An environmental impact study will be launched to look at a possible 9.3-mile light rail line in Detroit. Time's blog questions whether it's really such a smart move to build the line.
The system is expected to cost about $500 million. Local officials are hopeful it will spur economic development along the line. But Time isn't sure the system will live up to its potential.
"The proposed rail would cover only 9.3 miles, running from Hart Plaza downtown to "almost" Eight Mile Road, the city's border. Basically, it would be the Detroit People Mover - a 2.9-mile monorail that connects 13 stations scattered through downtown Detroit - but on cheap steroids. And the relatively few people who'd use it probably wouldn't go much further than the theater district or the cultural center most times. So for all practical purposes, it'll be like hitching a ride with your boy from the African World Day festival on the riverfront to catch Chris Rock at the State Theater or Henry O. Tanner at the DIA. Thanks for the lift, homie, but this isn't a ride that inspires visions of a world-class Detroit."
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