Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Detroit

Detroit’s Choice: Beautiful Historic Buildings or More Parking

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 29, 2012 | 10 Comments

Let’s just get this out of the way right now: Sigh. Okay then, on to the story. A Canadian developer wants to tear down this building, the State Savings Bank, to make room for more parking in downtown Detroit. Does Detroit need more parking? Not exactly. Downtown Detroit, an analyst told the Huffington Post, has […]

The Best Amateur Music Videos in Support of Active Transportation

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 3, 2012 | 3 Comments

Transit and bike activists are creative folks. More and more young, car-eschewing millennials are making their case in amateur music videos. The result is funnier and more imaginative than anything you’ll find on basic cable. Check out this one from the University of Michigan. Production value, casting, script — this video is almost too good. […]

Business Community Beats Back Anti-Transit Politics in Suburban Detroit

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 18, 2012 | 2 Comments

Last month it looked like Southeast Michigan would be the site of yet another embarrassing transit failure, after City Council of Detroit suburb Troy voted to reject $8.5 million in federal funds for a transit center, citing Tea Party talking points. But this near-disaster now has a happy ending thanks to a smart compromise and […]

A Detroit Suburb’s Rejection of Transit Funds Outrages Local Businesspeople

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 21, 2011 | 2 Comments

Troy, Michigan is down one transit center, $8.5 million in investment and an unknown number of jobs this week after City Council voted 4-3 Monday to reject a federal grant aimed at improving rail transit in metro Detroit. The decision, backed by Tea Party Mayor Janice Daniels and the National Review Online, caused a swift […]

New Plans Would Make Detroit the Nation’s Run-Away BRT Leader

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 16, 2011 | 3 Comments

As disappointing as it’s been to see Detroit’s light rail plans being squashed, it’s been pretty exciting watching what has been taking shape in its place. The Motor City’s plans to shift some $500 million from a 9-mile light rail system to bus rapid transit system could go a long way toward remedying the crushing […]

Detroit Abandons Light Rail Dreams, Plans BRT Routes

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 14, 2011 | 4 Comments

There was a lot riding on light rail plans for the city of Detroit. Four years of planning, for one. Almost $100 million in private commitments, for another. But the most important consideration — by far — was the promise of a revitalized Woodward Avenue through the heart of the city’s up-and-coming Midtown neighborhood. Suddenly, […]

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