Reinventing Detroit

In the first half of the twentieth century, Detroit was a transit city. In 1922, it became home to the largest municipally-owned transit system in the country, and at its peak in 1945, Detroit’s transit network provided 492 million rides. The streetcar system alone operated almost 1,500 cars, employed 4,000 people, and operated 30 different lines along 363 miles of track. Following World War II, in 1956, after 93 years of service to the city, the last streetcar ran on Woodward Avenue downtown, giving way to the auto heyday in Detroit.

In the early 1950’s, Detroit accounted for 80 percent of worldwide automobile production, which supplied 330,000 manufacturing jobs and supported a population of nearly 2 million people. Between 1972 and 1992, when factories began moving out of the city for the suburbs, Detroit lost almost two-thirds of its factory jobs. The factories never came back to Detroit, and today the unemployment rate hovers around 30 percent with an overall population of less than a million people. A third of the “Motor City” population does not have access to a car, limiting their access to jobs and necessary goods and services.

Will a renewed dedication to mass transit in Detroit serve as a solution to its economic woes? After overcoming funding issues through the use of an innovative public-private partnership, Detroit will soon be taking its first step in creating a comprehensive regional transit network. Later this year, Detroit will break ground on a light rail line along Woodward Ave., the first modern, mass-transit initiative in the city long synonymous with the automobile.

Stakeholders hope the planned $425 million, 8-mile light rail system will spark the revitalization of Detroit, providing much-needed transportation to city residents and stimulating economic growth in the area. The Woodward light rail line will encompass some of Detroit’s best-known entertainment districts, including Comerica Park, home of baseball’s Tigers, and Ford Field, where the Lions play football. The route winds past the Fox Theater district and extends into Detroit’s New Center area, the center of gravity for many local hospitals and medical facilities, as well as much of the Wayne State University campus. The line is expected to attract 22,200 daily riders, create over 12,000 jobs, and generate $933 million in economic development upon opening.

Learn more about Detroit’s investment in transit at the movie screening of “Beyond the Motor City” on June 23, 2010.

For additional information:

• Detroit’s Light Rail Project Site – M-1 Rail

• Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) – Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study (DTOGS)

NEWS

Local News

Chicago on the low end of high- speed rail – Chicago Tribune “Chicago stands to reap up to $6.1 billion annually in new business and up to 42,000 new jobs if plans for trains traveling at up to 220 mph across the Midwest are completed over the next 25 years, according to the four-city study conducted on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.”

Motorists to get relief at new $59 million rail underpass – Chicago Tribune “Construction begins next month on a $59 million railroad underpass in Downers Grove at Belmont Road, one of the state's most frequently blocked crossings. The underpass will reduce congestion and vehicle emissions.”

Will Peoria catch the next train? – Peoria Journal Star “Peoria used to be served by 15 different passenger railroads that accounted for 70,000 miles of track. But the city has been off-track since 1981.”

Reverse commute takes their time – Chicago Tribune “More workers now face commutes to suburban jobs that aren't as readily accessible by public transportation.”

High-speed rail projects suddenly on fast track – Crain’s “Federally funded high-speed rail projects in Illinois and others parts of the country could get under way in as little as two weeks, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.”

Governors agree to partner on Illiana Expressway – Chicago Tribune “In what they called an unprecedented partnership between the two states, the governors of Illinois and Indiana agreed Wednesday to team up to build a new superhighway intended to ease congestion, create jobs and spur economic growth.”

World News

High-Speed Rivalry Picks Up Steam – Wall Street Journal “Foreign railway operators and equipment makers are gaining steam in the race for a chunk of the $8 billion the Obama administration has awarded states for high-speed rail projects, but Amtrak, which wants to remain the nation's sole operator of high-speed trains, risks getting left at the station.”

Apartment seekers willing to pay more to be near light rail – Denver Post “People are willing to pay about 4 percent more a month to rent an apartment within a quarter-mile of a light-rail stop. That's pushing vacancy rates down in those communities, and the cost of land near transit is going up, according to a recent analysis of the apartment market by Grubb & Ellis.”

Funding rules fuel clash within mass transit world – Washington Post “A bipartisan group is pushing legislation that would give transit systems more freedom to use federal funding -- $10 billion a year on top of the stimulus money -- as they see fit.”

Mayor Villaraigosa's 30/10 plan: Moving forward – Los Angeles Times “30/10 proposes leveraging the half-cent sales tax increase to which 68% of Los Angeles County residents agreed when they passed Measure R with federal loans secured by those tax revenues to allow the MTA to build the 12 crucial projects specified in the measure in just 10 years rather than the projected 30.”

High-speed train gives South Africa a lift – Los Angeles Times “For South Africans, the Gautrain (pronounced how-train), traveling at 100 mph and linking the area's airport with Sandton, is a powerful symbol of modern Africa, and their country's advancement and preparedness for the World Cup.”

Bus Lanes to Quicken Commute on East Side – New York Times “Starting in October, buses will be granted an exclusive lane to speed up travel on First and Second avenues from Houston Street to 125th Street, a trip that can last an hour and a half.”

City to add 21 rail, subway lines – Global Times “Beijing already has 200 kilometers and nine lines but by 2020, the city aims to have 30 lines and 450 stations, according to an unfinished Beijing Urban Track Transportation Plan.”

Golden Gate Bridge to charge carpoolers $3 toll – San Francisco Chronicle “The carpool toll is an effort to balance the district's budget while still rewarding carpoolers for reducing congestion and air pollution.”

Metro approves broad fare increase, peak-use surcharges – Washington Post “Metro's board of directors on Thursday unanimously approved the most expansive fare hike in the history of the transit agency: nearly $109 million worth of rail, bus and paratransit increases, including a new 20-cent "peak-of-the-peak" surcharge for some rush-hour riders.”

Resources

• Gasoline Taxes: An Examination of News Media Discourse Related to Gas Tax Funding in Six States—University of Vermont Transportation Research Center

• Public Transportation Preservation Act of 2010 – U.S. Congress

• The Economic Impacts of High-Speed Rail on Cities and their Metropolitan Areas – U.S. Conference of Mayors

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Contact Information

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