Ticket to Ride: Planners prepare for Detroit's light rail to extend to Detroit's border

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:




Designs are months from completion for the first phase of the Woodward Corridor Light Rail project, but planners and residents are already preparing for the line's northern extension to Detroit's border.

Meeting in church basements and community centers this week, discussions began about what development ideally would spring up around as many as 20 stations to be built between New Center and Eight Mile Road. Housing, retail complexes, safe parking, restaurants, highlighting historic features and connections to greenways and other transportation routes were popular on attendees' wish lists.

Planners scheduled four meetings early this week — the last planned for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Precinct 12, 1441 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit — to hear what members of the Woodward Corridor community could suggest about development around the future stations.

They're not idle dreams. With Mayor Dave Bing promising groundbreaking on the train line from downtown to New Center next year, plans are under way for the second part as well. The goal is to have it operational by 2014. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.metrotimes.com/news/ticket-to-ride-1.1047707