Detroit & Michigan: Go-Town Transportation Lowdown

[The North One]

oh, lol. silly me.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by The North One

Would have been cool if they put grass between the trolly rails.

Bof (meh). It's the usual treatment here in Paris, supposedly to induce a so-called organic feel to the streetscape. That's how they sell it, but I don't really like it, to be honest. Assuming it's just cheap enough, while not fitting with a street environment in my opinion. Needless to say, I'd rather have some carefully lain paving with some nice mineral looks. That's what they'd do if a light rail line was ever developed to cross some most historic central districts, but all our light rail lines are in the fringes of the central city for now.

[animatedmartian]

Quicken Loans buys M-1 Rail naming rights
By BILL SHEA



Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. has bought the naming rights for the M-1 Rail streetcar line currently under construction on Woodward Avenue, but the actual name is yet to be decided, project organizers said.

That the online mortgage lender owned by Dan Gilbert is the naming rights buyer isn't a surprise; Gilbert has been the $137 million streetcar project's co-chairman (with Roger Penske) nearly since its 2008 inception. Plus, Quicken upped its financial contribution last year to make it the largest single corporate donor at $10 million.

Gilbert's footprint in downtown Detroit continues to build. Bedrock Real Estate Services LLC has acquired more than 70 properties — mostly buildings and parking decks — in Detroit totaling more than 11 million square feet for a total investment of more than $1.7 billion.

Many of those properties are along Woodward or within easy walking distance of the streetcar line.

....

M-1 in the next month will hire a company to aid it in naming the line, stations and color of the streetcars, and to help with branding and logos, said Paul Childs, the project's COO.

"It's got to be appropriate," he said.

Such communication is important, Childs said, because public transit must be easily understood by users and not conflict with other transportation names.

"Wayfinding for the public is vital," he said.

There will be advertising inside the streetcars and on the exteriors, but probably not the full-vehicle wraps used by the Detroit People Mover, Childs said.

The branding strategy is expected to be developed over six to 10 months, he said.

....

Construction began last summer on the 3.3-mile streetcar loop that will operate on Woodward between Larned Street downtown to just north of Grand Boulevard in the New Center Area.

Work underway now includes specialized curved track being laid around the Campus Martius Park loop. The entire system is scheduled to open in late 2016.

The entire project remains on schedule and on budget ($137 million), Childs said.

The mostly curbside fixed-rail streetcar circulator system will be commingled with traffic. It will have 20 stations at 12 stops, and it will run in the median at its north and south ends.

Organizers predict 5,000 to 8,000 riders a day, with a basic one-way fare of $1.50.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-naming-rights

[Docta_Love]

Despite bridge plan, rail tunnel project travels toward finish

By BILL SHEA May 31, 2015





While plans rapidly advance to build a $2 billion bridge over the Detroit River, backers of a $400 million project to build a modern rail tunnel under the waterway continue to seek funding and government approvals. The Continental Rail Gateway tunnel project has been in the planning and financing stages since it was formally launched in 2001, and is the result of another tunnel project that got its start 30 years ago this week.

.....

The enlargement, which began in August 1992, was done by scraping out some of the concrete roof and sides of the tunnel. The electrical and drainage systems were updated, and a new floor and new track were installed.

.....

The work ended up costing $27 million by the time the tunnel reopened in 1994. It allowed trilevel auto carriers, some “highcube” boxcars, and trailers on flatcars to pass through the tube.

“That was a temporary fix, but it was a critical fix because it allowed us to eliminate railroad car ferries. It took care of most traffic,” he said. “That saved the auto companies a good share of money. They were paying a fortune.”

While the costly bottleneck of ferrying cars was eliminated, the expanded tunnel still was unable to accommodate the largest stacked rail cars, especially the 9-foot by 6-inch “high-cube” shipping containers that are stacked.

Currently, only the $200 million freight and passenger train tunnel built in 1994 underneath the St. Clair River between Port Huron and Sarnia, Ontario, by Canadian National can handle the largest rail freight trains. CN maintains that tunnel almost exclusively for its own trains.

A desire for a tunnel in Detroit that can handle every size rail car gave birth in 2001 to what has come to be called the Continental Gateway Project.

Participants in the tunnel project are Toronto-based Borealis Infrastructure Management Inc., Canadian Pacific and the Windsor Port Authority. They’re funding $200 million of the project’s $400 estimated capital cost.

.....

The state of Michigan last year committed $10 million to the tunnel project contingent on it getting all of its other funding and approvals.

.....

But for that to happen, Canadian federal environmental approval and all other permits must be in hand. That process is ongoing, Byington Potter said.

That Canadian environmental approval could happen by the end of summer, she added. “We’re still working on it,” she said. “Everything has to be in order” to get the federal rail loan.

At this point, the project isn’t seeking any other Canadian and U.S. grants to offset the borrowing, she said.

.....

The funding isn’t the final hurdle: Once all the capital is in place, the project must get approval to proceed under the Canadian International Bridges and Tunnels Act and it must get a U.S. Presidential Permit from the State Department.

Once all the approvals and funding are in place, construction is estimated to take two years, Byington Potter said.

That means if all approvals and funding happened by the end of 2015, the earliest the tunnel would open is some time in 2018.

Byington Potter expects to have a new project timeline at the start of 2016.

“Slowly but surely, it all moves very slowly,” she said.

The new tunnel will be about 50 feet below the riverbed, which is 30 feet deeper than the current tunnel. It also will be several hundred feet longer, and will be dug by specialized boring machinery rather than constructed as tubes sunk into the river.

Design and engineering work on the new tunnel has been done by Omaha, Neb.-based HDR Inc.; Toronto-based MMM Group; and Iselin, N.J.-based Hatch Mott Macdonald Group Inc.

The new tunnel will be open to all rail companies, Byington Potter said.

.....

Tunnel backers also note that the new tube would be near the proposed $445 million Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal being jointly built by CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National as a consolidated terminal near Wyoming Avenue and I-94 that is designed to accommodate existing and future freight demands.

Wayne State’s Taylor is skeptical about the tunnel project.

“It’s very difficult financially because there’s so little traffic that doesn’t fit now,” he said. “It’s just hard to justify the financing. Until we get to the point most of the container traffic does not fit, it’s just hard to justify a new railroad tunnel. I think it’s up in the air. The business case is very difficult.”

The 1910 tunnel handles about 400,000 rail cars annually between Detroit and Canada. The volume with the new tunnel is expected to be about the same but will be done more efficiently with the use of doublestacked rail cars, Byington Potter said.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/ARTICLE...-toward-finish

[animatedmartian]

M-1 Rail delays streetcar passenger service until spring 2017
By Bill Shea. Crain's Detroit Business. August 5th, 2015.

The M-1 Rail streetcar line won’t begin carrying passengers on Detroit’s Woodward Avenue until spring 2017 instead of the original goal of late 2016, the nonprofit said today.

Project spokesman Dan Lijana said new federal safety regulations have prompted the revised timeline.

The construction schedule has not been delayed, he said, and the project remains on its $137 million budget.

Because part of M-1’s funding is federal, it must meet new safety certification standards in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) surface transportation spending law that was passed in 2012, Lijana said. He did not have the specific elements of the bill that affect the project.

M-1 will be among the first projects to fall under MAP-21 regulations, he added.

The project also won’t have its full complement of streetcars until early 2017.

In June, M-1 said it had signed a $32 million contract with Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp. for six streetcars. Two of those cars are still on pace for late 2016 delivery, Lijana said. The other four will come, as scheduled, in early 2017.

Additionally, M-1 is in talks with a third-party firm to operate and maintain the Woodward Avenue system, which eventually is expected to be turned over to the public regional transit authority.

An industry source has told Crain’s that M-1 is in talks with Lombard, Ill.-based Veolia Transit to operate the system. M-1 hasn’t commented on the situation other than to say it is in contract talks governed by federal regulations.

....

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...il-spring-2017

Also, recent pictures from Curbed's photographers;





















http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...hotographs.php

[Docta_Love]

Michigan might create logistics district in Detroit
By Joe Guillen
September 5, 2015
Detroit Free Press





With the Gordie Howe International Bridge opening up a new supply route across the U.S-Canadian border and expanses of mostly vacant land sitting idle, the state is researching a $1.6-billion plan to transform Detroit into the logistics capital of the Midwest, perhaps in the same way Silicon Valley is known for its high-tech industries and start-ups.

The plan recommends using 1,000 acres in southwest Detroit and near the Coleman A. Young International Airport — widely known as City Airport — to create a special logistics district. The plan also includes redeveloping the Delray neighborhood by the river between downtown and the coming new bridge.

The idea is to create such grand facilities and slates of services, including warehousing and loading and unloading cargo, that any corporation, shipping company or other delivery business would choose Detroit as its gateway to and from the Midwest and parts of Canada.

....

There’s a lot of money to be made in logistics and thousands of jobs could be created in Detroit from building a special district, says a 197-page report obtained by the Free Press through a public records request.

....

“I think there’s a pretty good possibility that it will be pursued,” he said of the report’s recommendation for a Detroit logistics district. “The Gordie Howe bridge, for all intents and purposes, it’s a done deal. That’s going to be there and that’s going to be a big plus.”

....

Assembling land for a Detroit logistics district and improving it for future development would involve a significant public investment — at least $380 million — and possibly relocating residents.

Priming the land for development also involves decommissioning the City Airport, which has long been underused by the city.

“We’re really separating it from air-driven usage,” said Joe Bryan, project manager for the team that produced the report. “It becomes like the rest of the property in that entire district.”

In northeast Detroit, near the existing airport, the vision for the logistics district is a cluster of manufacturers and suppliers operating in new, modern factories and facilities. The Delray portion of the district would focus on logistics operations.

Other key recommendations include fixing the surrounding roads and cultivating increased trade with Canada.

....

But it provides plenty of reasons why Detroit is an ideal location for a large-scale logistics district that could generate up to 22,000 new long-term jobs in Michigan, including up to 8,000 in Detroit.

Detroit is close to three interstate roadways, four major railroads and a river. A handful of major infrastructure projects, like the Gordie Howe bridge and the Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal, have taken root. There is an abundance of vacant land near existing industrial sites that could be developed into factories, warehouses and other logistics facilities.

....

The purpose of the report’s recommendation is to provide the state with a complete set of logistics assets to spur economic growth. The logistics district in Detroit, anchored by proposed facilities in the Delray neighborhood and near the city airport, is a crucial aspect of that. But other things have to happen, too.

Significantly, three large infrastructure projects need to be finished: the Gordie Howe bridge, the Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal and the Continental Rail Gateway. The latter two projects involve some uncertainty while the Gordie Howe crossing is considered by most to be a sure thing; construction of the new bridge is expected to be finished by 2020. Completion of these projects is considered necessary for a new Detroit logistics district to operate efficiently.





http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...tudy/71783260/

[Docta_Love]

New Plan for Woodward Ave Includes "Parisian" Boulevard
Curbed Detroit
Rebecca Golden
October 5, 2015





A new "Complete Streets" plan for Woodward Avenue include the M-1 Rail, bus rapid transit, and what planners call "a Parisian Boulevard" in a grand re-design to extend from Six Mile all the way to Pontiac.

The plan will make the Pontiac Loop a two-way street, offer protected two-way bike tracks from Grand Boulevard north, along with protected mid-block bike crossings along the M-1's loop. Plans were settled during over 30 community meetings presenting draft recommendations. The board has developed the plan over the course of two years, seeking input from a steering committee comprised of representatives of the metro Detroit communities impacted by the changes.

The planners are still seeking approval from the the communities along Woodward, and there are a number of pilot projects for the plan actively in development. Assuming no hitches, when complete, the Woodward Ave "Great American Road" will encompass 27 miles of the iconic Detroit thoroughfare, making it the world's longest Complete Streets project.











http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...an-roadway.php

[mousquet]

^ Forget the so called Parisian thing, it means nothing much... I can tell. But if they can do something even bigger than this in my lifetime, I'll be on my knees thanking the Lord.

[Docta_Love]

^ Forget the so called Parisian thing, it means nothing much... I can tell. But if they can do something even bigger than this in my lifetime, I'll be on my knees thanking the Lord.

Hah yeah the whole "Parisian" thing is more about branding the project and making the idea more attractive for some of the wealthy less urban suburbs like Bloomfield Hills that may not see the benefit in better transit and or being better connected with cities like Pontiac or Detroit. I'm not holding my breath for a complete and comprehensive 27 mile long remake of Woodward anytime soon, but these "pilot programs" that were mentioned perhaps can make a big difference on certain parts of Woodward that are lie in between the well established urban clusters.

For example connecting the Palmer Woods - Ferndale area with New Center and the rest of Downtown Detroit would be a no-brainer except for a little place called Highland Park. Its hard to see HP reviving itself without some kind of outside help, rebuilding Woodward as a more walk-able transit orientated zone would really go a long way to kick-starting the kind of reinvestment that is being seen just a mile or two to the south in New Center.

Edit *Obviously having a BRT route connecting Detroit to Pontiac is key along with revamping Woodward into a more walkable street as a whole, but just having a BRT route would really make the kinds of "targeted investment" that seemed to be planned in the pilot phase work a helluva lot more effectively.

[Docta_Love]

Report: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy plans transit system along Detroit River
By Associated Press
May 11, 2015




Quote:
The nonprofit Detroit RiverFront Conservancy is preparing to raise $3 million to fund a transportation system along the Detroit River that includes water taxis and trolley buses.

The Detroit News reports that the conservancy hired Michigan-based Freshwater Transit to study the feasibility of such a system. Based on the research, the conservancy proposed a plan for six water taxi stations and 14 trolley stops from West Riverfront Park to Gabriel Richard Park.

William Smith, the conservancy's CFO, said the first phase of the water taxi route would use six existing docks or access points along the river.

Its a cool idea and as projects like Orleans Landing and not to mention the numerous loft conversions that have already taken place along the eastern part of the river walk. Then there's the western part of the riverwalk there's finally going to be investment in Riverside Park the riverwalks western terminus. While the idea of a water taxi now is a little bit premature it seems that in the near future the infrastructure should be there to support it, i think the Riverfront Conservancy shouldn't have too difficult of a sell in the initial fundraising effort, despite the setbacks and cancellations during the recession the East Riverfront seems to have reached a critical mass and with a major hotel development coming to the eastern terminus the west riverfront once the Red Wings move to their new arena seems primed.


http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...t-system-along

Touching back on a possible riverfront transit system, with the groundbreaking of the Orleans Landing happening today new renderings have been released and one that i believe is of the 2nd phase has a streetcar pictured in it. While we all know that the job of a rendering is to help sell the development and create the kind of image that the public wants its interesting that they would include a streetcar while a riverfront transit system seems to be in the works.

[animatedmartian]

Howe Bridge could be as tall as Ren Cen
John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press. November 29th, 2015.



The planned Gordie Howe International Bridge that will span the Detroit River to Windsor could end up as the tallest or second-tallest structure in the region, rivaling the height of the Renaissance Center and creating a dramatic new architectural icon on the skyline.

There are two possible designs — a suspension bridge like the Ambassador or a newer model known as a cable-stayed bridge that looks like a giant A-frame with cables fanning out from two towers. Final design will be left to the architectural team that has the winning bid from a group of interested international firms already winnowed down to six. The winning team will be selected late next year.

New design details are emerging that show the two bridge towers rising to a height of up to 250 meters, or about 750 feet. The bridge deck itself that will carry traffic could rise 150 feet above the river to allow for clear ship navigation — about as high as downtown Detroit's One Campus Martius building, the former Compuware headquarters.

The total length of the bridge and its approaches will be about 2 miles, making it one of the five longest bridges in North America.

These details and more are provided by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Canadian crown corporation, or quasi-public body, that will manage the project. The bridge is not yet designed so final details won't come for more than a year, but the estimates are considered close to what will be the final dimensions after fine-tuning. The bridge is slated to be opened by the end of 2020.

....

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...idge/76303382/

[animatedmartian]

DDOT to add 24-hour bus service on key routes
Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press. January 15,2016

The addition of 24-hour bus service on some routes is among the changes coming to public transportation in Detroit beginning next week.

They include new schedule times, additional destinations and the introduction of 24-hour service on No. 53 Woodward, No. 34 Gratiot and No. 21 Grand River, according to the Detroit Department of Transportation.

"These service changes come directly from our customers and employees," DDOT Director Dan Dirks said in a news release. "We received countless requests for better night service, frequent peak-hour service and more reliable schedules."

The changes, which are scheduled to begin on Saturday, Jan. 23, follow a series of community input workshops and hearings last year. DDOT is planning a final service change announcement for 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Rosa Parks Transit Center.

The service improvements are made possible through operating efficiencies and a reconfiguration of bus routes in northeast Detroit and Harper Woods, the release said, noting that Eastland Center will be served by enhanced service on 8 Mile rather than buses from Mack and Gratiot.

....

Here's the list of upcoming service changes, according to DDOT:

No. 16 Dexter — Add trips on weekday mornings
No. 17 8 Mile — Extend route to start/end at Mack & Moross, with service to Eastland Mall, on all days. New schedule with expanded hours on all days on this fast-growing route.
No. 18 Fenkell — New schedule on Saturday
No. 19 Fort — New schedule on all days to reflect end of long-term construction
No. 21 Grand River — Add 24-hour service on all days
No. 23 Hamilton — New schedule on all days
No. 25 Jefferson — New schedule on all days
No. 27 Joy — New schedule on all days
No. 29 Linwood — Minor schedule adjustments
No. 31 Mack — Route travels between Mack and Moross and Rosa Parks Transit Center; use No. 17 8 Mile for service to Moross, Kelly and Eastland. New schedule on all days
No. 32 McNichols — Extend route to start/end at Meijer Old Redford on Saturday and Sunday. New schedule on all days
No. 34 Gratiot — Route travels between 8 Mile & Gratiot and downtown; use 17 Eight Mile for service to Eastland. New schedule on all days . Add 24-hour service on all days.
No.41 Schaefer — New schedule on all days
No. 45 7 Mile — Extend route to start/end at Meijer Old Redford on all days. New schedule on all days for enhanced travel options and more reliable service.
No. 53 Woodward — New schedule on Sunday . Add 24-hour service on all days.
All other routes may feature minor schedule changes (affecting approximately 3% of all trips) because of a revised schedule-building method.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...vice/78800534/


Interactive map of DDOT routes.

[The ATX]

That bridge looks awesome. It will add much more to the skyline than any single tall building could.

[animatedmartian]

Detroit's M-1 Rail on track for 2017 opening, rates, hours set



Construction on Detroit's M-1 Rail loop will enter the final phase of construction in 2016.

Last year, COO Paul Childs said the most arduous part of the build would happen through the summer and fall of 2015, when big chunks of Woodward Avenue near Campus Martius would be closed or redirected so that custom track could go down.

Dan Lijana, M-1 communications officer, said Tuesday the rail is still on track for an early 2017 opening. Originally, the rail was to be up and running this fall. It was delayed due to expected testing time.

Lijana said the construction will be finished by the end of the year, at which time safety certification will begin during the fourth quarter of the year.

Details on how the rail will actually function are available ahead of time.

It will cost $1.50 to ride the rail -- Lijana said there will be options to buy passes for a certain number of rides at a cheaper per-ride price, as well as senior and student discounts.

The rail will run along Woodward between downtown and New Center Monday - Saturday, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

....

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...s_for_m-1.html

[JonathanGRR]

The People Mover station at the Renaissance Center will be getting an upgrade by General Motors:

GM to launch large-scale renovation of Renaissance Center this summer
Sherri Welch | 22 January 2016

General Motors Co. plans this summer to launch a large-scale renovation of its Detroit headquarters, the Renaissance Center.

The 120,000-square-foot renovation will include an addition to extend the section of the complex housing the People Mover station to Jefferson Avenue, Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer and leader, global Chevrolet, and global marketing operations for GM, said during a media briefing Friday.

...

Developed with GM’s design team, Neumann Smith Architecture and EWI Worldwide working on the new exhibits, the project is set to be completed before the end of 2018. GM is in final negotiations to name a contractor for the project.

...

The addition will wrap around the People Mover track in front of the GMRenCen, said Daniel Schneider, project manager at Neumann Smith. And it will include a new GM retail store, said Claudia Killeen, manager, Renaissance Center Development for GM. “We get a lot of requests for that.”
...

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...gnews-20160122

[animatedmartian]

SMART, DDOT eye expanded lines between Detroit, suburbs
Leonard N. Fleming, The Detroit News. January 21, 2016.





A joint venture between SMART and DDOT to offer expanded bus service up the Woodward and Gratiot corridors was presented to regional transit officials Thursday, a major first step toward improving coordination and connecting Detroit and the suburbs.

The pilot program, initially called refleX and taken from the words “regional, flexible and express,” would cost an estimated $3.9 million annually to operate. At least $2.8 million of that cost has been awarded in a three-year state grant and the rest would be covered by money earned at the fare box, officials said.

Both routes would originate in Bricktown at Fort and Brush and extend out to Oakland and Macomb counties. The Oakland-Detroit route, run by DDOT, would go to the Somerset Mall area and the Macomb-Detroit route, overseen by SMART, would take riders to the North River park and ride in Mount Clemens.

Officials for Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation and the Detroit Department of Transportation hope to kick off the project by July 1, but Regional Transit Authority officials would have to sign off, and there’s no indication when it might be approved.

....

Two buses each from both DDOT and SMART would operate on their given routes with a vehicles awash in a new logo and design, if approved by RTA officials. The buses would run every 65 minutes on the Gratiot route and 65-75 minutes on the Woodward line but could be faster if additional resources are allocated, officials said.

Hertel and Dirks said these two lines, the biggest transit routes for both their respective agencies, would arguably be faster than the RTA’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit lines up Woodward, Gratiot and Michigan Avenue because they have fewer stops. The BRT routes, which will be decided by voters this fall, have 25-plus stops; the refleX routes would have 13, officials said.

Fares for the new routes have not been determined and both SMART and DDOT officials say that no existing routes would be cut or reduced.

....

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...utes/79133978/

[animatedmartian]

There's so much going on in the area, MDOT wants to hold off until other projects are more set in stone.

State puts off decision on I-375 redevelopment
By BILL SHEA. Crain's Detroit. January 25, 2016.



A decision on whether to radically reshape I-375 in downtown Detroit — or do nothing with the milelong stretch beyond maintaining it — has been delayed indefinitely, the state said Monday.

Citing a need for more study of six proposed ideas for the critical commuter route off I-75 into the city, the committee overseeing the future of I-375 said there is no schedule for new analysis or a decision.

“There is no timetable set for when a land use analysis will be started,” Kelby Wallace, a Michigan Department of Transportation project manager, said in a statement. “We will review the completion of other studies as a template for potential opportunities for land use around I-375.”

The “key observation” of the “Planning and Environmental Linkages” study is that I-375 is an “essential” link to the riverfront — an obvious fact to anyone commuting and traveling downtown.

MDOT said any future decision on the I-375 options may be influenced by the East Jefferson/Riverfront study by the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, Eastern Market's long-range plan, redevelopment of the Brewster Douglass site and Gratiot Avenue possibly becoming a bus rapid transit route.

The study was conducted by MDOT, the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. and the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy and was distributed to project stakeholders Monday, MDOT said.

....

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article..._medium=social

[mousquet]

It's being too slow. They must make the decision faster.

[animatedmartian]

I-75 plan opens transportation rift
By BILL SHEA KIRK PINHO and ROBERT SNELL. February 14, 2016. Crain's Detroit.



An estimated $1 billion plan to widen I-75 in Oakland County has exposed tension between supporters who view the project as a boon to economic development and opponents who favor a greater investment in mass transit.

The rift adds a layer of drama to a 20-year construction project that will widen I-75 between Eight Mile Road and M-59. The project is designed to accommodate the region's continued recovery from the Great Recession, job gains in Oakland County and growth among communities straddling one of metro Detroit's busiest and most important commercial corridors.

Some transit and planning experts call the plan — touted during Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson's State of the County Speech on Feb. 10 — a waste of taxpayer dollars. The project flies in the face of younger generations' preferences for more densely packed urban communities where most of their needs are within a short walk, bike ride or trip on another form of transportation.

Patterson "is promoting the kind of planning that destroyed our cities in the postwar 1950s," said Robert Gibbs, managing principal of Birmingham-based Gibbs Planning Group Inc., which recently completed a master plan for the headache-inducing I-696/Woodward Avenue area. "It's going to make Oakland County less appealing to the next generation, and it's a tremendous waste of money."

Not so, others say.

The widening of an interstate driven by 174,000 motorists a day will stimulate the economy by creating construction jobs, shave commuting times and help companies that haul goods along the corridor, said Donald Grimes, senior research associate at the University of Michigan's Institute for Research on Labor, Employment and the Economy. Plus, the project is a better use of taxpayer funds than improving mass transit, he said.

"You need a very densely populated core to get a real mass transit system," Grimes said. "The population is too spread out and there are not enough people who live in Detroit to make it work."

The fourth lane being added to north and southbound I-75 will be a high occupancy vehicle lane requiring two or more people during peak hours, generally 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. weekdays. The lanes, common in urban areas nationwide, would be the first along a freeway in Michigan.

The federal government is bankrolling 80 percent of the project, with the state contributing the rest. The 17-mile stretch of I-75 has not been modernized since being built in the 1960s.

• The project includes eight phases starting this summer. The phases and start times are:
  
• 2016: from north of Coolidge Highway to north of South Boulevard.
• 2018: from north of I-696 to south of 12 Mile Road.
• 2020: from north of Wattles Road to north of Coolidge Highway.
• 2022: from north of Rochester Road to north of Wattles Road.
• 2024: from north of 13 Mile Road to north of Rochester Road.
• 2026: from south of 12 Mile Road to north of 13 Mile Road.
• 2028: from north of Nine Mile Road to I-696.
• 2030: from north of Eight Mile Road to north of Nine Mile Road.

.....

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...portation-rift

• Video Link

[Docta_Love]

With I-75 and I-94 being expanded its a wonder there's any money left over for transit at all.

Study: 110 mph Detroit-to-Holland rail would make money

Leonard N. Fleming and Jonathan Oosting, Detroit News Lansing Bureau
February 23, 2016



A 110-mph passenger rail route between Detroit and Holland would cost up to $540 million but spur $14 million annually in profit, according to a new study.

The Coast-to-Coast Passenger Rail Study, funded by communities along the proposed line and managed by the Michigan Environmental Council, analyzed three prospective routes from Detroit through Lansing to Holland but decided that only two are viable for further study.

The study gives refreshed specifics to the long-discussed concept of connecting Michigan’s two largest cities by train. Michigan hasn’t had a Grand Rapids-to-Detroit line since Amtrak was created in 1971, although four prior feasibility studies were done from the 1980s through 2002.

One route would travel between Detroit, Wayne, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Holland. The other would follow much the same path but go to Howell, rather than Jackson, in between Ann Arbor and Lansing.

It would cost less up front to establish service at 79 mph, but the faster and more frequent service could turn a profit in part because the ridership forecast would be much higher.

“This service is viable and worth looking into,” said Liz Treutel, a transportation expert with the Environmental Council, who explained that the study looked at whether coast-to-coast rail made sense from an economic and ridership perspective. “I think the biggest thing the report revealed is that, yes, the ridership potential is there and the costs are relatively reasonable for a transportation project.”

Treutel said establishing coast-to-coast rail service would likely take seven to 10 years, beginning with full feasibility and environmental impact studies.

The $100,000 feasibility study indicates that a 110 mph service could see 1.71 million riders annually by 2040 for the Lansing-down-to-Jackson route and 1.59 million for the Howell-through-Ann Arbor route. Also involved in the effort are the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.

The “more frequency you have and the faster you go, the more riders” you will see, Treutel said. The 79 mph route would have either two or four daily trips, while the 100 mph service would offer four or eight daily trips.

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The next steps would be to do a comprehensive environmental study of the corridor, develop a detailed implementation plan and examine the potential for a public-private partnership to attract private capital to the project.

“We look forward to the results of the statewide rail study and the recommendations that this study will produce,” Michael Ford, CEO of the Regional Transit Authority, said in a statement. “We will work with our partners in Grand Rapids as we explore opportunities to expand the mobility options of people in this state, specifically in our region."

Other lines are being explored, including establishing a rail connection from Ann Arbor to Traverse City.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...ofit/80761258/