The city and federal DOT have decided against a $600 million plan that would introduce light rail and, subsequently, more residents to the city. Instead, money will go to improving a notoriously unreliable bus system.
"Even the express-bus system would require a level of regional cooperation on transit that has long eluded Detroit and its suburbs. The impoverished city is struggling to maintain its existing transit network, including a rickety, heavily subsidized bus system and a lonely elevated train that courses through downtown.
The uncertain future of mass transit is more than a passing concern in a city where one in three residents lives in poverty, and an estimated 62% don't own a car. At a time when hiring has perked up in the region, poor transit remains an obstacle to employment for many Detroiters."
Thanks to Alexander McQuilkin
FULL STORY: No Train for the Motor City
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