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Old Posted Apr 2, 2023, 8:33 PM
montréaliste montréaliste is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chambly, Quebec
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
Yeah, the subway story in Detroit is more complex than "evil racist suburban politicans thwarted transit". It isn't entirely untrue, but just one piece of the puzzle.

Detroit came very close to building a subway system four separate times - in the early 1920's, in the 1930's, in the 1950's and in the 1970's. Once the subway was actually approved, but the mayor overrode council approval. Another time the subway came one vote short of approval. In the two more recent instances, the subway was approved, but the city and suburbs couldn't come to an organizational agreement.

And, for the more recent times, both the city and suburbs share fault. Mayor Young didn't want to give up control of the city transit agency, and the suburbs didn't want to subsidize a system for the city. Detroit had 90% of the metro area's transit ridership, and the last subway proposal would give 25% of the operating authority's power (the three main counties would have the other 75%). So Mayor Young didn't want to have 25% of the power for 90% of the ridership. And the burbs were 90% of the funding but 10% of the ridership, so you can see how suburban voters would be skeptical.

Of course this all points to the huge flaws with racial and economic segregation, and regional balkanization. Even to this day, the city and suburbs have their own separate bus systems, and the suburban bus system can't pick up riders in the city.

Also, now it's too late. The region doesn't have the linear arterial density for heavy rail. It still did in the 1980's, so the whole thing has basically been a disaster.

Yes to your conclusion.

This also points to the fact that if Detroit were to actually experience a true renaissance, it would need input from the suburbs, a metropolitan coalescence which it never had for the reasons you mentioned. Also, in spite of fits and starts that sometimes look like the city is on a rebound, there are still a lot of issues with downtown and midtown’s rebirth spurred in part by Gilbert’s impulse and other major players. The neighborhoods are still in dereliction, and unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any substantial proposal from political leaders to support a convergeance of interests, and a regional approach to development.


Detroit is like a rich kid that fell prey to drugs and will never kick the habit, going back home to snatch from the mother’s purse and out for a fix before going to sleep in an alley.
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