This past week it was announced that the new light rail that will take over Woodward Avenue sometime in 2017 will no longer be named the M-1Rail, but the QLINE instead. The Detroit Free Press reported that Quicken Loans, the key investor in the project, announced the change. More than the name however, citizens of Detroit, Michigan want to know what the QLINE is.
The people of Detroit may recall that there have been talks about creating something like a light rail, stretching from New Center through downtown Dertoit for years. Well, the QLINE will finally do just that. The 3.3 mile streetcar line will take pedestrians from New Center to Downtown and vice versa, something that has been difficult to do without a car since the New Center area started being built in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
Detroit’s public transit system is extremely lacking by modern standards. Other than the slow bus system, which is currently being worked on, and the Detroit People Mover, which only caters to a very small portion of downtown, Detroiters are pretty much out of luck in the public sector when it comes to transportation. The QLINE project will connect parts of Detroit that were not connected before and there are hopes that it will someday run significantly further down Woodward Avenue into the suburbs of Detroit.
The project is estimated to cost roughly $140 million, and Quicken Loans paid an additional $5 for the rights to name the line. Currently, the fare will cost $1.50, but passes will also be available. It is estimated that somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 riders will use the line daily. These are great numbers for the City of Detroit, but what exactly does it mean for the citizens of Detroit?
The QLINE is expected to do a lot of things. It will allow Detroiters to get from New Center to Downtown and back quickly and cheaply. It has been estimated to bring in almost $3 billion in economic development, which will in turn bring more jobs to Detroit.
The QLINE will also offer a service to drivers. With more and more people being able to use competent public transportation in Detroit, there will be significantly less commuter traffic in the city, which means getting around will be quicker and easier. Not only will driving be easier, but it will also be safer. With less cars on the road, there is also less chance that any one given driver will get into an accident with another driver. Another aspect of the QLINE that is helpful to drivers, is the ability to get around in Detroit after having consumed alcoholic beverages. There are many bars, restaurants, clubs, and casinos all around Detroit and without a service such as the QLINE, it is very hard to get from one to the other especially when a patron has been drinking. With the availability that the QLINE offers, drinkers and party-goers will have a cheap, legal, and far safer alternative to drunk driving.
Overall, the QLine will offer citizens and visitors of Detroit something new and improve the failing public transportation system Detroit currently has. It will also offer an alternative for drivers who commute to Detroit and make downtown roads safer, and will hopefully cut down on everyday traffic.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our attorneys are highly experienced in handling all types of personal injury cases, including auto accidents, bus accidents, and rail accidents. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.