Detroit Scraps Train Plans

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.

1 minute read

December 18, 2011, 5:00 AM PST

By Judy Chang


"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

Friday, December 16, 2011 in The Wall Street Journal

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