  Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2196 Registered: 07-2004 |
Brag: Extending a monorail system is prohibitively expensive. Using the monorail system as a hub for light rail makes much more sense financially. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4163 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks, Jsmyers. This sounds even *more* promising then! Never mind how helpful this light rail line would be in implementing commuter rail to Ann Arbor (and elsewhere). | ||
Pkbroch Member Username: Pkbroch Post Number: 12 Registered: 02-2008 |
I am still trying to make sense of this. North of 6 mile in Detroit Woodward is a landscaped berm area. Destroy that two mile berm, cut down the bushes and the trees. Then... try to figure a way to go around or under or up the BRAND NEW Woodward bridge. Then put light rail north of eight mile and cut down all the small cities, Ferndale, RO, Huntington, Berk, B'ham, and Bloomfield, trees, bushes and landscaping. In 2001-2004 the State of Michigan spent over $ 4,000,000. to repave Woodward, put in new curbs and berms, landscaping, and do a design analysis on the new bridge.Some of this through Fed. funds and MDOT. Now after only four years they want to rip it all up again. Don't these people talk to another??? Take that one large stretch of trees and green belt and obliterate it. There is a railway right one half mile east of Woodward. Amtrak used to rum a train from downtown to pontiac. I live off the wide part of Woodward, but those south of Six mile may have to live with one lane of traffic or two lanes with no parking not fun for business. | ||
Bragaboutme Member Username: Bragaboutme Post Number: 189 Registered: 02-2008 |
about how much would it cost to connect it to fordfield down the service drive to MGM and back to fort street? | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 1690 Registered: 11-2003 |
Great news. President Ford will be delighted. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 2461 Registered: 10-2006 |
Doubtful that a 400 space park-and-ride will be big enough. Might be a better idea to build a deck and learn from Charlotte, NC: "With ridership topping projections, the [Charlotte] Lynx Blue Line's 1,120-space parking deck at the Interstate 485/South Boulevard station is filling up consistently, and drivers are circling for spots." http://investing.businessweek. com/research/stocks/news/artic le.asp?docKey=600-200804030443 KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_50951-770JTJKT U6QKNS4M5651JHFILQ×tamp=0 4/03/2008%204:43%20AM%20ET&hea dline=Light-rail%20riders%20fe el%20parking%20deck%20squeeze% 20%5BThe%20Charlotte%20Observe r%2C%20N.C.%5D&docSource=Knigh t%20Ridder/Tribune&provider=AC QUIREMEDIA&symbol=SI | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2197 Registered: 07-2004 |
*SATIRE WARNING* Yeah, but it'll never happen here, because people love their cars.  | ||
Amgasper01 Member Username: Amgasper01 Post Number: 18 Registered: 02-2008 |
It'd be nice if the line would run all the way down to Hart Plaza so we can eliminate all those unsightly bus stops along Merchant's Row. Or will those be gone once the Rosa Parks Transit Center is complete? | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 370 Registered: 10-2006 |
They're bus stops... Whats so unsightly about them? People need buses and why would Rosa Parks Transit center eliminate them? Michigan Ave. in Chi has bus stops and no one complains. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2200 Registered: 07-2004 |
^^ All the unsightly poor people around them? | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 372 Registered: 10-2006 |
Thats where it sounded like the post was going, unfortunately. I take a bit of offense referring to disadvantaged people who need to use the bus as "unsightly" the only other thing you could possibly be talking about are the sign posts, and those aren't any different from any other sign post. | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 2293 Registered: 09-2006 |
Announcements like this just piss me off because five years from who will be surprised if absolutely nothing has happened? I wont. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2201 Registered: 07-2004 |
Yeah, in Chicago, bus stops are important places where professionals, service workers, and families (code for "white people") avail themselves of a vital public service. In Detroit, they're places where po' folks wait for the "loser cruiser." | ||
Sg9018 Member Username: Sg9018 Post Number: 196 Registered: 10-2006 |
Here is a video report on today's Local 4 news, http://www.clickondetroit.com/ video/15949758/index.html Pkbroch, I do remember a article about the new Woodward bridge and the new bridge is designed with light rail transit capability. Also there will be parking spaces on Woodward. Only the blocks with rail stations will have no parking spaces. Here is a diagram that shows parking spaces, With 4 lines, http://www.dtogs.com/f/4-4_Pla ns+Sect_LRT_100-With-Left-Turn _07-11-26_066.pdf and this one with 2 lanes, http://www.dtogs.com/f/4-3_Pla ns+Sect_LRT_90_07-11-26_066.pd f and any light rail line is at least 5 years from now. | ||
Thegryphon Member Username: Thegryphon Post Number: 48 Registered: 11-2007 |
Testy Suburbanite: "No matter where this rail stops: people will not feel safe. I don't care what ammenities Detroit, HP, or whatever has to offer, if I DO NOT FEEL SAFE, I will not do anything in the city or anything to do with it." Fortunatly those are not my words, but u do need to take into account: once people feel safe in Detroit, people will return. SIMPLE AS THAT! | ||
Thegryphon Member Username: Thegryphon Post Number: 49 Registered: 11-2007 |
BTW, is there something wrong with the sond on that Local 4 clip, or is it my computer? | ||
Sg9018 Member Username: Sg9018 Post Number: 197 Registered: 10-2006 |
I think it is your computer. Here is the Action news report, http://www.wxyz.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=10997@wxyz.dayport.com&navCatId=16 The plan is great but everyone has to remember light rail in Detroit has a long to go. (Message edited by sg9018 on April 21, 2008) (Message edited by sg9018 on April 21, 2008) | ||
Living_in_the_d Member Username: Living_in_the_d Post Number: 174 Registered: 01-2008 |
Yeah, Long Live D.D.O.T. | ||
Lifeinmontage Member Username: Lifeinmontage Post Number: 108 Registered: 10-2007 |
i like the idea of the loop of light rail downtown. sure it's redundant because of the people mover, but why make someone have to transfer from light rail to people mover? why doesn't the loop or line termination at the ren cen incorporate the new rosa parks transit center? couldn't the loop come down times sq, take cass to michigan to washington to jefferson? | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 4649 Registered: 02-2005 |
It would make sense to bring it down Lower Woodward. Ending it at GCP would leave a 10 min- 15 min walk for commuters going to the financial district or City Hall etc, and it wouldn't make sense to have a bus continuation for a half-mile stretch. What's weird is that Woodward might have to be widened if it was brought down Merchant's Row, meaning all those new curbs and sidewalk landscapes would have to be cut back. But maybe not...it would just be one lane in each direction, with an extremely wide sidewalk to accomodate the massive throngs of people. Or, it could go underground at GCP, with two or three more stops after that (i.e. Grand River, CMP, and Jefferson). | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2203 Registered: 07-2004 |
I always liked the idea of rail going underground at some point. I can't picture it going over the freakin' freeway, but I can't imagine what it would cost to put it below the freeway. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5945 Registered: 10-2004 |
Observations: The project won't even get far underway due to finances. Sane heads will take over at some point... quote: Just who or what is the city's technical review? What expertise does it have at all in determining employment gains or losses? [A safe bet would be none. So, it's just a bogus claim. Using a dartboard and a dart could produce a better result.] quote: Even if the feds cough up 60%, it would only be 60% of $371 million, or up to $223 million. Which means that $148 million would have to come from yet unspecified (and obviously nonexistent) private contributions and foundation grants. If there were such willing donors able to afford contributing, they surely would have been cited. The local newspaper's puff piece a bit over a year ago said that Ford might contribute to a much more modest plan--which was news to Ford, BTW. Ford is nearly bankrupt, lost about $13 billion last year, and is selling its remaining assets while they still have any value so that they can stay in business a bit longer. In addition, all such transit plans are low balled in order to get the boondoggle started. Cost overruns of 50% to over 100% are typical. If any cost overruns occur, the feds will not cough up another red cent. Thus, the unfunded liability could easily increase from $148 million to $334 million for 50% cost overrun to $519 million for a 100% cost overrun. Take a guess which unfunded liability (obviously paid by taxpayers and any mystery donors) is closest to reality: $148 million (will never happen), $334 million (a guaranteed bare minimum exposed liability), or $519 million (). That $500 million, BTW, will surely come out of taxes--state or local. And the state cannot afford it either. So, guess who really will pay? And one final point: the city expects that only 16% of its operating cost will be met through the cash box. So, most or all of an annual subsidy of 84% of its annual operating costs will definitely will be paid though various local taxes--GUARANTEED. (Message edited by livernoisyard on April 21, 2008) | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2204 Registered: 07-2004 |
A piddling $519 million? Shee-it, that's what it costs to fund the war for 36 hours. Let's see, 36 hours of blowing up their shit and killing them, or the foundation for a future transit system. Whoo-ee! It's a good thing "saner heads" are prevailing, right? | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5946 Registered: 10-2004 |
Nerd: How many mil can we put you down for? Plan to run a few bake sales in your block? | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2205 Registered: 07-2004 |
No! We can't afford to spend money on light rail! We've got to wage total, endless war! No matter what the consequences! *THE ABOVE WAS SATIRE* | ||
Bragaboutme Member Username: Bragaboutme Post Number: 192 Registered: 02-2008 |
Has anyone seen woodward at rush hour, and after tigers and redwings games? I know this may be crazy for Detroit, but this has to be just an idea. The better idea would be to look at the cost of converting new busses to alternative fuels and growing those fuels here in the city, thus creating more efficient routes and more jobs as well. Someone mentioned using existing lines that run parallel to woodward. I see this as a novelty train, and it needs to be thought through. The rational thing would be to give all the alternatives and they be put to a vote. Woodward would have to be widened starting at Grand Blvd all the way passed the davison Fwy. It's a good idea in theory, but I need to look at the real numbers. Remember there was a reason that the other rail cars were sold to mexico city. | ||
Matt Member Username: Matt Post Number: 1257 Registered: 10-2003 |
Weren't there private entities on board to help finance the costs not covered by the federal dollars? | ||
Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 74 Registered: 02-2008 |
Chicagoans have their "El", New York has its subways, and Parisians ride the "Metro", but what will be the nickname for this? My dad called it "the Woodie". Give your ideas! | ||
D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 692 Registered: 12-2007 |
if it is anything like the Hiawatha Line in Minnesota, this is going to be great. Also, maybe DaninDC can confirm this, but since the Light rail opened up in DC...isn't there something like a 300% increase in growth AROUND the stations? | ||
Jgavrile Member Username: Jgavrile Post Number: 71 Registered: 09-2005 |
Where do these guys get the idea that Highland Park is any less safe than any other part of the Woodward corridore?Somebody has been reading too many comic books?? Light rail and Highland Park are a part of Detroit's history. Has everyone gone paranoid with crime?? |
