Whatever Happened to the Downtown People Mover?

[thelakelander]

Here is an interesting article suggesting that the Skyway may have directly led to the creation of new circulator bus and streetcar systems across the country:

The "downtown people mover" is an automated, driverless transit car that most people, such as Lyle Lanley, would call a monorail. The monorail will end up an asterisk in the annals of urban transport, but there was a brief moment in history when it was the next great thing. In mid-1970s, at the peak of its potential, nearly 70 cities wrote the government expressing interest in building an automated transit system. In the end only three were completed.

full article: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/12/whatever-happened-people-mover/672/#

[Jaxson]

I concur.  I recently visited Detroit for Thanksgiving and could not help but notice the greater amount of density in their urban core.  The length of their People Mover route and the number of stations, in my opinion, was factors in its success relative to our cheaper, but less-used Skyway.

[peestandingup]

Only 3? Simpsons were right to criticize these expensive things. Monofail.

[thelakelander]

^Yes, only three.  There are too many other solutions out there that can provide you with the same thing, yet for a cheaper price.

As for Detroit.....denser downtown but it's mostly vacant.  However, their peoplemover stations are integrated into the buildings.  Nevertheless, over the last year, the Skyway's ridership has tripled, so we're closing in on their annual average.  Looking forward, they should get a boost if they can get their privately funded streetcar off the ground.

[duvaldude08]

^Yes, only three.  There are too many other solutions out there that can provide you with the same thing, yet for a cheaper price.

As for Detroit.....denser downtown but it's mostly vacant.  However, their peoplemover stations are integrated into the buildings.  Nevertheless, over the last year, the Skyway's ridership has tripled, so we're closing in on their annual average.  Looking forward, they should get a boost if they can get their privately funded streetcar off the ground.

I have a close friend who works at BCBS in Detriot. They moved downtown last year and I believe all the employees get discount passes, (Or free passes I cant remember which one)., to encourage people to ride it.

[Jaxson]

I agree with Lakelander about the vacancies that plague our downtown, but that point illustrates how we failed to build a system around where the people are and where they want to go.  A line connecting downtown with the sports complex would have been a better starting point.

[thelakelander]

^I was talking about Detroit's downtown.  It has a higher vacancy rate than ours.  Their peoplemover directly serves their convention center, hockey arena, major hotels, the GM complex and Greektown Casino.  It also gets within two blocks of ballpark and Ford Field.  Despite all of this, it gets a little over 7,000 riders a day, while our Skyway is now averaging 5,100. 

Nevertheless, yes, both of our systems suffered from neither one of the cities building the citywide transit lines that were supposed to feed them with riders.  Miami did and their system now averages around 30,000 riders a day.  Connectivity with mass transit lines that serve more than downtown is what we should be striving for. 

The best thing for Detroit's peoplemover isn't expansion.  It's the proposed modern streetcar line that will tie it and downtown with New Center and Midtown.

[thelakelander]

Here are a few images of Detroit's Peoplemover taken from previous visits:

[thelakelander]

The major difference between Miami's peoplemover, the Skyway and Detroit's is Miami has integrated their peoplemover with Metrorail (citywide heavy rail system) and supportive land use policies encouraging TOD at or near Metromover stations. Here are a few images of Miami's Metromover taken from previous visits:

[Wacca Pilatka]

Only 3? Simpsons were right to criticize these expensive things. Monofail.

I have, in fact, had people make the Ogdensville and North Haverbrook joke at me about the Skyway.

For those unfamiliar with the Simpsons and Lyle Lanley references: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Monorail

[Jaxson]

You are right, Lakelander, about the vacancy rates in Detroit.  I remember flying into Detroit and seeing large swaths of the city that lacked city lights.  The point of pride, however, for Detroit would be the greater sense of vibrancy that their entertainment district has compared to ours.  I took a ride with relatives around the city and enjoyed seeing the seasonal storefront businesses, the reopening of their history museum and folks iceskating.  I was surprised that their ridership levels were closer to ours than that of Miami, but I think that we could learn some lessons from the destinations that Detoit's People Mover serves.

[peestandingup]

Only 3? Simpsons were right to criticize these expensive things. Monofail.

I have, in fact, had people make the Ogdensville and North Haverbrook joke at me about the Skyway.

For those unfamiliar with the Simpsons and Lyle Lanley references: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Monorail

Lol. I hadn't watched that episode in forever until a few years ago (after moving to Jax). I swear they based "North Haverbrook" on Jacksonville. The downtown, the lady's accent ("there han't no monorail and there never was!"). Even the colors are similar.