  Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 198 Registered: 08-2004 |
 I just discovered this amazing new application of railbanking (converting a section of elevated rail, as opposed to grade level or below) taking place in Lower Manhattan. The High Line was an elevated freight line that serviced the warehouses and factories of the Lower West Side. At points, a right-of-way was established through existing buildings. The line has been abandoned since 1980 and much like the forgotten building of Detroit, grasses and trees have established themselves along the line. The Friends of the High Line are working with the City to preserve these viaducts and convert them into an elevated linear park and public spaces along the lines of the Promenade Plantée in Paris. http://www.thehighline.org/ http://www.thehighline.org/design/prelim_design/index.htm http://www.oldnyc.com/highline/contents/highline.html http://fadeddetroit.com (Message edited by leland_palmer on December 16, 2006) (Message edited by leland_palmer on December 17, 2006) | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 139 Registered: 10-2006 |
What is the application to Detroit? | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 268 Registered: 04-2006 |
oh, easy... they're going to airlift lower manhatten and plop it over brightmore... the city of detroit will hold a public auction of city owned land in the brightmore area and give "the cheesecake facotry" exclusive retail rights for what will be christened "lower brighthatten" to finance the move... additionally, all current residents of brightmore (all 102 of them) will be given free housing in spacious luxury lofts in the newly created neighborhood. (this also paid for by the public auction and cheesecake factory deal.) | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1917 Registered: 10-2004 |
I suppose that some Detroiters complained about having something stolen from ***them*** when the trestle leading to the former FSUD was torn down and the community college (WCCC) was built in its place. If that space wasn't used, it might still be standing today. | ||
Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 199 Registered: 08-2004 |
OBVIOUSLY, it dosen't apply directly to Detroit. However, seeing as city will be converting the Dequindre cut into a Rails-to-Trails development as a link between Tri-centennial Park and Eastern Market I found it interesting to see what another city was doing with their rails lines. I also found it interesting from a preservation/reuse perspective. Instead of tearing down something that is part of the fabric of that neighborhood, the community is embracing it and turning it into something better. One of my main interests in this site is seeing the preservation and redevelopment of the city's structures as well as documenting the treasures that we have lost. That interest,for me extends to other cities as well and I thought I'd share. Sorry, you didn't find it of any value. | ||
Homer Member Username: Homer Post Number: 59 Registered: 08-2004 |
LP appreciated here.........We can learn from others lotta asshats on this forum......... | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 556 Registered: 04-2006 |
This will be a rails to trails in the sky sort of project. It is an interesting one. It received a national planning award last year. http://www.planning.org/confer encecoverage/2006/tuesday/awar dwinners.htm Want to manage the job? http://www.planning.org/Jobson line/addetails.htm?AdID=28743 | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 386 Registered: 08-2006 |
Good post Leland_palmer, I read about that project in the New York Times magazine. Milwaukee has something like this. There used to be a rail line up to the north shore suburbs of Milwaukee from downtown. The rail line was abandoned in the 60's I believe. Just about 10 years ago, the rails were torn out and a bike path was paved. The sides have great old stone walls. The path is about 40 feet into the ground, no roof over it, just a canopy of trees. The bike path has entrances at major avenues. The point of me saying this is that Detroit may not have a giant stretch of abandoned elevated rail tracks, but I know there are miles of tracks that cross the city. Tracks below street level, but not covered. All of that could some day become what Milwaukee has. A key to that happening would be to improve security. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 387 Registered: 08-2006 |
https://www.detroityes.com/art/03ca ve_entrance.htm I don't know where those tracks lead, but if the city or the county could pave a path and clean up all the God knows what down there, then that would be an amazing ride. Make it a destination though. Have paths going up to Gross pointe or Royal Oak. Long trip, but a rewarding trip through Detroit. Really though, security comes to mind when with a project like that. No security, desolate bike path. | ||
Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 200 Registered: 08-2004 |
Milwaukee, The plans for Dequindre cut was the Detroit tie-in to my post. I haven't seen anything new about it in a while, but here's a couple of links http://www.modeldmedia.com/fea tures/dequindre.aspx http://www.downtownpartnership .org/ddp/newsletters/October_I nsider_3.htm I think it's a great idea. I agree that with the path being below grade safety will be an issue. I 'm pretty sure I read that they were planning on putting security cameras down there. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 269 Registered: 04-2006 |
Sorry if i'm an asshat. just a joke. no harm meant. it is a good point, i just like having fun from time to time. sorry, leland palmer. - andy | ||
Dialh4hipster Member Username: Dialh4hipster Post Number: 1867 Registered: 11-2004 |
This is news? Not since two years ago... | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1918 Registered: 10-2004 |
Making good use of abandoned rail corridors and rights-of-way have been around for at least 25 years. Wisconsin has been converted such into hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing trails for eons. The Ice Age Trail uses abandoned rail sites for parts of its hundreds of miles. | ||
Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 201 Registered: 08-2004 |
I haven't seen any reuse of elevated rail-lines before. The concept is old, this application is relatively new. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1919 Registered: 10-2004 |
The concept requiring millions of dollars to reuse derelict abandoned Els would be a hard sell to most others except those living/working in a concrete jungle, such as NYC. Hell, some of them even refer to common yard and garden weeds that Detroiters routinely pull or dump Scott's onto as "wildflowers" that should be protected. Perhaps, some cunning tour promoter could propose trips to Detroit for those of that mindset living in New York. It can't hurt... | ||
Sticks Member Username: Sticks Post Number: 159 Registered: 08-2005 |
Milwaukee, that's the (among other names..) Dequindre Cut and it pretty much runs from Dequindre and Mack on south to Woodbridge St. North of Mack, the tracks are actually used. I've seen a few reefers parked at whatever's on the other side (Pepsi Plant?). And that picture in the link you showed looks like it was taken maybe 3 years ago or more. The water towers are still blank as are the columns on the building on the right. | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 323 Registered: 09-2004 |
Leland_palmer, I found your post of value too. The old MC freight line from the Tunnel Entrance to near the river is still intact, and will some day be useful if a more downtown station is ever constructed. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 564 Registered: 04-2006 |
Leland there is a 640 foot trussle being used outside of Port Huron along the Avoca trail. The community Foundation of Michigan, and funding from the Federal Transportation Enhancement program helped to pay for the rehabilitation of this historic piece of transportation history. http://greenways.cfsem.org/gra ntees/grantees_reader.php?pid= St_Clair_County.txt Examples of older structurally obsolete smaller bridges being re-used exist all over Michigan as pedestrian paths. Livernois, I just use Weed-B-Gone, that Scotts stuff will make your grass grow too fast! | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 3254 Registered: 08-2004 |
Does the below grade rail trench still exist going northwest from downtown (near WCCC)? Or has it been filled in? | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1930 Registered: 10-2004 |
Actually, it's near 11th Street. I walked it two summers ago, so it's still there. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 391 Registered: 08-2006 |
"The old MC freight line from the Tunnel Entrance to near the river is still intact" I read about that, is that still in use? Man, that would be really creepy to go into. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1944 Registered: 10-2004 |
The MC moat is mostly open. It's only covered by street bridges for short distances. There's even a very tiny section of one track still there for some reason. You can see it if one looks hard enough just west of Twelfth Street near the south edge of the moat. BTW, it's not recommended to stray too close to the Border Patrol cops that often park their squad car on the dead-end portion of whatever 14th Street is called today, if anything. They'll certainly detain you, or the RR cops might slap you with a $110 fine, or worse. The last time I walked it while jogging/running/walking from downtown to SW Detroit, I met a homeless guy with a Radio Shack chess computer along the Exposition Spur near Clark Street, and he wanted to know if I would play a chess game. I did, although it was getting quite late in the evening, and the Spur in Delray can be fairly spooky walking when dark out. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 3262 Registered: 08-2004 |
LY, pardon my ignorance, but are you saying that there are 2 rail tunnels to Canada? This one and the other one farther west (near Michigan Central)? Is this one still in use? (Which would explain Border Patrol) | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1953 Registered: 10-2004 |
The entrance to the two-tube rail tunnel is just southeast of the 15th Street interlocker (by the Bagley Street bridge). The railroad grade is slight, by necessity, so that it takes a while before it goes under the river. The moat was in use since the mid 1800s, although it could been have started at grade level. Downtown Detroit was initially sited on account of its elevation near the Detroit River for use as a military fort. So, the rail cut (moat) through that hill probably was necessary from the onset. In 1850, Detroit only was built up to about Eighth Street on the west. Trumbell would have been Ninth Street, if my memory holds. The MC had its depot at Jefferson and Third and freight operations along the Detroit River about where the apartments are now located west of the Joe. The moat (near the mouth of the tunnel) was used to connect the Michigan Line to its downtown operations, exiting at Eleventh and Jefferson. Obviously, its Detroit business was more important than connecting to Canada before the early 1900s. The Michigan Line itself probably dates back to 1836 or 1837 when it left Michigan and Griswold and eventually was extended west to Dearborn and Ypsilanti. (Message edited by LivernoisYard on December 19, 2006) |
