Motor City Reconsiders Transit

After over fifty years without public transportation, new support for transit from Detroit leaders.

2 minute read

July 25, 2008, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


A comprehensive public transportation system has been missing in Detroit since 1956. Since then, downtown and suburban authorities have been unable to agree on a system that would accommodate the metropolitan area, despite offers of assistance from the federal government in the 1970s. Longtime residents say that their leadership, fueled perhaps by racism, were responsible for the failure: "No one called me and asked me if I wanted to have mass transit, so I don't think you can blame it on the general population" said Brooks Patterson, current executive of Oakland County (which borders Detroit to the north).

Although bus lines in the suburbs have been successfully implemented in the suburbs, trunk lines between Detroit and outlying cities have been forced to close for lack of interest. Some leaders remain skeptical that renewed investment in public transit is a priority, or that it would yield the investment that others have seen. But other city officials see mass transit as key to attracting young people to the region, and a bill to fund transit using property tax is making its way through the Michigan house right now. After fifty years and twenty-three serious attempts to reinstate public transportation, Detroit residents are hopeful that rising gas prices and a renewed interest in the environment will provide the impetus for a new mass transit system.

Thanks to Franny Ritchie

Monday, July 21, 2008 in National Public Radio

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today