Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Detroit

The Hypocrisy of Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit” Campaign

By Angie Schmitt | Nov 8, 2011 | 14 Comments

I’ll admit it: I love the Chrysler ad campaign “Imported from Detroit,” which debuted in February’s Super Bowl spot starring Eminem. What can I say? I’m a sucker for hometown pride. I was born about 60 miles downriver from the Motor City in Toledo, Ohio, a town sometimes known affectionately as “Little Detroit.” I remember […]

FTA Distributes $1 Billion to Local Transit Agencies

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 20, 2011 | No Comments

Transit providers in Detroit, Miami, Seattle and Bloomington, Indiana were a few of the many winners in the latest round of Federal Transit Administration capital grants. On Monday, FTA awarded almost $1 billion to local transit agencies to purchase buses, construct shelters and plan for the future [PDF]. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the grants […]

Can the Feds Fix Detroit’s Uniquely Terrible Transit System?

By Angie Schmitt | Sep 21, 2011 | 6 Comments

There is no better evidence of the sharp social divisions that continue to haunt metro Detroit than the appalling state of its transit system. When it comes to public transportation, residents of the city of Detroit and suburbanites live in a state of government sanctioned apartheid. They ride fully separate systems, with fully separate sets […]

Feds Call “All Hands On Deck” For Detroit Transit

By Tanya Snyder | Aug 10, 2011 | 1 Comment

For the last two days, transit experts from around the country have been hunkered down in Detroit to devote their collective expertise to making the Motor City a better city for transit. The Federal Transit Administration convened the panel, which included current and former transit agency leaders from Salt lake City, Denver, Portland, Atlanta and […]

Federal Government Offers a Helping Hand to Six Struggling Cities

By Angie Schmitt | Jul 14, 2011 | No Comments

In a move to help buoy crisis-stricken cities, the Obama Administration this week introduced a program designed to provide administrative support to help local government officials “cut through the red tape” and access urgent federal assistance. “Strong Cities, Strong Communities” will offer expert technical support — but not additional funding — in the areas of […]

Compromise Over Detroit Light Rail Gets Thumbs Up from Advocates

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 30, 2011 | No Comments

A wrestling match between private investors and the transit community in Detroit has ended in compromise. Detroit leaders have moved to run the city’s Woodward Light Rail along the center of the street throughout most of its nine-mile course. The line will be oriented along the curb, with more frequent stops, beginning when it enters […]

Show More Stories