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QLine
Car in front of the Detroit Historical Museum in July 2018
Overview
OwnerM-1 Rail
LocaleDetroit, Michigan
Termini
  • ‹See TfM›Grand Boulevard
  • ‹See TfM›Congress Street
Stations20 stops (12 locations)
Websiteqlinedetroit.com
Service
TypeStreetcar
Operator(s)Transdev
Rolling stock6 Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcars
Daily ridership3,280 (2018)[1]
History
OpenedMay 12, 2017 (May 12, 2017)[2]
Technical
Line length3.3 mi (5.3 km)[2]
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrificationoverhead catenary, lithium-ion battery
Operating speed30[3] mph (48 km/h)
Route map
QLine
Legend
Amtrak to Pontiac enlarge…
 ‹See TfM›Grand Boulevard
Baltimore Street Detroit (Amtrak station)
Amtrak to Chicago enlarge…
 ‹See TfM›Amsterdam Street
I-94.svg
I-94
Edsel Ford Freeway
 ‹See TfM›Ferry Street
‹See TfM›Warren Avenue
‹See TfM›Canfield Street
Martin Luther King Boulevard/
Mack Avenue
 ‹See TfM›Sproat Street/Adelaide Street
I-75.svg
I-75
Fisher Freeway
 ‹See TfM›Montcalm Street
Detroit People Mover enlarge…
 ‹See TfM›Grand Circus Park
‹See TfM›Campus Martius
‹See TfM›Congress Street
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible

The QLine (stylized as QLINE), originally known as M-1 Rail by its developers and the Woodward Avenue Streetcar by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), is a streetcar system in Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened on May 12, 2017, it runs along M-1 (Woodward Avenue).[2]

In December 2011, city and state leaders announced a plan to offer bus rapid transit service for the city and metropolitan area instead of light rail as had previously been proposed. While money would have been better spent to service customers by actually purchasing operational buses and creating a reliable system, it was determined that Detroit needed an extremely expensive light rail system. The light rail system was initially slated to run from downtown Detroit to 8 Mile road. But, like most projects in Detroit, funding was insufficient and a new scaled down version was the most investors could afford. The light rail system that moved people from one end of the city to the other would not be realized. Soon afterwards, M-1 Rail, a consortium of private and public businesses and institutions in the region, announced the plan for a 3.3-mile-long (5.3 km) streetcar line along part of the same route as the cancelled light rail plan, connecting the downtown Detroit People Mover to the Amtrak railway station in New Center and the proposed Ann Arbor–Detroit Regional Rail system. Quicken Loans bought the naming rights to the line, and announced the name in March 2016.[4] The Q Line is unique as it is not an actual transit system, but, a novelty used to attract suburbanites to the city. It's rigid rail construction and poor rail placement planning makes it very difficult in real world conditions. While a bus can drive around a stopped car, the rails of the Q Line are fixed and often many obstacles such as a poorly parked car will bring the system to a halt.

The Q Line is not operational at this time. It's doors were closed indefinitely in March, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it's future is uncertain. It had operated for approximately four years at a fiscal loss and with very little customer demand.

History

Antecedents

1863–1956

Main article: Detroit United Railway
Woodward Avenue with streetcar lines, 1942

Detroit's first streetcar service began in 1863 with horsecars. Electrification of the streetcar system followed, starting in 1886. Detroit's streetcar lines eventually saw their operations consolidated under the privately owned Detroit United Railway. Municipal takeover and control of the streetcar network by Detroit's Department of Street Railways followed in 1922.[5] Detroit Mayor Hazen S. Pingree had led the charge years before to have the city take over operations. Since that gave the companies reason to believe the rail lines would be taken over, they were discouraged from maintaining the lines, which meant that Detroiters had "inherited a giant money pit" when the city eventually voted to buy them.[6] That and the Department of Street Railways' introduction of buses from 1925 ultimately led to the demise of the original streetcar system in 1956.[5][7]

Detroit Citizens’ Railway

A short 0.7-mile (1.1 km) “vintage” streetcar gauge line in 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) gauge opened in 1976 along Washington Boulevard, using seven former Lisbon tramcars and two from England and Switzerland, all built to early 20th century specs. The line was extended a further 0.3 miles (0.5 km) along Jefferson Avenue in 1980. It ended service in 2003.[8]

M-1 Rail Line

Original M-1 Rail logo

In 2006 the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) commissioned a study to determine expanded mass transit options along Woodward Avenue.[9] Concurrently, a private group of local business leaders decided to provide matching funds to government dollars to develop a $125 million, 3.4-mile (5.5 km) line through central Detroit (similar to the Tacoma Link) called the M-1 Rail Line. After much wrangling between the private investors and the DDOT, the two groups decided to work in tandem on developing DDOT's 9.3-mile (15.0 km) line.

The proposed line ran 9.3 miles (15.0 km) along Woodward Avenue from the Rosa Parks Transit Center to the old State Fairgrounds along 8 Mile Road.[10] The line would have had 19 stops with 10 cars running at a time in two-car trains; each train would carry 150 people. The trains would run in a dedicated right-of-way in the median from 8 Mile to Adams Street at the north end of downtown. South of Adams, the trains would run in traffic along the sides of the street.

The estimated cost for the proposed line was $500 million.[10] The Kresge Foundation awarded a $35 million grant to the city for the project in March 2009.[11] It received $25 million in funding from the United States Department of Transportation in February 2010.[12][13] The Detroit City Council approved the sale of $125 million in bonds on April 11, 2011.[14] The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the City of Detroit signed an environmental impact study on July 1, 2011.[9] Finally, on August 31, 2011, the FTA signed a record of decision allowing the project to move forward.[15]

In December 2011 the federal government withdrew its support for the proposed line, in favor of a bus rapid transit system which would serve the city and suburbs.[16] This decision arose out of discussions between federal Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and Governor Rick Snyder. The private investors who had initially supported the smaller three-mile (4.8 km) M-1 Rail line to New Center stated that they would continue developing that project through the nonprofit M-1 Rail Consortium.[17] The cancelled 9.3-mile (15.0 km) proposal would have featured seven additional stops north of Grand Boulevard, where the QLine now ends.[18]

Construction

On January 18, 2013, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that M-1 Rail would receive $25 million in federal grant support for the streetcar project.[12][13][19] He had previously committed to the funds on the condition that a regional transit authority was created for the Detroit area.[20] In late 2012, the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan was created by state law,[21] which enabled LaHood's approval.[22]

On April 22, 2013, the project received final environmental clearance from the federal government, with construction expected to start in the fall.[23]

On December 20, 2013, M-1 Rail began underground utility relocation work along Woodward Avenue, the first step toward full-fledged construction activities of the 3.3-mile (5.3 km) streetcar line, with construction scheduled to start in mid-2014.[24] Stacy & Witbeck were formally awarded the contract to construct the M-1 Rail streetcar line on July 31, 2013.[12][13][25] M-1 Rail officials announced on July 3, 2014, that the Woodward Avenue overpasses for both I-75 and I-94 freeways will be demolished during construction of the rail line, and that new wider bridges will be built.[26]

On July 20, 2014, the Ilitch family, owner of Olympia Development of Michigan, and major investor in M-1 Rail, announced that the streetcar line would include a stop at the new Little Caesars Arena in Midtown.[27]

M-1 Rail officially started construction on July 28, 2014.[28] The streetcar line would stretch from downtown Detroit to Grand Boulevard in New Center. There would be 20 different stations serving 12 stops, with most of the stations being curbside on either side of Woodward Avenue going uptown or downtown, but changing to center road stations at the north and south ends of the system. At the time, the streetcar line was expected to be operational in late 2016.[29]

During the planning of the service, Detroit businessman Dan Gilbert advocated strongly for a curb-running design. One participant said, "They were not looking for speed or reliability... their number one goal was the boost in property values."[30]

On September 9, 2014, the US DOT announced that M-1 Rail would receive an additional $12.2 million in federal grant money to complete the financing of the M-1 Rail project.[31] US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx gave the keynote address at a rail signing ceremony on September 15, 2014 at Grand Circus Park.[32][33][34][35] Local officials were in attendance as were executives of local businesses who were sponsoring stations near their places of business. A new official map was made public.[36]

Approximately 60 percent of the line is not equipped with overhead electrical wires, and the streetcars are powered solely from lithium-ion batteries on that section.[37]

On February 15, 2015, M-1 Rail reported that the Penske Tech Center was under construction in New Center. The $6.9 million, 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m2) structure serves as the M-1 Rail headquarters, the operations center, and the streetcar maintenance facility. The tech center building is sited close to Woodward Avenue, and located between Bethune and Custer streets north and east of Grand Boulevard with the streetcar storage yard behind. The exterior is made of reddish brick to mimic the historical look and feel of the surrounding neighborhood,[38] and was completed in May 2016.

In August 2015, M-1 Rail officials said that the opening of the line would be delayed until around mid 2017, partially because of new federal safety standards that are coming into effect, as well as a construction slowdown during the previous winter and delays in building the rolling stock.[39] QLine was announced as the official name for the line in March 2016, after Quicken Loans bought naming rights, but the non-profit organization that is overseeing the project continues to be named M-1 Rail.[40]

The first streetcar was delivered in September 2016.[41] The first test move over the line took place on December 13, and the streetcar was initially towed[42] (not yet run under its own power, except at the maintenance facility).[43] Transdev was awarded a five-year contract to operate the line.[44]

The QLine opened for public use on May 12, 2017.[2] Although initially slated to be free only for the first weekend, the streetcar's free period was later extended for a week, and later until July 1, and again until Labor Day 2017.[45] Ridership for the opening week was 50,000, with a peak of 8,300 during the weekend and 5,120 Monday through Thursday.[46] Daily ridership dropped to 3,000 when the payment service began on September 5, 2017 with 40% of riders paying fares.[47]

Rolling stock

A Brookville Liberty streetcar in current standard QLine livery, 2017

Crain's Detroit Business reported that the line would cost $137 million, including the purchase of six streetcar vehicles.[48] Bids were expected to include low-floor, air-conditioned vehicles, capable of transporting passengers in wheelchairs. The vehicles have operator's controls at both ends—eliminating the need for the vehicles to turn around for their return trips.

On November 4, 2014, M-1 announced that Czech-based Inekon had been awarded a $30 million contract for six vehicles.[49] Upon that deal falling apart, M-1 Rail instead awarded a $32 million contract to Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corporation.[37] The purchase includes six articulated, three-section, 66-foot-long (20.12 m) cars, equipped with 750-volt rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for off-wire movement on sections of the line not equipped with overhead wire.[37]

The first Brookville-built streetcar was delivered in September 2016,[41] with the last two of the six cars delivered in March 2017.[50] The last car of Detroit's previous streetcar system was numbered 286, so it was decided to number the new cars 287–292, to pick up where the old number series had left off.[51]

Operation

Route

The QLine traverses Woodward Avenue in its entirety from downtown through Midtown to New Center. The line begins at the southern terminus at Congress Street in the median before tracks swing to the curbside for most of its length. (Some parts of the line have tracks running down the middle travel lane of Woodward in downtown.) After traveling in the curbside travel lane, the line swings back into the inside travel lane (median) at Amsterdam all the way to the line's northern terminus at Grand Boulevard. Non-revenue tracks continue two blocks to the M-1 Rail Penske Tech Center, which serves as headquarters for the QLine and the garage for the streetcars.

List of stations

Stop Neighborhood(s) Connections
Congress Street Downtown, Financial District
Campus Martius Downtown
Grand Circus Park Downtown, Grand Circus Park Detroit People Mover
Montcalm Street Downtown, Foxtown
Sproat Street/Adelaide Street Midtown, Brush Park, Cass Park
Martin Luther King Boulevard / Mack Avenue Midtown, Brush Park, Cass Corridor
Canfield Street Midtown, Medical Center
Warren Avenue Midtown, Cultural Center, Wayne State University DDOT Warren (route 8)
Ferry Street Midtown, Cultural Center, East Ferry
Amsterdam Street New Center
Baltimore Street New Center Amtrak at the Detroit station
Grand Boulevard New Center SMART

Hours

The QLine operates seven days a week. Service begins at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Service ends at midnight Monday through Thursday, 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturday nights (early Saturday and Sunday) and at 11 p.m. Sundays.[52]

See also

References

  1. ^ Pratt Dawsey, Chastity (April 1, 2019). "QLine Well Short of Ridership Goals and Plagued by Delays in Detroit". Bridge Magazine. Center for Michigan. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Lawrence, Eric D.; Allen, Robert (May 12, 2017). "All Aboard! Detroit's QLine Is Open for Streetcar Riders". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "FAQ". M-1 Rail. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  4. ^ Lawrence, Eric D. (March 24, 2016). "Detroit's M-1 Rail Line Now to Be Called the QLINE". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Schramm, Kenneth (2006). Detroit's Street Railways. Images of Rail. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 7–8, 11–13. ISBN 0-7385-4027-7.
  6. ^ Austin, Dan. "How Metro Detroit Transit went from Best to Worst". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  7. ^ Kurlyandchik, Mark (May 2012). "After 50+ Years, Streetcars Could Come Back to Woodward". Hour Detroit. ISSN 1098-9684. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  8. ^ "U.S. Streetcar Systems- Michigan". Railway Preservation Resources. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Project Overview". Woodward Light Rail. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Woodward Light Rail Project Cancelled, M-1 Streetcar Still in the Works". Detroit Transportation Riders United. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012.
  11. ^ "Kresge Foundation Awards Nearly $73 Million in Grants in the First Quarter of 2009" (Press release). Council of Michigan Foundations. March 9, 2009. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c "Detroit Streetcar Construction Contract Awarded". Railway Gazette International. August 2, 2013. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  13. ^ a b c "Detroit Light Rail Project Gets Grant". Railway Gazette International. February 22, 2013. Archived from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  14. ^ "City Council Approves Detroit Light Rail Project". Southfield, MI: WWJ-TV. April 12, 2011.
  15. ^ "Detroit's Woodward Ave. Light Rail Project Moves Forward, but Still Has Long Road to Completion". MLive.com. Detroit: Booth Newspapers. September 6, 2011. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  16. ^ Bing, Dave (December 18, 2011). "Rapid Bus System Is a Win for Metro Detroit". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  17. ^ Helms, Matt; Egan, Paul; Gallagher, John (December 14, 2011). "Detroit Light-Rail Plan Is Dead: Buses Will Be Used Instead". Detroit Free Press.
  18. ^ Marable, Kamau C.; Roseboom, Tim; Ryan, Mark (September 15, 2011). "Woodward Light Rail Transit Project". NAMC Detroit Transportation Symposium. p. 4 – via slideplayer.com.
  19. ^ Helms, Matt (January 18, 2013). "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Brings $25 Million in Federal Aid for M-1 Rail Project". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  20. ^ Cwiek, Sarah (October 15, 2012). "LaHood: Metro Detroit, State Need to Move on Regional transit Authority". Michigan Radio. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  21. ^ "Senate Bill No. 909" (PDF). Michigan State Legislature. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  22. ^ "M1 Rail: Ray LaHood, U.S. Transit Secretary, Announces $25 Million in Funding for Detroit Transit Plan". The Huffington Post. January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  23. ^ Helms, Matt (April 22, 2013). "M-1 Rail Project Gets Final OK from Federal Government". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  24. ^ "M-1 Rail Begins Underground Utility Relocation Work, Shutdown of Woodward Avenue Is Not Required: Utility Relocations Will Not Prevent Customer Access to Businesses on Woodward" (Press release). M-1 Rail. December 2013. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  25. ^ Bowen, Douglas John (July 31, 2013). "Stacy and Witbeck win Detroit M1 contract". Railway Age. Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  26. ^ Walker, Marlon A. (July 3, 2014). "M-1 Rail Construction to Close Freeways as Woodward Overpasses Are Rebuilt". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014 – via M-1 Rail.
  27. ^ Shea, Bill (July 20, 2014). "Detroit Rink City: Ilitches' Grand Plan to Supersize the Entertainment District". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  28. ^ "Detroit Streetcar Breaks Ground". Railway Gazette International. July 28, 2014. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  29. ^ "Construction Starts on Detroit Rail". The Mining Journal. Marquette, MI. Associated Press. July 28, 2014. p. 5A.
  30. ^ DeVito, Lee. "Dan Gilbert, private interests steered QLine plans, study finds".
  31. ^ Spangler, Todd & Gallagher, John (September 9, 2014). "Feds Give M-1 Rail $12.2 Million". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  32. ^ "Officials participate in track signing ceremony celebrating Detroit streetcar project". The Republic. Columbus, IN. Associated Press. September 15, 2014. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  33. ^ "Detroit light rail receives more TIGER funding". Railway Gazette International. September 16, 2014. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  34. ^ "USDOT's Foxx, Detroit officials sign ceremonial track for M-1 Rail streetcar". Progressive Railroading. September 16, 2014. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  35. ^ Williams, AJ (September 16, 2014). "U.S. DOT Secretary Foxx Announces $12.2 Million for M-1 RAIL in Detroit". Michigan Chronicle. Detroit. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  36. ^ Walsh, Tom (September 16, 2014). "Tom Walsh: M-1 Rail Makes Noise as New Donors Push Line Ahead". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 16, 2014.
  37. ^ a b c Shepardson, David (June 8, 2015). "M-1 Rail Buying 6 Off-Wire Streetcars for $32M". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  38. ^ Gallagher, John (February 15, 2015). "M-1 Rail's Tech Center Under Construction". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  39. ^ "Detroit Streetcar Project M-1 Delayed through 2017". Trains. August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  40. ^ "QLINE announced as official name of Detroit's modern streetcar". M-1 Rail. March 24, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  41. ^ a b Shea, Bill (September 12, 2016). "First M-1 Rail streetcar arrives in Detroit". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  42. ^ Detroit Free Press web team (December 13, 2016). "See the Test of Detroit's New QLine Streetcar along Woodward Avenue". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  43. ^ Shea, Bill (December 13, 2016). "M-1 Rail Takes First QLine Streetcar out for a Test Run in Detroit". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  44. ^ In brief International Railway Journal July 2016 page 10
  45. ^ "QLINE, I Love You But We Need to Talk". Daily Detroit. June 18, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  46. ^ Lawrence, Eric D. (May 19, 2017). "Amid Deluge of Riders, QLine Announces Free Rides until July 1". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  47. ^ Livengood, Chad (September 22, 2017). "40% of QLine riders paying as ridership falls". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  48. ^ Shea, Bill (October 14, 2013). "M-1 Rail to Bidders: Contract will begin Dec. 1; Streetcar Service will begin February 2016". Crain's Detroit Business. Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  49. ^ "Detroit Streetcar Project Selects Inekon to Supply Vehicles". Trains. November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  50. ^ Brookville Equipment Corporation (April 12, 2017). "Brookville Completes Delivery of Off-Wire Capable Liberty Streetcar Vehicles to Detroit for QLINE Ahead of Schedule" (Press release). Brookville Equipment Corporation. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  51. ^ Raven, Benjamin (September 21, 2016). "Take a peek inside Detroit's first QLine streetcar". MLive.com. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  52. ^ "FAQ". QLINE Detroit.
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