Woodward Avenue Light Rail has been a 9.3 mi (14.9 km) proposed light rail line to run along Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. In December 2011, the city announced a plan to offer bus rapid transit service for the city and metropolitan area instead of light rail.[1] Bus rapid transit replaces light rail as a link between the Detroit People Mover elevated railway which encircles the downtown and the proposed SEMCOG Commuter Rail, planned to run from Detroit's New Center area to Ann Arbor.[2]
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[edit] Overview
The proposed line ran 9.3 miles (15.0 km)along Woodward Avenue from the Rosa Parks Transit Center to the old State Fairgrounds along 8 Mile Road.[3] The line would have had 19 stops with 10 cars running at a time in two-car trains. Each train would carry 150 people. The trains would run in a dedicated right-of-way in the median from 8 Mile to Adams Street at the north end of downtown. South of Adams, the trains would run in traffic along the sides of the street.
[edit] History
Detroit had streetcar service from 1892 to 1956.[4] Planning for the return rapid transit to Detroit began in 2006 when DDOT commissioned a study to determine expanded mass transit options along Michigan Avenue.[5] Concurrently, a private group of local business leaders decided to provided matching funds to government dollars to develop a $125 million, 3.4 mile line through central Detroit (similar to the Tacoma Link) called the M-1 Rail Line. After much wrangling between the private investors and the DDOT, the two groups decided to work in tandem on developing DDOT's 9.3 mile line.
The estimated costs for the proposed line was $500 million.[3] The Kresge Foundation awarded a $35 million grant to the city for the project in March 2009.[6] It received $25 million in funding from the United States Department of Transportation in February 2010. The Detroit City Council approved the sale of $125 million in bonds on April 11, 2011.[7] The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the City of Detroit signed an Environmental Impact Study on July 1, 2011.[5] Finally, on August 31, 2011, the FTA signed a Record of Decision allowing the project to move forward, with service estimated to begin by 2015.[8]
In December 2011 the federal government withdrew its support for the proposed line, in favor of a bus rapid transit system which would serve the city and suburbs. This decision arose out of discussions between federal Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and Governor Rick Snyder. The private investors who supported the smaller three-mile line to New Center stated that they would continue developing that project.[9]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Bing, Dave (December 18, 2011).Dave Bing: Rapid bus system is a win for metro Detroit. Detroit Free Press.Retrieved December 18, 2011.
- ^ Ann Arbor - Detroit Regional Rail Project SEMCOG. Retrieved on February 4, 2010.
- ^ a b Detroit Transportation Riders United website, About Transit Woodward Light Rail webpage, 17 October 2011
- ^ http://www.detroittransit.org/cms.php?pageid=36
- ^ a b Woodward Light Rail website, Project Overview wepage, accessed 17 October 2011
- ^ Kresge Foundation Awards Nearly $73 Million in Grants in the First Quarter of 2009, Press Release, 9 March 2009
- ^ "CBS Detroit City Council Approves Detroit Light Rail Project" April 12, 2011 1:13 AM http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/04/12/city-council-approves-detroit-light-rail-project/
- ^ "Detroit's Woodward Ave. Light Rail project moves forward, but still has long road to completion". Michigan Live. September 6, 2011. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/63x9RbxHJ. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ^ Helms, Matt; Paul Egan and John Gallagher (December 14, 2011). "Detroit light-rail plan is dead; buses will be used instead". Detroit Free Press.
[edit] External links
