Detroit & Michigan: Go-Town Transportation Lowdown

[DetroitMan]

This would be great if the People Mover expansion happens..
Duggan: Detroit almost out of large parcels, could expand People Mover

Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday that attracting and retaining young people for the jobs of the future may require expanding the People Mover elevated train that loops through downtown.
Speaking at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Detroit Policy Conference, Duggan said city officials are going to study modifying routes of the People Mover, the 37-year-old downtown skytrain that has 13 stations in the central business district.

"The People Mover was built when it was envisioned that a subway was going to come from Royal Oak or Pontiac and it was going to distribute people into the downtown office buildings. They built the People Mover and the subway never came," Duggan said. The People Mover's future route may need to be adjusted to account for an influx of new downtown residents and their mobility needs, Duggan said.

"If the People Mover were to be built today, you'd be looking at these high-rises and you'd be connecting them to each other as a neighborhood ... potential reconfiguration of the People Mover to make a downtown neighborhood where you both live, work and play is something we're looking at," Duggan said. Duggan addressed transit issues during a talk at the Detroit chamber's annual policy conference, which was focused on Detroit and Michigan's long-term population challenges.

Detroit's first version of a bus rapid transit route, meaning riders can get off and on the bus quicker, is also being rolled out on Jefferson Avenue this year, Duggan said. That includes rolling out paperless tickets, pulling over easier and being at the same level as the person boarding on the bus, he said. The city also is looking to improve working conditions for bus drivers with a $3 an hour pay raise.

The theme of this year's Detroit Policy Conference at Motor City Casino was growing Michigan's shrinking population. Panelists and experts spoke about the 10 recommendations from the Growing Michigan Together Council, which released its report in December.“Michigan’s house is on fire," Detroit chamber CEO Sandy Baruah said, citing data that the state is getting older, poorer and literacy rates are declining.
The policy conference focused on improving education, retaining skilled and educated workers, the looming decline of car ownership and the increased need for alternative transit.

Duggan said the state's largest city is almost out of large parcels for any more manufacturing facilities, so a new economic development focus is in order.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...n/72177441007/

[DetroitMan]

Shuttle bus from downtown Detroit to Metro Airport to begin service in March

A proposed express bus route between downtown Detroit and Detroit Metro Airport that would operate 16 roundtrips each day is expected to start offering rides in March.
The service would run from about 3:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and cost up to $15 per trip, although reduced fares in some cases could drop that substantially for those eligible, according to information supplied by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan.

The RTA provided the latest details during public hearings this week on the proposed route, which the Free Press first reported on in February. Public comment is being accepted through Jan. 17 via phone at 313-402-1020, email at info@rtamichigan.org or regular mail at RTA, 1001 Woodward Ave., Suite 1400, Detroit, MI 48226.RTA officials envision a soft launch of the service ahead of the NCAA March Madness men’s basketball Midwest Regional games scheduled for March 29-31 at Little Caesars Arena, with a formal opening ahead of the NFL Draft scheduled for April 25-27 in Detroit.

The route would travel primarily along Interstate 94 and offer airport stops at both the McNamara and Evans (North) terminals and in downtown Detroit at a location in the area of Washington Boulevard and State Street. Those who spoke during an online public hearing Wednesday were generally enthusiastic about the project but some also expressed concern about the cost, noting that it’s more than the $2 fare charged for SMART’s Michigan Avenue FAST bus to the airport from Detroit. The FAST bus is a limited-stop route but would take about twice as long as the new RTA express route, which is expected to make the trip in half an hour, according to Julia Roberts, RTA planning and innovation director.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...n/72188387007/

[Velvet_Highground]

I refuse to get caught up in people mover expansion speculation until I see earth being moved and concrete forms being poured.

With that out of the way it’s an interesting moment in time commuter rail is coming back to Michigan Central along with a Metro Airport link & a hookup into the national grid that isn’t part of the Chicago hub.

I hope nothing terrible is on the horizon Detroit starts talking subway in the 20’s the mayor advocating a particular method of development dies after depleting the city’s coffers to buy the streetcar lines, resulting in a policy 180. Then a few year later the Great Depression hits. Detroit starts talking subway and elevated rail during the Ford era. The 80’s hit American manufacturing square in the nuts & we waste our timed funds bickering who spends what & where. Well we’re not talking subways so maybe we’re safe this time.

It’s nice to see the conversation being had the possibility of further moving the needle forward on Detroit area mass transit.


Speaking of another why the hell don’t we do this or have this already.

The Port of Monroe, on Michigan's Lake Erie shore, also received federal funding for such infrastructure in 2022. Local officials and executives at Ford Motor Company are hoping to ship Mustangs from Michigan directly to Europe after construction on a finishing plant adjacent to the port finishes later this year.

Investments in year-round shipping

Some, like Varela and Skrzypczak, hope the Great Lakes waterway can keep expanding its shipping season, similar to 2023's record length. The 2022 National Defense spending bill earmarked $350 million for the Coast Guard to build the first heavy icebreaker on the Great Lakes in decades. A long-delayed expansion of the Soo Locks, which connects Lake Superior to the Lower Great Lakes, may also allow the shipping season to extend year-round.

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/19/12242...lakes-shipping


The Port of Detroit is looking to expand its operations as well. Most local shipping, transportation & logistics have been in private hands the city & region can certainly move more than they do now with better public facilities to the betterment of the economy as a whole.


FY10-Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Rail Access Improvement Program:

The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority will construct approximately 1,275 linear feet of track from an existing main rail line into its 35-acre general cargo facility. The main line runs from Detroit to Fort Wayne. This new spur will facilitate multimodal opportunities, including exports of agricultural products, movement of alternative energy components and other project cargoes.

https://www.federalgrants.com/FY10-D...ram-43726.html


With national security concerns finally bringing the powers that be over to the opinion that unlimited offshoring of manufacturing isn’t a great idea a study was done to find out if it’s possible to source the needed resources to transition to greener technology. It turns out that not only do we have them domestically but they’re in the same location that traditional resources are in relation to our major manufacturing centers.

If we’re going to do big mining around southern Lake Superior again let’s do it right this time. Hopefully in a way that leaves the communities in a healthy state ready to continue being a good place to live, work & play after the minerals are extracted. It’s becoming quite contentious as high paying jobs are scarce in rural communities while they rely heavily on tourism, hunting & fishing.


Washington — The Lake Superior region could be home to as much nickel as Russia or Canada, some of the largest nickel producers in the world, according to estimates by the United States Geological Survey.

https://www.detroitnews.com/restrict...gical%20Survey.


Geologists and mining experts say Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula may provide a solution for an obstacle facing the electric vehicle transition.

Minerals are needed, and this area has them.

U.S. manufacturers are largely dependent on foreign countries like China, Russia and Indonesia for critical minerals like nickel and cobalt, which are key materials for electric vehicle batteries. Automakers increasingly are looking for domestic supplies, and northern Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – a geological area bordering Lake Superior dubbed the Midcontinent Rift – may provide the solution.

https://www.thecentersquare.com/mich...92a6e.amp.html


This is getting a bit off topic the resource discovery only tangentially relates to Great Lakes shipping and the expansion of Detroit and Monroe Port Facilities. However Detroit has really neglected its water transportation infrastructure & it holds the key position between the upper and lower Great Lakes while allowing relatively easy road and rail passages at the narrows. A national shift towards fostering sustainable green energy development is likely going to have to rely at least in part on the Great Lakes as a transportation system.

Industrial and economic infrastructure growth isn’t really what this page is about but it’s important for the city, state & region to grow as long as it’s done responsibly. Traditionally when manufacturing has been strong and the resource base for raw materials in the Superior Highlands the GL waterways have been among the busiest in the world. Not expecting again but we could cash in on being part of the interior coast if we expand public facilities for import and export.

Here’s an article with a couple maps showing who owns what and prospective sites. This example’s from the Searria Club showing potential mining sites such as the proposed Black 40 open pit gold mine in Menominee that has been successfully fought over the past several years. It also shows in the UP who owns the mineral rights and who is proposing dangerous methods of extraction.


https://www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin...d-mine-project

[DetroitMan]

Legislators aim to get serious about improving public transit

Lawmakers who want Michigan to get serious about public transportation are banding together in hopes of better funding the system and elevating its importance in the Capitol.

The newly formed transit caucus, a group of around four-dozen legislators — more than 40% of those serving — will hold an inaugural meeting this week. The goal, organizers say, is to advocate for ways to improve transit at a time the service has been called "disconnected and unreliable" for residents statewide by a commission Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tasked with tackling the state's stagnant population.

A robust, well-functioning transit system is critical to the state's future ability to compete for jobs and talent, particularly as young people are driving less, according to the report sent to the Democratic governor in December. "Our goal with this is to be very targeted and say, 'What are short-term and long-term priorities that we can advance to support public transit throughout the state of Michigan' and to just get at it and start doing it," said Rep. Jason Morgan, a one-term Ann Arbor Democrat who formed the caucus with first-term Democratic Rep. Mike McFall of Hazel Park.

Public transportation, supporters say, helps residents get to work and school without a car, is important for young people, protects the environment and is an economic engine.

"We felt that the discussion needed to be elevated beyond the counties and the cities and up to the state level," McFall said. "That way we can make sure we can hopefully secure some additional funding and some reliable funding."

The group is dominated by Democrats, who currently lead the Legislature. But a handful of Republicans are participating, too.

The focus comes as advocates and some lawmakers push back against Whitmer's latest budget proposal.

Funding for local bus operations would drop from $261 million to $221 million, mainly due to a one-time boost of federal pandemic aid ending. Environmental organizations and groups like Transportation Riders United, a Detroit-based nonprofit, are advocating for an increase to $276 million to account for inflation.

They ultimately want the state to spend at least $350 million annually. That would bring its share of operating assistance reimbursements to 80 transit agencies to 50% in urban areas and 60% in rural areas, the ceilings under current law. The state funded 29% of urban costs and 35% of rural costs in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

"That is money that goes directly into our communities to improve bus service and accessibility," Morgan said. "It doesn't require a new program or a new fund. The bus operators throughout the entire state benefit. It's a very tangible way to improve public transit and to invest in it."

Whitmer did propose $50 million more for a separate item, transit- and rail-related capital spending, which would be funded with federal money and increased restricted revenues. She also floated $30 million in grants for local transit agencies to spur "innovation" to connect Michiganders with new transportation options.

"How are we going to ask our transit agencies to do something innovative when we can't even fund them properly for the operations and things they do already?" said Tim Minotas, deputy legislative and political director of the Sierra Club's Michigan chapter.

He urged legislators to fund transit at higher levels on an ongoing, not one-time, basis. The size of the transit caucus, he said, is a "sign that there many in the Legislature that want to get serious on this issue."

The problem is there are competing budget priorities, including in transportation. The County Road Association last week called for an extra $2.3 billion-plus in funding to property maintain and restore county roads and bridges, saying the need has grown by roughly $500 million in just two years.

Public transportation programs account for 12% of the transportation budget, roads and bridges 83%, according to the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. The budget is largely funded with fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, and Whitmer has ruled out a gas tax increase after the Legislature rejected her 45-cent hike in 2019.

She has said she welcomes transit-funding talks as lawmakers consider her budget plan.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/politi...-legislature#/

[seabee1526]

Along with this:

https://drcurryassociates.net/expansionroute.html

Maybe a two way system down into Corktown?

[seabee1526]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WItanSCXAMw

[seabee1526]

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...-what-to-know/

AV Shuttle

[ssiguy]

The People Mover extension seems like a great idea although I think it would be better if it continued on the current little loop one-way around downtown but only if they get rid of half the stations as the number of stations along the short route is ridiculous.

The AV idea is a stupid one and a waste of money. If a private company wants to pay 100% the cost of infrastructure AND operations then fine but it shouldn't get a nickel from taxpayers.

[iheartthed]

How is the AV shuttle any different than the bus service they already struggle to maintain in Detroit?

[Velvet_Highground]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

The People Mover extension seems like a great idea although I think it would be better if it continued on the current little loop one-way around downtown but only if they get rid of half the stations as the number of stations along the short route is ridiculous.

The AV idea is a stupid one and a waste of money. If a private company wants to pay 100% the cost of infrastructure AND operations then fine but it shouldn't get a nickel from taxpayers.

I would love to see this bare bones version of the 1979 proposal with thought put heading up Woodward in a future iteration into Ferndale & Royal Oak as well as it did then.

I'm pretty ambivalent about AV's as said if private companies want to spend their money on infrastructure and operations then alright. I can see it as a piece of the puzzle for suburban areas. But it's a prototype technology and taxpayer money if it goes anywhere should go into improving tried and true methods of mass transit. Detroit liked its street cars and transit never recovered since their removal. Russia has human driven "grey" taxi busses driven by entrepreneurs covering gaps in its transit & that are hated for being crowded and dirty not to mention unsafe. Any issues with safety in large scale public use will see non-private AV's going the way of busses in the 60's & 70's.


*AI in general is a technology I’m not fond of I don’t want to be on the losing side of the arms race but I don’t want to be onshored by a robot.

The funny part - Jon Stewart On The False Promises of AI | The Daily Show
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=20TAkcy3aBY

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDTiWaYfcM
Lina Khan – FTC Chair on Amazon Antitrust Lawsuit & AI Oversight | The Daily Show

Construction of 'world's most sophisticated roadway' project on I-94 nearly complete

Dearborn — The path to make the “world’s most sophisticated roadway” in Michigan continues as a 3-mile stretch of Interstate-94 in Wayne County approaches the testing phase, said officials behind the project.

Construction is almost complete for the $10 million pilot project between Haggerty and Rawsonville roads in Wayne County to build what is the first connected and automated vehicle travel lane on Interstate 94, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation, which held an open house in Dearborn to give the public updates on the project Tuesday.

The state is partnering with Cavnue, a Washington, D.C.-based technology firm that develops and integrates technologies for roadways. Cavnue is paying for the pilot project.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...n/73118822007/

[Doc_Love]

New Detroit transit center lets bus riders wait in comfort

Detroit — The former Michigan State Fairgrounds are now home to the Jason Hargrove Transit Center, which opened and welcomed travelers and commuters for the first time Saturday morning.

Riders can now escape the elements while waiting for a transfer in a state-of-the-art, indoor facility that incorporates pieces of the dairy cattle barn that used to occupy the site.

Detroit's newest transit center is named for a Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus driver who lost his life at the age of 50 to COVID-19 in April 2020. Hargrove posted a viral video about a maskless passenger coughing on him 10 days before his death, urging the public to be more considerate of bus drivers.

The center is at the intersection of Woodward Avenue and 8 Mile Road. It sits in a repurposed barn, also known as the Hertel Coliseum, which once hosted concerts, circuses, and rodeos.

"This is the single biggest transfer point out of downtown," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who took the bus to the newly opened transit center from downtown Saturday morning. "Whether you're going north-south or east-west, and of course SMART as well — you can get pretty much anywhere."

Construction on the 52,000-square-foot facility began last March, cost $31 million, and took two years to plan. Six Detroit bus routes and eight SMART bus routes will stop at the center each day while the current temporary transfer center on Woodward Avenue, just south of Eight Mile Road, will close and be decommissioned.

Community input was a key part of planning the project and it was clear the public wanted parts of the coliseum saved and incorporated into the new facility, said Tyrone Clifton, director of the Detroit Building Authority. The lobby features a row of seats, a scoreboard, and signage from the original building.





Around 35 buses per day and 25,000 riders per week are expected to pass through the new center and DDOT officials emphasized all the new amenities available, including restrooms, a ticket counter, access to rideshare and taxi pickup areas, and space to wait indoors in the lobby.

Building a sheltered area for riders to wait for their transfers was a priority for Duggan. He said he used to live in the area a remembers seeing riders waiting outdoors in the winter.

"I just wanted to cover those shelters out there but this I think has worked out really well," Duggan said. "We are continuing to add buses ... but there are a lot of things I wanted to do. It wasn't just adding the buses it was improving the service."

…..



Desha Hargrove looks at a plaque honoring her husband, which opened to the public Sunday May 11th. The center is named after Hargrove who died from complications related to COVID April 2020.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ST_EMAIL_ID%5D

[DetroitMan]

Wayne County moves to expand public transit by ending opt-outs for communities

Wayne County's executive is laying the groundwork to expand public transportation to all communities within the municipality.

Warren Evans wants to remove the option of cities opting out of the region's public transit agency known as SMART. Currently, 16 cities in Wayne County voted to opt-out of the agency, which makes it difficult for residents to navigate from city to city. According to a news release from the county, Evans is working with the state legislature to amend the current law.

"While there is no simple solution here, each stakeholder at the table must be willing to look at all the options and agree to work collaboratively and in the best interest of their constituents. In all 43 Wayne County communities, residents deserve a quality transit system to meet their basic mobility needs," Evans said.

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/way...ts-communities

[DetroitMan]

This proposal could go a long way toward improving public transit in Michigan....

Proposed changes to incentives fund includes shifting half to public transportation, housing

The Democratic-sponsored legislation was the subject of an initial hearing before the House Economic Development and Small Business Committee. Supporters said House Bills 5768-5770 would help people who need transit and affordable homes, companies that want workers and communities that hope to become attractive places to live.

A sponsor, Rep. Jason Morgan, D-Ann Arbor, said the package would establish the largest sustained investment in transit in state history. "This is strategically necessary to strengthen talent attraction, grow Michigan, support our businesses and remove barriers to economic opportunity," he told panel members. "What is unique about this package is how it transcends the traditional debate of pitting economic development vs. infrastructure investment. This truly is a win-win."

The Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund was created 2½ years ago in response to Ford Motor Co.’s bombshell move to put new electric vehicle battery and assembly plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. Michigan has used nearly $2 billion from the SOAR Fund to land EV battery factories and other projects and prepare sites for future development.

But the account has no ongoing revenue source, currently $500 million a year, beyond the 2024-25 fiscal year. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who wants to secure long-term funding, has called the introduction of the House plan last week "very positive." The bills considered Tuesday would dedicate $250 million per year to SOAR through 2034-35. (Lawmakers want to rename it the Make it in Michigan Fund.) A new Michigan Mobility Trust Fund would get $200 million annually, and the money would be distributed by a new Transformational Projects Authority Board.

It would disburse 20% for supplemental operating grants to regional transit authorities and public transportation providers. The authority, to be made up of five gubernatorial appointees, also could fund "transformational mobility projects."

The legislation would double, to $100 million, an annual appropriation to the Housing and Community Development Fund, which is overseen by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and continue distributing $50 million a year to the Revitalization and Placemaking Fund beyond 2024-25. The Michigan Strategic Fund, a state economic development arm, issues RAP grants.

"Because the funding stream for the state's current economic development strategy expires next year, the time is now to address it," said Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park. "Our bills provide a more long-term, stable and comprehensive approach so our state can encourage investments, prosperity and population growth for generations to come."

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/politi...transportation

[DetroitMan]

Detroit People Mover to get new rail cars from Toronto Transit Commission

Technically, the cars would only be new to the People Mover, however. They would come from Toronto, where the Toronto Transit Commission operated a service similar to the People Mover until it was shut down in 2023.

Detroit City Council recently approved a resolution on $38.5 million in funding for the People Mover, which, Cramer said, would cover five years of a $6.5 million operating subsidy and $6 million to complete the acquisition of the train cars and get them ready to use on the People Mover’s 2.9-mile loop. Cramer said the deal allows the People Mover to avoid a major and costly overhaul of the current fleet in the next five years or so. The Toronto train cars have gone through more extensive work than the 12 in Detroit’s fleet, which would cost millions of dollars per car to match, Cramer said.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...s/74013293007/

[DetroitMan]

Michigan House panel votes to allot $4.5B to transit, development over 10 years

Bills that would devote $4.5 billion over 10 years to economic development and transit gained the approval of a Michigan House committee Tuesday as Democratic leaders attempt to cobble together enough votes to pass the measures.
The proposals would earmark $250 million in corporate income tax revenue annually, over the next decade, to a fund focused on attracting businesses and $200 million annually to a separate fund to support "transformational mobility projects," according to the text of the legislation. In addition, $100 million each year would go to housing programs and $50 million would be set aside for revitalization efforts.

The Michigan House Economic Development and Small Business Committee, chaired by Rep. Jason Hoskins, D-Southfield, voted 8-3 Tuesday morning in favor of sending the bills to the full Michigan House. All eight Democrats on the panel supported the measures. Three Republicans voted in opposition. Two other Republicans, Reps. John Roth of Interlochen, and David Martin of Davison, passed on voting.

"I think this is a great policy, so I hope we can get it to the floor as soon as possible," Hoskins told reporters. The bills would represent a significant and long-term spending amount on transit and development by Michigan's leaders. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has urged the Democrat-controlled Legislature to authorize incentive programs to help her administration attract businesses as population growth in the state has stalled.

However, some lawmakers are concerned the proposed allocations go too far, could tie their hands in the future and would spend too heavily on incentives benefiting large corporations.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ter/7405526100

[seabee1526]

Are these PM cars from Toronto to be used to replace Detroits older cars or is it possible to expand the system down to Corktown or elsewhere?