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Woodward Avenue Light Rail was a 9.3-mile-long (15.0 km) proposed light rail line to run along Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. In December 2011, city and state leaders announced a plan to offer bus rapid transit service for the city and metropolitan area instead of light rail.[1] Soon afterwards, M-1 Rail, a consotrium of private and public businesses and institutions in the region, announced the plan for a 3.3-mile-long streetcar line along part of the same route connecting the downtown Detroit People Mover to the proposed SEMCOG commuter rail in New Center.
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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.[2] 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.
History
Detroit had streetcar service from 1892 to 1956.[3][4] Planning for the return to rapid transit to Detroit began in 2006 when the Detroit Department of Transportation (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 (5.5 km) 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 (15.0 km) line.
The estimated cost for the proposed line was $500 million.[2] 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 Template:Convert/spell line to New Center stated that they would continue developing that project.[9]
On November 11, 2012, it was announced that SEMCOG would lead up the Woodward Avenue Rapid Transit Alternative Analysis to review rapid transit options for the entire 27-mile-long Woodward Avenue corridor.[10]
On January 18, 2013, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that M-1 Rail would receive $25 million in federal grant support for the streetcar project, which was tentatively to begin construction in the summer of 2013 with operation of the line set for the end of 2015.[11]
See also
References
- ^ Bing, Dave (December 18, 2011). "Rapid Bus System Is a Win for Metro Detroit". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Woodward Light Rail Project Cancelled, M-1 Streetcar Still in the Works". Detroit Transportation Riders United. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ Schramm, Kenneth (2006). Detroit's Street Railways. Images of Rail. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 7–8, 11–13. ISBN 0-7385-4027-7.
- ^ Kurlyandchik, Mark (2012). "After 50+ Years, Streetcars Could Come Back to Woodward". Hour Detroit. ISSN 1098-9684. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|archivedate=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b "Project Overview". Woodward Light Rail. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Kresge Foundation Awards Nearly $73 Million in Grants in the First Quarter of 2009" (Press release). Council of Michigan Foundations. March 9, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "City Council Approves Detroit Light Rail Project". Southfield, MI: WWJ-TV. April 12, 2011.
- ^ "Detroit's Woodward Ave. Light Rail Project Moves Forward, but Still Has Long Road to Completion". MLive.com. Detroit: Booth Newspapers. September 6, 2011. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Helms, Matt; Egan, Paul; Gallagher, John (December 14, 2011). "Detroit Light-Rail Plan Is Dead: Buses Will Be Used Instead". Detroit Free Press.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Woodward Avenue Rapid Transit Alternative Analysis". Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ^ Helms, Matt (18 January 2013). "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood brings $25 million in federal aid for M-1 rail project". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
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