Quote:
Originally Posted by LMich
Wait, doesn't the article say that DTOG is expecting M1-Rail to use its own start up money for their plan? That's what's confusing me.
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The idea is that the city would be able to claim the $120 million as part of the local match, but wouldn't specifically use that $120 million in the construction of the New Center-8 Mile light rail line. The $120 million would go solely to the construction of the streetcar line from New Center to Downtown.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crawford
I still don't understand any of this. I have never heard of a privately-funded line, and I don't get how the two can coordinate.
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During the earliest years of streetcar systems, many of them were constructed and operated by private companies. This isn't any different.
The two will coordinate in the sense that the M-1 rail will follow the timetable of the DDOT light rail line to ensure that DDOT will get the federal dollars to construct the light rail line. It will then build and operate the privately-funded line separately from the light rail line (which will be operated by DDOT), but will likely coordinate service. Eventually the idea is to turn the privately-funded line over to a regional authority. (Hopefully by them both DDOT and SMART will be part of that regional authority.)