"Transit in Detroit has kind of been a joke," says Matt Cullen, CEO of M1 Rail, a private consortium heading the development effort. "We've been a victim of vulcanized politics and other efforts. But now we have a plan in place. We'll get it done, and we feel it will have a huge impact on this region."
It's the only project of its kind in the U.S., and the donor list reads like a Who's Who of area megamillionaires: Compuware (CPWR) CEO Peter Karmanos, Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert, Penske Corporation CEO Roger Penske and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch are among those ponying up $125 million to cover the project's entire phase-one price tag.
You're probably asking yourself where the rest of the money is coming from if only $125 million of the $420 million project has been donated by private backers. The private backers are key in this investment, because in order to qualify for federal match funding Detroit had to come up with a large chunk of the cost. However, with Detroit facing a $300 million annual budget deficit the money definitely wasn't going to be coming from city money. The light rail system is set to run past Comerica, Ford Field and Detroit's entertainment district with construction of this private financed section to begin by the end of this year.
I think this is a great idea for the city of Detroit to try and bring more consumers and business owners into the city. With more customers and business owners coming into the city, Detroit's economy would boom and hopefully kill the thoughts that Detroit is little more than a crime infested city.
The People Mover doesn't even compare to this project which would allow people to get out of the heart of the city. With people not worrying about which street they're on and the traffic, they will have more time to look around and possibly see something new. This train could transform Detroit into more of a nighttime city as well. People could go from a performance at the Fox to dinner at the Whitney without moving the car. This is a great prospect and I think would revitalize the city.
What are your thoughts on this light rail system? Could this railway be the saving grace for Detroit?
Full Article
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/15/smallbusiness/detroit_m1_light_rail/index.htm
I think that this is a great idea, and something that needs to catch on more in America. Dependence on cars is hindering thousands of people from obtaining work. I went to last week's community reflection on Children's Rights where a man spoke on the impact of poverty in the city of Kalamazoo. One of the major struggles that people under the poverty level face is that they cannot afford transportation to and from work. A light rail system would help bring workers to jobs and reduce the need for having personal transportation. From an economic standpoint this is a very smart move since it increases the productivity of a workforce. From an ecological standpoint this is advantageous because it would reduce overall carbon emissions and unify and connect communities in and around Detroit.
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I think this is a good idea too. It seems like a great way to bring work into the city of Detroit, and also just a cool project that would work out well. It would bring in a new source of transportation and possibly more people into the city of Detroit when it needs them most. A
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a light rail system. Hannah I think you are right on the mark when you say that people are deterred from a taking a job position because they don't have transportation to get to the site. I think this is also a good way to lure new businesses into downtown Detroit because more people are likely to be in the area. This plan is not only ecologically friendly but will be way to get more people to go downtown at an affordable price at convience. I personally hate driving in downtown Detroit, traffic is horrible especially after a big event and finding a parking spot is even more difficult. I hope to see the plans of this idea take affect. A,E
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that this light rail system could help revitalize the city. The light rail system could more easily bring people living outside Detroit, into the city. It would also bring more people into the city because many would not have to worry about the struggles of parking, and they would no longer have to worry about potential car theft either. The light rail system will also let people go to places they otherwise might not have been able to go to if they had to drive, such as bars. All this is doing is allowing more consumers from the city, suburbs and elsewhere to get to places in the city easier, and maneuver around it easier as well. This is going to help businesses in Detroit, because more people are going to be willing to go to Comerica Park, for example, because they will no longer have to worry about parking, potential damage to their car, or taking the time to plan how to get there. It will take less time and effort for the consumer to go to places in Detroit, which will help business in the city as well as contribute to the revival of the city. (A)
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea as well. However, the idea that people would want to come in at nighttime to the city also is heavily relying on a reduction in crime rates as well. With Detroit already having a high crime rate, this could easily bring criminals all around the city, as well as bring people into the the city to spend time. Other than that, I feel that it is a great idea, but more work other than just building it will need to be done in order to revitalize the city.
ReplyDeleteI've always felt that Michigan needed a much better public transportation system. I think the biggest issue is our obsession with automobiles, due to our history of automobile production (Ford, etc). Public transportation such as this will allow cheaper and easier access to different places for more people. While I don't think it's going to "save" Detroit, I definetly think it's a good idea that should be applied all over the state.
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