Detroit Light Rail comments
Today is the last day to submit comments to DDOT on the proposed Woodward Avenue Light Rail Transit project. Comments should be emailed to woodwardlightrail@detroitmi.gov.
The scoping booklet is on-line and presents a number of different options. One key issue with cyclists is the track alignment: curb-running versus median-running.
Curb-running makes bike lanes difficult to impossible. Do you really want to ride near the trains, their tracks, and their stations?
The best answer is median-running. In the scoping booklet, that is Design Option A. It would be great if many cyclists requested that option in their comments.
Transport Michigan also has some great thoughts and comments regarding this project and cycling.
Link: Additional information on Detroit’s light rail project
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Tags: Detroit, light rail, Woodward
September 13th, 2010 at 10:32 am
[…] as an example of the importance of political will and public education in smart growth efforts. M-Bike.org encourages Michigan residents to lobby in favor of median-running light rail for Detroit, as […]
September 13th, 2010 at 11:32 am
The best option is definitely median-running. A good example to look at is the ‘Yellow’ line in Portland, OR. Through north Portland, it’s median-running with and accommodates for left turning vehicles and bikes.
September 13th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
The purpose of light rail is to get people out of their cars. There is PLENTY of extra room on Woodward for cars to avoid a frequently stopping right lane rail line. This thing should be designed for pedestrian access in mind, not preventing car drivers from being momentarily inconvenienced. Making pedestrians have to stand in the middle of the road makes no sense from a business standpoint either, you WANT people mulling about waiting for the train to have access to storefronts, and they can’t do that from a traffic island between six lanes of Michigan asphalt.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Hart, I don’t think the issue is cars avoiding the curb-running trains. It’s trains avoiding the cars (and bikes.) Cars turning right, double-parked, or cars parking will all cause the curb running trains to slow or stop. Some estimate that with these delays, curb running trains could be slower than the current buses — and that won’t get people out of their cars.
September 15th, 2010 at 8:25 am
In addition, the median-running option’s traffic islands would make it easier for pedestrians to cross Woodward. Right now, that’s often a scary experience anywhere north of downtown.