Detroit & Michigan: Go-Town Transportation Lowdown

[LMich]

Thanks.

Yeah, the LYNX mostly operates as a light rail. I'm glad that while M-1 took cost into account for the Woodward Avenue Streetcar, that they didn't take it so much into account that they are planning to buy something that could only operate as a tram. When the time comes, I'm sure the line north of New Center will be operated as a LRT.

BTW, it's funny you brought up the BRT component in the transit legislation, because I wrote someone about this, yesterday. I'm still unsure if the "rolling rapid transit" they mention in the legislation completely limits/requires the RTA to only develop BRT, or if it's a suggestion. I think if it's the latter, it was a stupid piece of legislation. The only thing that should decide the mode of transit on any corridor in the metro is what a study finds and/or even the will of the RTA. To hamstring the authority from the begining seems like a mean-spirited, ideological thing legislators put in instead of letting decisions be guided by the facts. It would mean we'd have to go back to the legislature if rail was founded to be a preferable alternative along any corridor. This all becomes a moot point, though, if the mention of BRT is only a suggestion instead of a limit, though.

[ssiguy]

Did I read that right............service every half an hour, thats horrible!

Who in hell is going to wait around half an hour to take a streetcar that only goes 3 miles?

Has Detroit considered the new Bombardier Primove LRT system? They are standard LRT but do not require catenary overhead power supply. The current is gathered from electrical supply in the pavement under the train but only electrifies when the train is overhead....no chance of electrical shock. They remove the unsightly wires and are quicker to build because of it. They are becoming more popular in Europe in historic areas where the city wanted streetcar/LRT service but the ugly overhead wires and poles that could ruin the urban enviornment especially in the older historic downtown districts.

There are now several producers of the technology so it is not proprietary. Also the trains still have the overhead catenary power connections enclosed on the top of train if they needed to serve areas with catenary wires. Check it out on the Bombardier Primove site...quite interesting. In Vancouver there are many who want LRT for the Fraser Valley and the perferred technology choice would be a catenary-free system like the Primove.

[LMich]

Where in the world did you get that number? Waits are 7 to 8 minutes during peak hours, and 12 to 13 off-peak. Not the fastest, but it's a streetcar/tram, not a grade-seperate light rail. Given that this is essentially linking downtown to New Center, the target ridership is students, tourists, and greater downtown residents, so it's not being built for speed. It just has to be faster than the bus. There is a reason why they are refering to it as a circulator. The regional BRT system is being developed as the workhorse; this is a feeder system.

[mousquet]

@ssiguy They're only starting their network along a corridor that's as wide as a freeway, with plenty of things to redevelop around for now. So that ground-level power supply you're talking about, that still makes a mile of tracks like 3 times more expensive than regular catenary is like a gadget, definitely far from priorities here.

I'll admit that myself, I would have liked some Alstom machines over there, but in fact and quite honestly, the Siemens vehicles they want seem very proper to the current project that's evolutionary anyway. When they need bigger vehicles, new tracks with gadgets and stuff, they can add it anytime later.

[LMich]

The final two members of the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority have been picked:

Patterson appoints final two members to RTA governing board

Ryan Felton | Crain's Detroit Business

March 15, 2013

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has appointed Steven Potter and Matthew Wirgau to the Regional Transit Authority Governing Board, the county announced Thursday.

They were the final two members of the 10-member RTA board, which is expected to meet for the first time in April.

Potter, 56, of Rochester Hills, president and partner of Auburn-Hills based law firm Potter, DeAgostino, O'Dea & Patterson, is a trial attorney with experience in transportation safety, municipal law and highway ability, according to a news release. He earned a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and his law degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy. His term will end March 12, 2014.

Wirgau, 60, of Bloomfield Hills, was on board of directors for the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, Southeast Michigan's suburban bus system, from 1990 to 2008, including as chairman the past 14 years, according to the release. He also was as deputy administrator and special assistant to the U.S. secretary of tansportation from 1983 to 1989. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ferris State University and an MBA from George Washington University. His term will end March 12, 2015.

In related news, on the streetcar, the RFP for final design services is now complete, and the current RFP is out for the actual riding stock. The next RFP coming up is for the construction manager/general contractor to build this thing. So, things are moving along on schedule, finally.

[LMich]

Still quite a ways off from seeing service - things will definitely not get started any sooner than next year when the RTA is fully up and running to manage this project - but the Southeast Michigan Commuter Rail services are still very much alive. A formal exhibiting of the cars that will be used on the Ann Arbor - Detroit and Ann Arbor - Livingston County lines was held on June 14.

From SEMCOG:

Commuter train to be used in Southeast Michigan unveiled in Ann Arbor

A small step forward in the proposed commuter rail service between Detroit and Ann Arbor occurred on Friday, June 14, with the unveiling of a renovated double-decker car on display at a late afternoon press conference and following at the Mayor’s Green Fair. SEMCOG Executive Director Paul Tait spoke at the press conference on behalf of SEMCOG. The special train exhibit was made possible thanks to the efforts of many who have been collaborating for a long time on commuter rail service – SEMCOG, MDOT, Great Lakes Central Railroad, Ann Arbor Railroad, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, and the City of Ann Arbor. While regular commuter service is still a ways off, the hope is that the trains will be used for special events in the near future. Watch future issues of Regional Update for those details.

They are some ancient, ugly buggers, but I almost don't care how they look on the outside. The services have 23 refurbished cars (17 coaches and 6 cabs) whenever the service begins. They were refurbished by Michigan-based Great Lakes Central Railroad. There will be room for quite a bit of bicycle storage.

[LMich]

It looks like M-1 Rail construction starts either next month or in September. What's most notable is that they are actually still debating if they want the line on-wire or off-wire:

M-1 plans to break ground on Woodward streetcar project by fall

By David Shepardson | The Detroit News

July 16, 2013

The group building Detroit’s planned 3.3-mile $137 million M-1 streetcar project up Woodward Avenue said Tuesday they plan to start construction later this summer or in early fall.

Construction for the streetcar line will occur in two segments with the first segment — Larned to Adams — set to break ground in the coming months.

The M-1 Rail Corp. also said it is still deciding whether transit system will be on-wire or off-wire. On-wire cars get their power from overhead wires while off-wire cars are powered by batteries.

The group presented details of the plan at the Downtown Detroit Partnership’s Summer Stakeholder Meeting on Tuesday, saying the goal is to minimize disruptions to businesses and residents during construction.

“During construction there will be some short-term inconveniences that will bring long-term benefits,” M-1 chief operating officer Paul Childs.

M-1 said once construction starts Woodward will be closed to traffic and pedestrians but detours will be available. Construction is expected to be limited from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Saturday.

The group will disclose more details about the construction schedule after a construction manager is in place, which is expected soon, officials said.

...

How common is off-wire for new lines in the country?

BTW, the RTA of Southeast Michigan is coming online on schedule. Currently, they are looking for candidates for the authority's Citizen Advisory Committee:

Southeast Michigan-Regional Transit Authority seeks Citizens Advisory Committee members

By Rian Barnhill | Michigan Chronicle

July 10, 2013

The goal of the Southeast Michigan-Regional Transit Authority is to create a public transit system that addresses the challenges facing our region. Achieving this goal will require the active involvement of a Citizen Advisory Committee, which may make recommendations to the RTA board.

The purpose of the Regional Transit Authority-Citizens Advisory Committee is to advise the RTA on transit issues, make suggestions for improvements in transit service and to advocate for greater funding for public transportation. The CAC is encouraged to do all of the following:

• Review and comment on the comprehensive regional public transit service plan for a public transit region and all annual updates

• Advise a board regarding the coordination of functions between different owners and operators of public transportation facilities within a public transit region

• Review and comment on a specialized services coordination plan

• Upon request of a board, provide recommendations on other matters that concern public transportation in a public transit region

...

[ssiguy]

Has Detroit ever considered Railbuses? They seem like they would be a perfect fit and a hell of a lot cheaper to buy and run than commuter rail and with far more flexibility.

[LMich]

The general contractor has now been chosen for the Woodward Streetcar, so let's get this thing on a roll, finally:

Construction firm that built Portland's streetcar system hired for Detroit's M1 Rail

By David Muller | MLive.com

July 31, 2013

DETROIT, MI – California firm Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. has been named the construction manager and general contractor for the $145 million M1 Rail project.

The firm has constructed 17 streetcar developments in the U.S., the first of which was in Portland, Ore. The company is also currently building three streetcar projects in Seattle, Salt Lake City and Dallas.

“Stacy and Witbeck is an established leader in the construction of streetcar systems located in urban cores,” M-1 RAIL Chief Operating Officer Paul Childs said in a statement. “The company is uniquely qualified to manage all of the moving parts associated with a project of this scale. Stacy and Witbeck set the standard for how to construct the best modern streetcar lines in the United States, and Detroit deserves to have nothing short of the best working on its streetcar project.”

The M1 Rail project is set break ground early this fall in the area between Larned and Adams streets. Once complete, the streetcar line will run along 3.3 miles of Woodward Avenue from New Center to downtown Detroit.

Local contracting for the project is being handled by Detroit-based White Construction.

...

[LMich]

Looks like the RTA is finally getting around to the planning stages of the first phase of Detroit's "Golden Triangle" bus rapid transit system:

Metro Detroit tax touted to fuel rapid bus system

By Leonard Fleming | The Detroit News

September 9, 2013

Bus rapid transit is on the road to becoming a reality in Metro Detroit, according to regional transit officials, who say a voter-approved tax will be needed to fund it.

The creation last year of the Regional Transit Authority and the hiring of its first CEO have prompted transportation officials to start planning possible rapid bus corridors — the first one receiving extensive study runs up Woodward from Detroit to Pontiac — and how to quickly win federal matching dollars.

...

Such a bus system and the transit authority’s operations would be financed by either a millage request — the size of which has not been decided — or a per-vehicle fee. A millage would not, transit officials say, interfere with the millage that funds SMART, the area’s suburban bus system. SMART’s millage comes up for renewal next August.

“I think the key issue is: How long will it take to get the local millage passed?” said Carmine Palombo, a top transportation planning official with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. “I believe that if you get a local millage passed next year, I think probably two or three years after that we could probably have (bus rapid transit) on at least some portion of the system.”

...

Discussions have been underway for months about creating a dedicated rapid bus lane on Woodward. Officials also have talked about having the buses veer off Woodward and use other streets where traffic becomes a problem. Transportation officials say bus rapid transit can co-exist with the M1 rail project that will feature streetcars on Woodward from downtown to the New Center area in Detroit.

In addition to Woodward, the state Legislature named four bus rapid transit corridors in the legislation creating the RTA. They include a route from Detroit to Macomb County, one from Troy to Mount Clemens and another from Detroit to Ann Arbor. Building those routes is estimated to cost nearly $500 million, with $101 million for Woodward.

Hertel said he’d like to see work on all four routes start at nearly the same time but SEMCOG’s Palombo said the question will be, “Will we have the money to do all four?”

...

Just to go over, again, something in the article, there are currently three different alignments for the Woodward BRT line. One of those alignments would parallel the Woodward Avenue Streetcar. The other two alignments go down a sidestreet midway through Midtown.

[LMich]

Work started on utility relocation for the streetcar, last week. A press release from M-1:

M-1 RAIL begins underground utility relocation work, shutdown of Woodward Avenue is not required: Utility Relocations Will Not Prevent Customer Access to Businesses on Woodward

Today M-1 RAIL began utility relocation work along Woodward Avenue, it’s the first step toward full-fledged construction activities of the 3.3-mile streetcar system. Public access to businesses will not be prevented by the utility relocation work.

M-1 RAIL’s Construction Manager/General Contractor, Stacy and Witbeck, along with Detroit-based utility contractor Blaze Contracting, Inc. started relocating a catch basin located at the southwest corner of the median at Congress and Woodward.

“The relocation of underground utilities will allow the project to move rapidly once track construction along Woodward Avenue begins next year,” said Paul Childs, Chief Operating Officer, M-1 RAIL. “Today we’ve prudently taken an important step toward fulfilling our mission of delivering a modern streetcar system to Detroit.”

Workers are expected to spend anywhere from five to 12-days at eight isolated worksites along Woodward Avenue from Larned Street to John R. Street, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Workers will finish activities at one site before moving to the next.

Each worksite will require an excavation approximately 10ft x 10ft in order to relocate or replace catch basins, storm manholes or water main gate valves. Crews are permitted to work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. as necessary.

...

Progress Made in 2013

- Finalized engineering plans
- Established community and business stakeholder advisory councils
- Initiated Business Support Program to assess businesses’ needs
- Hired Construction Manager/General Contractor Stacy and Witbeck
- Connected with hundreds of businesses and community organizations
- Begin relocation of underground utilities along Woodward Avenue
- Obtained bids from streetcar vendors, currently conducting due diligence

Looking Ahead to 2014

- Finalize the intergovernmental agreements that will permit mainline construction to commence along Woodward Avenue
- Solicit for roadway subcontractors and suppliers for the mainline construction work along Woodward Avenue
- Continue pursuit of the necessary real-estate acquisitions and issue a design-build RFP for the vehicle storage and maintenance facility
-Move administration office to a new space located at 1426 Woodward Avenue shortly after the New Year

I'm really interested to see, next year, what they come up with for the vehicle storage and maintenance facility. It's going to be in the historic North End neighborhood near New Center, so I hope they do something like Cincy did with their facility.

[LMich]

The RTA had it's most recent meeting on December 4th. Unfortunately, they don't put up minutes for that meeting, but they had a summary of the meeting. Apparently, SMART and DDOT have worked out coordinating some late-night routes which will go into effect next month. The Metro Detroit transit agencies have also been awarded a grant to develop a single fare card for all systems.

Too bad there are no minutes. It'd be interesting to see exactly which SMART and DDOT were coordinated.

[LMich]

Well, some good news and some bad news. Bad news: John Hertel finally pulled out of being the CEO of the RTA after months of trying to wrangle with the legislature to appropriate funds for an office staff. It's stupid stuff like this that we don't need, and they should have been given more money to kick-start this thing in the first place, but that's what you get with this legislature. John had been serving in a voluntary role while keeping his job at SMART. He says he's going back to SMART to kick off their millage campaign coming up for a vote in November. The RTA will now do a national search.

The good news: The Woodward Avenue Rapid Transit Alternative Analysis continues to move forward on schedule. It's soon to come upon its completion with its Locally Preferred Alternative:

Officials to study public input, map transit route

By Leonard N. Fleming | The Detroit News

January 13, 2014

Mapping out the proposed bus rapid transit route on Woodward Avenue from Detroit to Pontiac begins this month.

Following public hearings in six locations along the proposed route, the group putting together the Woodward Avenue Rapid Transit Alternatives Study will gather Jan. 21 to analyze the feedback and make recommendations to the Regional Transit Authority.

“Just the concept in general of having bus rapid transit went very, very positively,” Carmine Palombo said of the hearings. He is a top transportation planing official with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, which is helping with the BRT analysis. “We learned that people were generally excited about the prospect of having this kind of transit.”

Based on the feedback and other information, Palombo said a suggested route would be sent to the authority in the spring. Residents at the hearings indicated their preferred location for buses on Woodward was in the left lane along the median.

...

“It will be up to (the RTA) to receive it and hopefully approve it and move on,” Palombo said. “Certainly the next step is going to be dictated by whether they are going to go forward this year, go forward next year or are they going to wait until 2016.”

Officials envision key BRT routes along well-traveled roads such as Woodward, Gratiot and Hall to serve riders in the tri-county area. Another route would go west toward Detroit Metro Airport and Ann Arbor.

...

The 27-mile Woodward route would connect downtown Detroit by way of the Rosa Parks Transit Center to the Amtrak station in Pontiac. It would in some stretches veer off Woodward to keep it moving faster and make sure it’s not in conflict with cars or the M1 Rail project, which will have tracks in the right lane up Woodward from downtown to the New Center area. For example, if a BRT rider is heading south on Woodward, the route could veer off onto Cass Avenue for a few blocks; if heading north, the route could follow John R for part of the way.

...

My take is that they need to stop wasting time and put this before the voters this year. This can't wait another two years. They need to money in the bag before the Environmental Assessment comes, which will probably follow right after LPA is concluded in March.

[LMich]

More news on the proposed Woodward BRT line:

Bus rapid transit could mean fewer left-turn lanes on Woodward

By Leonard R. Fleming | The Detroit News

January 21, 2014

...

Those were among the topics discussed at a meeting of the steering committee of the Woodward Avenue Rapid Transit Alternative Analysis group, which will shape the transit route and make a recommendation to the Regional Transit Authority. The RTA will implement the project, which officials estimate would serve 35,000 riders daily, the largest daily ridership in the country, organizers say.

“This would be one of the longest bus rapid transit routes in America at 27 miles,” said Jack Gonsalves, a vice president of the bus rapid transit division of Parsons Brinkerhoff, a consultant on the project. Gonsalves flew in from Portland to make the presentation on the alternatives. “And the fact that they have a lot of ridership and enough space to build a real, full-fledged showcase-type BRT is important for the transit alternatives we’re looking for.”

...

Looks like they are shooting for this being the most heavily-ridden BRT line in the country. The line and ridership sounds too long and too heavy for me for BRT to be the most appropriate mode of transit for this corridor, but, whatever. lol

[Innsertnamehere]

35k can easily be handled by brt, there are routes in toronto that handle 50k and they are just traditional bus routes.. All it means is that the frequency is actually going to be quite good.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

35k can easily be handled by brt, there are routes in toronto that handle 50k and they are just traditional bus routes.. All it means is that the frequency is actually going to be quite good.

Sure, I know that you can do a BRT on that many riders, but I'm judging this by ridership here in the U.S. There many light rails (and even systems), down here, that don't even hit 35,000 riders per day. My opinion is that if any road metro deserves a heavier mode, it's Woodward not just for ridership but for TOD potential.

[bobdreamz]

At 27 miles the Woodward Ave. BRT would become the longest in the nation after Miami's South Miami-Dade busway at 19.5 miles long which I believe is currently the longest in the nation now.
As for the amount of daily passengers they expect it all depends if it is grade separated and the ability of signal synchronization such as the Miami busway has.

[LMich]

No one doubts the predicted ridership numbers for a route this long. This is being built as a relatively "heavy" BRT line. It's being planned with signal priority/synchronization, and where it can the vast majority of the line will run in dedicated lanes in or near the center of the street - Woodward configuration changes the further you get from the inner-city; north of 6 Mile the avenue becomes a boulevard.

And, really, this isn't rocket science for the region given that this avenue is already served by three different buse routes (local and commuter/limited). It's why I wish they'd just go big and consolidate all the ridership into a heavier mode, because the ridership is already cooked in. It's going to be weird when the Woodward Streetcar - which will essentially function parallel to the BRT as a local service - is extended up Woodward for their to be a slower local rail service juxtaposed right next to a faster limited BRT, instead of the other way around. I just think it'd be much more efficient and make more sense to have a center-running LRT and a "light" BRT in the curbside lanes if we must have two modes on Woodward.

Still, consolidating the two commuter routes is still a pretty big improvements, so I'm trying not to complain, too much.

[ssiguy]

So they are going to be running a BRT and streetcar on the same street?

[animatedmartian]

^^^It's a possibility.

M-1 Rail in local proposal stage
Posted: 01/27/14
David Shepardson | Detroit News

Detroit’s $137 million, 3.3-mile M-1 Rail streetcar project along Woodward is seeking proposals from local contractors and suppliers as it aims to start construction this year.

M-1 Rail’s construction manager is Stacy and Witbeck Inc.

The light rail project is expected to generate hundreds of local jobs.

Stacy and Witbeck, the firm responsible for building the first modern streetcar in Portland, Ore., has launched a website, https://stacywitbeck.app.box.com/m1rail, where firms interested in working on the project can review 30 bid packages available.

More than 70 subcontracts are listed on a website for the project and another 15 bid packages will be posted to the site in the coming days. The Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce plans to hold an M-1 Rail contractor forum later this month.

“The release of the bid packages is another important step forward for this project,” said Paul Childs, M-1 Rail chief operating officer.

“Our construction manager has indicated the streetcar project has generated significant interest from the local contractor and supplier community, so they’re expecting to receive a very strong response to their requests for proposal.”

Childs said M-1 expects to get 5,000 riders a day, about 1.8 million annually, when it starts service in 2016.

Annual operating costs are expected to be about $5 million.

....