Wake Up, Washtenaw!

Thank god for public transit. Just seems the best...

2012-04-19T11:26:58.587-07:00

Thank god for public transit. Just seems the best way to travel in a crowded city. Certainly less expensive then a tank of gas.

I must admit you share a tremendous amount of info...

2012-03-16T03:51:16.142-07:00

I must admit you share a tremendous amount of information regarding Detroit Airport Taxi Service .Personally i will take care of every single word that you had mention over here.

I THINK MONEY SHOULD TAKE CARE OUR COUN TRY ONLY!!...

2012-03-15T06:28:09.089-07:00

I THINK MONEY SHOULD TAKE CARE OUR COUN TRY ONLY!! GET OUR TROUPS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND ALL OVER PROTECT OUR LANDS!!! MILITARY SHOULD BE REBUILDING OURRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! COUNTRY!!! NO MONEY OVERSEAS, THE NATIONAL DEBT WOULD BE PAID!! CHINA GOODS ARE INFERIOR AND DISPOSIBLE. PAY A LITTLE MORE FOR QUALITY AND DO IT HERE. gET THESE MIDDLE ESATERNS OFF THE PHONE ASSISTANCE LINES,CAN NOT UNDERSTAND A WORD!!! ASLIAN STAY IN THEIE OWN COUNTRY THEY BRING THUGS HERE!!AMEN!!

Yes - I've ridden the South Shore line (only a...

2012-03-13T07:05:50.804-07:00

Yes - I've ridden the South Shore line (only as far as Gary) and it is certainly fast and comfortable!

SEMCOG also seems to view promoting sprawl & t...

2012-03-02T07:43:44.693-08:00

SEMCOG also seems to view promoting sprawl & the interests of the townships over as core parts of its mission, which helps explain these puzzling projections as well.

2012-02-28T11:58:54.039-08:00

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

While I support a more robust passenger rail trans...

2012-01-23T08:17:38.005-08:00

While I support a more robust passenger rail transportation network in these United States, I would like to point out that you didn't include what probably is and would remain the fastest method of getting to Chicago:

1. Automobile trip to Michigan City, Indiana.
2. Park in free lot at NICTD-South Shore Line's Carroll Ave. station.
3. Pay about $8 for a comfortable ride right into downtown Chicago.

This is a great way to make the trip.

Wow, great article, I really appreciate your thoug...

2011-12-30T03:13:54.092-08:00

Wow, great article, I really appreciate your thought process and having it explained properly, thank you!
Irvine Homes

Yes, WolfCat - I agree. Having a unified four-coun...

2011-12-15T17:35:07.638-08:00

Yes, WolfCat - I agree. Having a unified four-county rapid transit administration is worth more than any amount of rail-in-the-street.

I tried to be objective about the differences between modes, so people will know more about the options and their advantages.

And I've seen a lot of willingness to fight on the part of light rail proponents with money and influence. I would seriously suggest considering a streetcar for Woodward. They're cheaper to build than light rail, and bring nearly as good investment results. Some communities have built streetcar lines with 100% local funding, and though I doubt Detroit could pull that off now, it's worth floating the idea.

The news that LightRail is Dead.... certainly soun...

2011-12-15T14:39:04.952-08:00

The news that LightRail is Dead.... certainly sounds bad; but it's Not bad at all.

Governor Synder is very close to finally bringing us a Regional Transit Authority.

A Regional Bus System will soon follow.

Say goodbye to Ddot & SMART; the cost of operating two separate bus systems was the Real 'Boondoggle'.

Cheer up people!
Yes, Light-Rail is sexy;
but Light-Rail-on-Wheels (aka, BRT) is still waay better than our situation.

"Metro Detroit leaders indicated Wednesday th...

2011-12-14T20:20:28.589-08:00

"Metro Detroit leaders indicated Wednesday that conversations about switching from light rail to rapid transit buses had been going on behind the scenes.
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said they have held recent meetings with Snyder and other regional leaders on the proposal.
Snyder proposed the creation of a Regional Transit Authority in October; his press secretary, Sara Wurfel, said that legislation to create the authority would be completed very soon."

So...
LightRail is DOA. No surprise really; the proposed plan of Stopping it at 8-Mile Rd was FINANCIAL UNSUSTAINABLE.
AFter the novelty of the LightRail wears off, you realize that it makes more sense to Consolidate SMART & Ddot into a single entity.
Today was a victory for METRO-detroit :]
(http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20111214/FREE/111219951/from-light-rail-to-rapid-buses-regional-leaders-try-to-catch-up-to-a)

Thanks for the shout-out, Larry. Your perspective...

2011-11-29T06:41:20.655-08:00

Thanks for the shout-out, Larry. Your perspective is valid and admirable. I certainly support transit and would also like to see a county-wide transit system for many of the reasons mentioned. The problem lies in details of execution and also, inevitably, in the "who pays" question.

Of course the issue of whether to assume risk also depends on your view of the future. I became risk-adverse after watching Washtenaw County make many bad decisions to engage in an expansive building program based on the prediction that tax revenues from development would continue at the explosive growth rate of the early 2000s. After the real estate collapse, the bill came due and the county has now had to go through drastic cuts in personnel and services. At least one of those buildings (at Zeeb Road) is nearly empty.

Thanks for your engagement with the issue.

Vivienne

RE: 'the cost of doing nothing' - I am so ...

2011-11-21T08:19:24.482-08:00

RE: 'the cost of doing nothing' - I am so glad you raised this point, because I was thinking the same thing as I read through VA's series. She's done admirable work parsing the numbers. But the fact remains that eventually somebody's going to need to start planning for with the increasing vehicular congestion in the city, as well as the mobility needs of non-drivers outside AATA's existing service area. Her big concern seems to be the agency's projected deficit & what will happen if the millage fails. I agree with her that they better have a plan B.

There are forms of mass transportation which are n...

2011-08-28T14:13:31.899-07:00

There are forms of mass transportation which are not "government" - Greyhound Bus, for example.

People who say government investment is inefficien...

2011-08-17T08:05:48.979-07:00

People who say government investment is inefficient are comparing government to successful private business. When you include failures, private business is extremely wasteful.

Whoa!! Very Positive News: http://www.freep.com/a...

2011-08-09T11:03:19.638-07:00

Whoa!! Very Positive News:

http://www.freep.com/article/20110808/NEWS05/108080326/Study-examines-extending-Woodward-light-rail-from-Detroit-suburbs-like-Ferndale-Birmingham

Good idea, WolfCat! I'm hoping we'll hear ...

2011-08-09T09:10:49.747-07:00

Good idea, WolfCat! I'm hoping we'll hear from TRU...

'Negativity' is one thing. 'Valid Conc...

2011-08-08T12:25:47.866-07:00

'Negativity' is one thing.
'Valid Concerns' are another.

In other news, there was an invitation-only Discussion Panel today at Wayne State University regarding the Light-Rail. i wish i could have gotten access.

Faramir's *favorite* reporter 'Bill Shea' has already blogged his two cents ;)
To No surprise, its doom & gloom: "There's no active work on a Regional Transit Authority, which is seen as critical to having a successful light rail system. The last effort to craft RTA legislation died after the city and suburbs couldn't compromise on how to split federal bus funding."

Oh well.
Perhaps Faramir can get access to sources who were in attendance for another perspective?
:]

LETS JUST GET THE DAMN THING UP AND RUNNING AND ST...

2011-08-07T03:42:43.953-07:00

LETS JUST GET THE DAMN THING UP AND RUNNING AND STOP BEING NEGATIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING THATS NOW TAKING PLACE IN THE CITY! ED.........

Shea: "The city's plan also FAILS to tie ...

2011-07-18T20:55:46.450-07:00

Shea: "The city's plan also FAILS to tie the Line into any FUTURE Regional Mass Transit systems, sources say, and that has M1 balking at financial assistance."
~ hmmmm, I guess the more pertinent question is: WHo are these 'sources'?;
Because Shea's statement sends up all kinds of RedFlags.

Well, if you think Shea (and his unknown sources) are Completely Off the Mark... then that's a Good Thing.

Obviously, i welcome a LightRail, but only if it is truly Regional (something that DDOT & SMART are currently Not).

As far as the PeopleMover goes, SHea is definitely wrong about that.
The LightRail is Great News for the PeopleMover. The proposed route will intersect with the PeopleMover at 3 points: Grand Circus Park, Financial District, and Time Square.
Because of these multiple points, the Direction of the PeopleMover is Not a factor for the riders heading to work.
A Rider can hop onto the PeopleMover and go Directly towards 1) Greektown & the RenCen, or 2) DTE and MGM Casino (GoogleMaps says it's a 7-minute walk from the RosaParks Transit Center).

I guess i should retract my "FAILED" comment. A better choice would have been "FLAGS"... but that assumes Shea's sources are even credible.

Hopefully, the reality is closer to your vision :]

Unfortunately, i still have my doubts about the Ridership. I'm less worried about the Weekend/Sports events; my concern is with the Monday-Friday 8am-5pm traffic.

Where will the riders come from to sustain it during the week?

If the initial Phase (and funding) stops at the StateFair-Grounds, then the LightRail's targeted Ridership is limited to the Residents within the City, no?

Not so fast, WolfCat. Let's check a couple of ...

2011-07-18T12:36:30.728-07:00

Not so fast, WolfCat. Let's check a couple of things...

~ Agreed. Unfortunately DDOT has already FAILED in this regard. Look no further than the Crain's article you cited 'An unhappy M1 Rail puts project funds on the line'
>> I certainly have read the article, but I I found nothing specific about how DDOT had "failed". The entire article is based on *distrust* of DDOT, but doesn't document any specific failures.

~ Honestly, how can the 'WoodWard Light Rail' ever evolve into a 'Regional Transit System' when the proposed Infrastructure is NOT designed to cross 8-Mile??
>> Both of these claims are simply untrue. Woodward Ave. was chosen as the first of several possible transit lines based on an earlier study commissioned by DTOGS. It specifically goes to the downtown transit center so as to connect to as many bus lines as possible, and it goes right past the People Mover. Whether you believe the People Mover is worth the effort or not, it was located so as to connect. Further, the Eight Mile Road terminus is explicitly specified in the FEIS to as a *temporary* terminus, to be designed so that inexpensive modifications will allow it to continue out further.

As I said in the original post, Mr. Shea is not doing good journalism: he has not checked the facts, and he has presented misstatements as fact. If you reply, please base your statements on something closer to reality than Mr. Shea's articles.

For the Record: I appreciated your article as well...

2011-07-16T10:10:20.018-07:00

For the Record: I appreciated your article as well. While i don't necessarily agree with some of your points, i do feel Discussion on the matter is a Good thing :]

Yes indeed. The "Curb vs Center" Debate definitely gets the Headlines... but this is Not the Deal-Breaker reports make it out to be.
(the M1 Group might even see the Curb/Center Hybrid as a reasonable compromise)

So what is the Deal-Breaker??
8-Mile Road.

Faramir: "As long as DDOT doesn't make a complete hash of the first phase, there's every reason to believe a regional authority will evolve out of the present local one."
~ Agreed. Unfortunately DDOT has already FAILED in this regard.
Look no further than the Crain's article you cited ('An unhappy M1 Rail puts project funds on the line'):
"The city's plan also FAILS to tie the Line into any FUTURE Regional Mass Transit systems, sources say, and that has M1 balking at financial assistance."

~ Honestly, how can the 'WoodWard Light Rail' ever evolve into a 'Regional Transit System' when the proposed Infrastructure is NOT designed to cross 8-Mile??

I applaud the M1 Group for standing their Ground.
Higher Ridership = Higher Sustainability

WolfCat, your comment is much appreciated. I freel...

2011-07-15T08:15:51.763-07:00

WolfCat, your comment is much appreciated. I freely admit I focused on the parts of Mr. Shea's article I disagree with.

You are right that there are still issues between M1 and DDOT. The curb vs. center was one of the big issues they brought up, but ultimately the authority to govern the transit system is a bigger one. It's been the downfall of all recent attempts at regional transit, and I think what's happening now is a good way to get things going around that barrier.

As I pointed out, once a region's first line is built, metro areas have found that politicians and cities of all types clamor for light rail. As long as DDOT doesn't make a complete hash of the first phase, there's every reason to believe a regional authority will evolve out of the present local one. There's just too much economic development at stake to pass it up.

Quoting Faramir: "Granted, Mr. Shea obviously...

2011-07-14T16:47:18.939-07:00

Quoting Faramir: "Granted, Mr. Shea obviously doesn't believe light rail will bring investment, or that the City of Detroit can build and run it effectively."
~ What article were you reading?? I reread Shea's entire article but did not see either of these two assertions. Kindly quote the piece of his article that you are referring to.

Quoting Shea: "My point isn't a Know-Nothing rant against engineering — but to suggest that plans generated by wonks aren't always the only solution, and usually there are multiple options that are equally valid."
~ Gasp! Multiple solutions to a single problem?? If anything, i thought Shea's post was attempting to give Perspective on the current situation.

And what about those Falsehoods.
Shea claimed: "The private consortium of investors that has pledged $100 million toward the project's $528 million cost doesn't have faith in the Detroit Department of Transportation's plan and won't provide funding until it does."
You astutely point out Rip Rapson's statement on Michigan Radio (July 11, 2011): "We are completely committed to making this work. We’re all now negotiating through the details of how to get it done. Not whether it should be done, not whether it can be done, but how it will get done."
However, you fail to mention Rip Rapson's Negative remarks on the Situation from July 2, 2011 on the Wall Street Journal.
Shea wasn't making this up... he was reporting what he saw. But That doesnt make him a Detractor of the Light Rail project.

Quoting Shea: "One final point: The oft-criticized Detroit People Mover was engineered just fine. People just don't ride it."
Apparantly you took issue with this comment. However, I thought Shea's remark was quite insightful.
The main knock against the PeopleMover: Not enough Ridership. It's a Money Loser. With the exception of Sports games, Concerts, etc; the PeopleMover loops around all day basically Empty.
In order to be a success, the Light Rail must Not suffer this same fate.
The M1 Group is looking at the Bigger Picture.
They already know that in order to maintain an Adequate # of Riders, the Rail must reach an Adequate # of People; On BOTH Sides of 8 Mile.

According to the MichiganRadio article you referenced, Rip Rapson stated "they are Most Concerned with how to create a Regional Authority to govern the Transit System."
That's what the contention is about.
It's Not about Curb-side Rail vs Center-Lane Rail.
This is about How to get Light Rail into Ferndale/Royal Oak/ Oakland County.

Higher Ridership = Higher Sustainablity

Please help shift the Discussion where it needs to be :]

@fpteditors: You're right about subsidy to the...

2011-04-04T20:12:43.771-07:00

@fpteditors: You're right about subsidy to the auto system. I've harped on that so often I didn't want to bore you with it in this entry. Using Federal Highway Administration figures and some simple arithmetic, the Interstate Highway System cost every man, woman, and child in the US about $6000 to build. I suspect the maintenance cost will soon rise to the same amount, and keep rising, but somehow it's not expected to make money!