DETROIT, July 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --Construction crews took to Woodward Avenue (M-1) in Detroit today to start construction activities on the city's new 3.3 mile modern streetcar line. M-1 RAIL is the first public streetcar line in the United States being supported by a public-private partnership comprised of foundations, corporations, and local, county, state and federal governments.
Construction activities began just after midnight when construction workers, led by the project's Construction Manager/General Contractor Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., began positioning traffic detour signage and erecting pedestrian fencing around the work zone.
As crews began work this morning, Roger Penske, M-1 RAIL Chairman of the Board, and Matt Cullen, M-1 RAIL President & CEO, visited the construction site with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan for a briefing on the first day of construction activities.
"The road to bring a modern streetcar line to Detroit began more than 7 years ago and today we've reached a major milestone," said Penske. "The people who live and work in this city have tenacious spirits. It's that passion and love for this place that gets projects like this moving. We are now on the path to revolutionize the way we move throughout the Woodward corridor and beyond," he said.
"Today we start building the foundation for the future of transportation in Detroit and in our region," said Cullen. He also spoke about strategies the M-1 RAIL team developed with its construction manager to minimize disruption to businesses, residents and visitors along the construction corridor.
Upon completion in late 2016, the M-1 RAIL Streetcar will travel north and south along Woodward Avenue for 3.3-miles between Larned Street and W. Grand Blvd. The streetcar will service 20 stations (16 curbside and 4 median running) at 12 locations. The modern streetcar will serve Detroit's largest job centers and most visited destinations including the city's business, educational, medical, cultural and entertainment hubs. It will ignite new economic development and job creation and will provide a foundation for improved and expanded public transit throughout the region. Projections indicate the streetcar will promote 10,000 new housing units and more than $3 billion in economic development along the M-1 RAIL route and neighboring side streets over the next decade.
Donors & Partners
Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Chrysler, Compuware, Detroit Downtown Development Authority, Detroit Medical Center, DTE Energy, Ford Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Great Lakes Capital Fund, Henry Ford Health System, Hudson Webber Foundation, Ilitch Holdings, Invest Detroit, JPMorgan Chase, Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Penske Corporation, Quicken Loans, The Kresge Foundation, United States Department of Transportation, Wayne County, Wayne State University.
About M-1 RAIL
M-1 RAIL is the non-profit organization leading the design, construction and future operation of a 3.3-mile (6.6 miles round-trip) modern streetcar along Woodward Avenue between Larned Street and West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. An unprecedented public-private partnership and model for regional collaboration, the M-1 RAIL Streetcar project is the first major transit project led and funded by private businesses and philanthropic organizations, in partnership with local, state and federal governments. Visit www.M-1RAIL.com for more information.
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SOURCE M-1 RAIL
