Detroit and Michigan Politicians and business
leaders who expected Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to deliver a gift
wrapped $40 million federal grant for construction of the three and a half mile
M-1 light rail commuter line from downtown Detroit to Grand Boulevard in New Center
were disappointed Monday when all the Secretary brought to their meeting Monday
was a 60 day deadline for answering federal concerns about long term
operational funding for the project, and the accuracy of lowball construction
cost estimates and highball ridership estimates. While Detroit Mayor David Bing characterized
LaHood’s presentation to the supporters of the $137 million project as
enthusiastic, saying LaHood “made it very clear that there’s nowhere else in
the country that he’s seen this kind of commitment from the business community,”
both LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff skipped the press
conference after the 90 minute meeting with project supporters.
The proposed 3.5 mile line promises 16 minute trips
from Congress in downtown Detroit through 10 intermediate stops to Grand
Boulevard in New Center, with trains running every seven and a half minutes
during rush periods to every twelve minutes the rest of the day. Funding
commitments for M-1, led by Kresge Foundation’s $35 million pledge, include
promises of $3 million or more each from Penske, Quicken Loans, Compuware, Detroit
Medical Center, Ilitch Companies, Wayne State University and Henry Ford Health
System, and less generous grants from Chevrolet, Chrysler, Kellogg Foundation,
and Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Michigan, among others. So far supporters have
raised pledges totaling $84 million, but LaHood doubts that adding $40 million
in federal funds would make up the actual construction costs of the line.
Besides underestimating the cost of building the
line, LaHood also suspects the projected initial fare paying ridership of 3
million trips per year is overstated. The feds want better backup of current
projections or revised estimates more in line with reality. And, after 2025 M-1
proposes to turn the system and its operating costs to a regional
transportation authority, but legislation creating such a local entity is
stalled in Lansing, where Michigan Governor Rick Snyder wants the rail line to
hook up with a proposed 110 mile rapid transit bus system serving Detroit’s
suburbs, Metro Airport, and Ann Arbor. Unless that RTA bill passes soon,
Detroit’s light rail future looks bleak.
