Detroit Development News

July 24, 2007

DDOT seeking public input on 3 rapid transit lines

The Detroit Department of Transportation will host four public meetings this week to ascertain public support for three possible rapid transit routes. The options, all of which include a three-mile stretch of Woodward between downtown and New Center, are:

Woodward to Eight Mile;

Michigan Avenue to Dearborn, near Fairlane Mall and University of Michigan-Dearborn; and

Gratiot to Eight Mile.

These three alignments were deemed worthy of further study for several reasons, including public support at an earlier round of public hearings, population, housing and employment density, major destinations, traffic volume, bus ridership, and concentration of car-less households. Modes being evaluated include bus rapid transit, light rail and upgraded traditional bus service.

The public meetings are being conducted under the auspices of the Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study (DTOGS) and are a step in the Federal Transit Authority-mandated process that must be followed in order to apply for federal funding.

DTOGS is expected to be complete by the end of the year, at which time the FTA will receive a recommended alignment and mode. The study's lead consultant is URS, a company that assisted cities such as Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver and Portland in submitting successful transit grant applications to the FTA. If DTOGS's application is funded, construction could begin on a transit line by 2010.

DTOGS is comprised of representatives from Wayne County, Detroit, Dearborn, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Michigan Department of Transportation, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.

Technical Committee member Erik Tungate, who is Hamtramck's community and economic development director, stresses the collaborative nature of the endeavor. "This process has brought ties between us, just by virtue of us sitting down on a monthly basis together," he says. "We all know the spin-off positive effect transit would have on each of our communities, directly and indirectly, in terms of development."

Each meeting will begin with an hour-long open house that will be followed by a presentation and public comments. The meeting schedule is:

Wednesday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Guardian Building
Wednesday, July 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wayne State University's Welcome Center
Thursday, July 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wayne County Community College's Cooper Community Center
Saturday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn

Source: Erik Tungate, city of Hamtramck
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Neighborhoods: New Center , University Commons - Palmer Park , East Side , Near East Side , Corktown , Downtown Detroit , Hamtramck , Southwest Detroit , Central Woodward , Midtown , Highland Park