: 06-2006 |
"If the People Mover is mostly used by suburbanites, then shouldn't the entire region help pay for the subsidization?" The suburbs do help pay for it...in the form of 50 cent fares every time they ride it... Why in the world would the suburban governments agree to help fund the thing when an overwhelming majority of us out here (and I'm talking in the 90 -100% range) don't even use it and think it's too expensive and a horrible idea to begin with? | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1390 Registered: 04-2006 |
Is there technology (Motion sensors) that would allow the PM to skip stops where people are not present? The amount of time it stops to pick up no one can get a little ridiculous. Very bad idea. There might be someone who wants to get off at that station... ^cleaned it up before the dirty jokes came. (Message edited by iheartthed on August 17, 2007) | ||
Gotdetroit Member Username: Gotdetroit Post Number: 94 Registered: 12-2005 |
You know, seeing as this thing is run electronically, they could, perhaps/maybe/dunno, make the PM a two way system by building a couple of strategic runarounds. If you time the thing correctly, the trains heading in opposite directions would pass at the passing tracks and not kill everyone. That's probably putting a lot of faith in Windows 95 tho. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 1869 Registered: 10-2003 |
"That's probably putting a lot of faith in Windows 95 tho." I believe it runs in DOS 2.0. C:\>cd peoplemover C:\PEOPLEMOVER\>peoplemover.ex e Usefullness cannot be found. (A)bort, (R)etry, (I)gnore? | ||
Dbest Member Username: Dbest Post Number: 44 Registered: 03-2007 |
You guys crack me up, notice more than 60% of riders are not city residents which means for people out of town this is somewhat of an attraction for a city with limited attractions. As for those of you who think they should have never built this give me a break! I make sure to ride it every time i make the trek from Indiana and my friends I brought to Detroit for the first time thought it was pretty neat. Granted not the model of efficiency but a fun ride. Look at it how you want I'll view it as a glass half full. The people mover would be a huge hit in many other more vibrant downtowns, look at when it was built hardly the glory days of downtown, the best is yet to come, the superbowl was a great example with everyone saying how vibrant it was and the people riding the PM it goes to show the potential! Build back up the downtown and they will ride. | ||
Oakmangirl Member Username: Oakmangirl Post Number: 70 Registered: 08-2007 |
Why don't we just make it an Express loop and rename it "Bill Bonds's Wild Ride"...hold on to your hair! | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 270 Registered: 02-2007 |
They should shut it down and make it a static display or only run it on the weekends. Until there is a base of necessary destinations, just park it. It's nonsense to keep running the thing when the city is in such bad financial shape. It has returned some investment in terms of visual effect for the city and tourism. It is impressive to see. It's still too early for it to be truly effective transportation. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1391 Registered: 04-2006 |
I'd guess the reason it's such a "hit" among outsiders is because it's easier to direct someone to take the train x stops rather than explain hot to navigate the streets. The problem is that it wasn't built either solely or primarily for the novelty of outsiders. | ||
Screamingfit Member Username: Screamingfit Post Number: 11 Registered: 03-2006 |
A light rail line right up Woodward from Detroit to Pontiac and from Detroit to Ann Arbor would be wonderful. Unfortunately, it will never happen. And, even if it did, no one would use it. There's still no big draw downtown for most average people. Though a train will encourage growth, I think most wouldn't build a train until the growth was already there (chicken before the egg). If you travel to Portland, Oregon, you will see public transportation done right (politics aside). This is what type of service you are provided by a liberal state government and a large eco-conscious constituency that demand such things. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1392 Registered: 04-2006 |
^Thus Detroit will continue to die. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 1871 Registered: 10-2003 |
Perhaps a large sign outside Comerica Park directing people to the closest station, and advertising some of the restaurants and other entertainment that can be enjoyed after a game would be beneficial. Not sure Illitch would be keen on people leaving Illitch Land though. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1812 Registered: 01-2005 |
Detroit is not alone in such a curiosity. Las Vegas has a monorail system that opened two years ago after much hoop-la. It's been a bust. Besides having a lousy route on the backside of the east side of the strip, it's suffered breakdown after breakdown. Damn thing has turned into a local joke. On the plus side, it was built with private funds (although given the right-of-way by the county), so as a taxpayer I'm not burdened with this white elephant. Yet. Link at www.lvmonorail.com | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 649 Registered: 12-2006 |
The People Mover has little ridership because it's not functioning as part of the overall public transit system. That's a theory, but let's see if my fellow bloggers can back me up. I am a frequent bus rider. I have a regional pass. I spend a good bit of time downtown. And I absolutely never use the People Mover. All my fellow bus riders, check in: do you use the People Mover as part of a trip by transit? Bringing your Aunt Jane from Omaha downtown to see it doesn't count. That's just treating it as an amusement park ride. Curious to see what results we get here. My guess is a very low percentage, near zero, are going to say they use it. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3600 Registered: 02-2005 |
You know what, I have to question what I and other have been saying. Let's say we do get some new rapid transit along major thoroughfares, and even comprehensive reasonable transit; how would that make the DPM more useful? It would be the same deal, except more people would take transit downtown than their cars. Once downtown, you'd have the choice of walking, or shaving off two minutes and taking the DPM. The system would be no more useful; the only truely useful moments for it would be the same as now: when downtown is at maximum event/parking demand and you park on one side of downtown and want to get to the other side. I think we need to stop rationalizing it by saying that regional transit will make it better. It will still be a small, closed system of one-way trains in a one square mile area. Now, you could "un-close" the system, bring the tracks down to street level, and extend the loop up to New Center or beyond (I just don't want to see more elevated rail around the city-- plus doing this would really make it like a rollercoaster!) | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 1877 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ray, I like that LV Monorail, since it allows me to get to the Hilton without taking a Cab. I always have to visit that wacky Star Trek bar when I'm there. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 9845 Registered: 10-2003 |
IN the winters they should fill the track with water, freeze it and make it a loop for ice skating. Charge $6 a head.  | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1540 Registered: 11-2003 |
You can complain about the DPM, but look at how development is done around it. The new YMCA was originally supposed to connect to it, but due to cost it is just next to it. GM rebuilt their station when they took down the berms. Compuware integrated and rarely used station in to their parking garage. The DPM is marketed to out of town conventions as an easy way to to get around to stuff downtown. I know last March when the American String Teachers Association had their national convention at the Ren Cen Marriott, they many of the attendees used the DPM to get to Greektown and over to Broadway to go to the Opera House and Small Plates/Detroit Beer Company. It is an easy way for out of town visitors to get around downtown. I know when I first started going to Chicago, I did not know my way around and took the El places, it was much easier to walk to, but the directions were easier to follow from the El stations until you knew your way around. With the addition of the Book Cadillac and the Fort Shelby bringing more small convention business to our city, the DPM will come into more use. Also isn't the new Rosa Parks Transit Center supposed to help connect the busses to the DPM? | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 1878 Registered: 10-2003 |
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Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3602 Registered: 02-2005 |
"You can complain about the DPM, but look at how development is done around it." Yeah, because it haphazardly cuts through city blocks. The Statler site redevelopment will have to have a sizable setback on Washington and Park because of the tracks, likewise at the YMCA, and the back side of the Hudson block. This is bad news. You reinforced the point that it's appealing for visitors, but it still doesn't help locals that much. RenCen to Greektown should be easily walkable. The only reason to take DPM is if it's zero degrees outside, or because Jefferson is too intimidating to try to cross (which I certainly sympathize with). | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 1880 Registered: 10-2003 |
Mack, walking from RenCen to Greektown at night right now is not a walk I enjoy. The area is unlit, undeveloped, and can be intimidating. With more infill of development, then I would agree with you. |
