Detroit QLINE to Open on May 12

Revenue service on Detroit’s streetcar system will begin on May 12, QLINE officials said last week.

To mark the opening, there will be a special event at the Penske Technical Center and an inaugural ride down Woodward Avenue. Public service begins that evening.

“We are going to be running simulated operations in April,” said M-1 Rail spokesman Dan Lijana. “We want to make sure that the drivers have as much time on the road (as possible) before we start taking passengers.”

M-1 Rail is the operator of the streetcar system. Construction of the $142 streetcar line began in July 2014 and test runs over the 3.3-mile system began in December.

The 66-foot long streetcars can carry 125 passengers on average and will reach maximum speeds of 35 mph.

They will stop for traffic lights and M-1 Rail has begun a public education campaign with the first step being a series of safety videos to help Detroit residents become accustomed to coexisting with streetcars.

The QLINE will operate between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to midnight on Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

M-1 Rail estimates that the QLINE will carry 5,000 to 8,000 passengers per day.

“QLINE’s grand opening will be a historic day in Detroit,” said M-1 Rail CEO Matt Cullen. “We’re bringing rail transit back to the heart of the city and connecting the Woodward Corridor in a way that’s already begun to transform the entire district.”

M-1 Rail Shows Off Penske Facility Concept

The parent organization of the Detroit streetcar line has released conceptual renderings of the nearly 19,000 square feet Penske Tech Center facility that will serve as an operations and maintenance center.

The center will be located between Bethune and Custer avenues, at the northern end of the 3.3-mile streetcar system.

“We have communicated extensively with the residents and business owners from the neighborhood where the Tech Center will be located, and their input has been invaluable in making sure that the new Tech Center becomes a vibrant part of the community,” says Paul Childs, Chief Operating Officer of M-1 Rail. “From the types of vegetation we use on the grounds, to the building’s actual design and location on the property, the voices from the community have given M-1 Rail terrific guidance.”

The facility is named in recognition of Roger Penske’s leadership of M-1 Rail and Penske Corp., as one of the major donors to the project.

Detroit Streetcar Construction Will be Busy

Officials with M-1 Rail in Detroit are eyeing an aggressive 2015 construction schedule for the streetcar line that is being built on Woodward Avenue.

The 3-3 mile line is expected to open in 2016 between Campus Martius in downtown Detroit and the New Center area. Track laying will resume in March.

Motorists, though, may be less than pleased with what an M-1Rail official described as a “very aggressive” construction schedule.

“It’s going to be a lot of orange cones,” said Sommer Woods, director of external relations for M-To minimize the impact, M-1 will keep cross streets open and maintain access to medical centers.

M-1 officials will be holding six community update meetings to provide the public information about construction plans in specific neighborhoods.

During a recent in downtown Detroit, Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, noted that bus riders on the SMART system are confused by detours on parts of Woodward that remain in place even though the area is currently open to traffic.

Detroit Department of Transportation buses resumed travel along the route after last year’s construction ended.

Woods said was the decision of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, rather than M-1 Rail, to keep the detours in place.

Beth Gibbons, spokeswoman for SMART, said that although travel along Woodward might not be restricted now, that would change in coming months.

“SMART decided to put our buses on permanent detour until construction is completed,” Gibbons said. “We’re trying to keep it simpler for the customers knowing that the detours are standing until further notice.”

 

 

 

4 Firms to Design, Build Detroit M-1 Rail Center

Detroit M-1 Rail has chosen three firms to design and built the Penske Technical Center near the northern terminus of the city’s future streetcar line at Woodward Avenue and West Grand Boulevard in the New Center neighborhood.

The companies are Turner Construction Co., 3.L.K Construction, ABE Associates Inc. and RNL. The facility will be named after Cleveland native Roger Penske, a race car owner who was one of the major donors to M-1 Rail’s streetcar line.

“This facility will be one of the first new construction projects in the neighborhood, and is a key part of the entire project,” said Paul Childs, chief operating officer of M-1 Rail, in a news release. “Members of the community have had a voice in the eventual design of the building, which will serve as the maintenance and storage and technical center for the streetcars.”

M-1 Rail is constructing a 3.3-mile streetcar line that will operate along Woodward Avenue between Larned Street and West Grand Boulevard.

 

 

 

Detroit Streetcar Construction to Begin July 28

Construction work on the Detroit street car will begin on July 28 and the first phase will involve closing Woodward Avenue for 120 days.

M-1 Rail, which is building the streetcar line, said construction will begin between Adams Street and Campus Martius. The work will include concrete removal, drainage and track installation, repaving and utility relocation.

“Our goal is to ensure construction activities are completed safely and expeditiously with as little disruption as possible to businesses, residents and visitors,” said M-1 Rail Chief Operating Officer Paul Childs in a news release.

The M-1 Rail external relations team members will distribute “Streetcar Construction Overview” reports during regular project update meetings with business and community members. Additional information is available on the streetcar’s website.

The streetcar line, expected to be completed in 2016, will travel north-south on both sides of Woodward Avenue for 3.3 miles between Larned Street and West Grand Boulevard.