Privately funded light rail coming to Detroit

[Ban my account ffs!]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/15/smallbusiness/detroit_m1_light_rail/index.htm?hpt=C2

Most of the money comes from donations from bigwigs in and around Detroit... they hope that the new light rail will spur additional development along the city's historic Woodward Ave., which has long been the focal point of a possible renaissance in Detroit.

Personally, I hope they are successful.  I believe private public transit is a good idea where it is feasible.  I think this is good simply because the private funders can get it built faster.  Public transit should be funded by whatever sources are available whether that be private for-profit ventures, non-profit donations, or through public funding.  In any case, it should be built where rail transit would benefit local businesses and residents.

[fezzyfestoon]

Wow, that's impressive.  I really hope this works out.  It's nice to see people with the means giving back to their community in such a huge way.

[Torie]

I am not sure if this will work in a crime ridden de-populated city, with large swaths of empty land where most everything has been torn down, the better to thwart the crack dealers, but good luck!

[Coburn In 2012]

Private funding is always good and much better than stealing from american citizens with taxes.  So I wish them best of luck and I hope it works.  Unfortunately detroit is like Cleveland.  It was ruined by a certain element that shall remain unamed for politically correct reasons.  Maybe when Obama retires from politics in the next week or two he can move there and start a madrassal.  HAHAHA HE can be a community organizer again.  WOOOOOHOOOO!

[King]

Unfortunately detroit is like Cleveland.  It was ruined by a certain element that shall remain unamed for politically correct reasons.

Don't worry, we let BRTD say "s*burbs" all the time.

[dead0man]

No, this isn't possible.  Large projects like this can only be undertaken by the arm of the state.

[Brittain33]

I am not sure if this will work in a crime ridden de-populated city, with large swaths of empty land where most everything has been torn down, the better to thwart the crack dealers, but good luck!

A big part of the cost of the Big Dig was mitigation to property owners. It must be nice to do a public works project where the bill for property taking is in the thousands and you're displacing no traffic to speak of.

[Torie]

I am not sure if this will work in a crime ridden de-populated city, with large swaths of empty land where most everything has been torn down, the better to thwart the crack dealers, but good luck!

A big part of the cost of the Big Dig was mitigation to property owners. It must be nice to do a public works project where the bill for property taking is in the thousands and you're displacing no traffic to speak of.

It sounds like a homeowner bailout, since the homes are now close to worthless. I wonder whether market price was paid for the homes, or something higher that was well, more "fair."

[Brittain33]

Missing a "BREAKING NEWS:" header.

[Linus Van Pelt]

I am not sure if this will work in a crime ridden de-populated city, with large swaths of empty land where most everything has been torn down, the better to thwart the crack dealers, but good luck!

A big part of the cost of the Big Dig was mitigation to property owners. It must be nice to do a public works project where the bill for property taking is in the thousands and you're displacing no traffic to speak of.

It sounds like a homeowner bailout, since the homes are now close to worthless. I wonder whether market price was paid for the homes, or something higher that was well, more "fair."

Why would property need to be expropriated at all for a light-rail line? The article doesn't mention this, and there aren't buildings in the middle of the street.

[phk]

I am not sure if this will work in a crime ridden de-populated city, with large swaths of empty land where most everything has been torn down, the better to thwart the crack dealers, but good luck!

[Verily]

I am not sure if this will work in a crime ridden de-populated city, with large swaths of empty land where most everything has been torn down, the better to thwart the crack dealers, but good luck!

A big part of the cost of the Big Dig was mitigation to property owners. It must be nice to do a public works project where the bill for property taking is in the thousands and you're displacing no traffic to speak of.

It sounds like a homeowner bailout, since the homes are now close to worthless. I wonder whether market price was paid for the homes, or something higher that was well, more "fair."

Why would property need to be expropriated at all for a light-rail line? The article doesn't mention this, and there aren't buildings in the middle of the street.

It doesn't seem like there would. And the traffic disruption is minimal in a city like Detroit where everyone who drives a car in the city doesn't live there and only uses the highways to commute in. (Highways, ironically, were the cause of Detroit's demise.)

Anyway, I hope this works. But I doubt it will. There's almost no residential development along Woodward Ave to speak of; it's all been torn down to try to "save" the business district. So, while the business district will be well-connected to itself, it will remain unconnected to anywhere where actual people live except by car. (This includes poor Detroiters, who live far away from the business district because they've been pushed away by urban renewal programs.) None of the scared suburbanites from Grosse Pointe or Farmington Hills will drive into Detroit just to take public transportation.

[King]

No, this isn't possible.  Large projects like this can only be undertaken by the arm of the state.

One white guy on an NBA basketball team doesn't make it a white man's game.

[dead0man]

...but it proves that non-black guys can play basketball too.