Detroit People Mover selects firm for improvement study
The People Mover in Detroit
(FOX 2):On Thursday, the governing board that oversees the Detroit People Mover made a minor but important move to rethink what the transit service can provide Detroit.
A company was chosen by the Detroit Transportation Corporation to research potential short-, medium-, and long-term upgrades to the 2.9-mile light rail system.
Members gave their approval for AECOM to oversee the 12-month study during the DTC’s monthly board meeting. It is the next natural step in operating the transit system, according to the People Mover’s general manager.
“I think that it does fit into the picture of the People Mover downtown, for the city, all those things are pointing in a pretty transformative direction,” said Robert Cramer.
When the People Mover had to close for two years due to the COVID-19 epidemic, that was not the plan. The decades-old rail system was at a turning point at that period, remaining closed and losing out on additional funding or advancement.
“From that point, we could go two ways: fade off into the distance or get everybody on board to really make it everything it can be for the city,” Cramer stated.
The goal of the study is to expand on that achievement.
This year is the ideal opportunity to reconsider what kinds of advantages the People Mover may offer Detroit, according to Cramer, given the rail system’s enormous increase in ridership in 2024 and the momentum behind both Detroit and public transportation in Southeast Michigan.
According to him, the study’s scope was intentionally left open-ended to stimulate ideas outside of the immediate track. Rather of selecting a single project or asking for a comprehensive list of ideas, Cramer stated that the People Mover is looking for “more of a menu of possible things.”
Ideas for proposals could range from minor changes like renaming the stations along the People Mover’s path to major ones like enlarging the track.
Federal money made possible by a state grant program are being used to pay for the study. At most, it will cost $800,000.
Additionally, the People Mover will have ideas ready to go when the chance for bigger projects arises.
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