• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Development
  • Food+Drink
  • Things To Do
  • Doing Good
  • Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • History
  • Lists

Daily Detroit

What To Know And Where To Go In Southeast Michigan

Header Right

  • PODCAST
  • NEWSLETTER
  • SUPPORT
  • ARCHIVE
  • CONTACT
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER

Detroit’s QLINE Streetcar Could Go Much Faster. Here’s What Needs To Happen

You are here: Home / City Of Detroit / Detroit’s QLINE Streetcar Could Go Much Faster. Here’s What Needs To Happen

May 5, 2017 by Jer Staes

One of the most anticipated – and debated – additions to Detroit’s streets is that of the QLINE. That’s the 3.3 mile long streetcar that begins service down Woodward Avenue on May 12.

One of the early complaints about the QLINE online is the speed of the streetcar. End to end, it takes about 25 minutes (as timed by our riding it today).

Here’s the thing. It could go much faster, if there were more governmental cooperation. It turns out the speed of the streetcar isn’t as much limited by mechanics.

It could go double the speed it does now safely on the tracks and systems in place.

From on board the QLINE today.

In order to make higher speed a reality, something called “signal priority” would have to happen up and down the route. It’s used in quite a few cities around the world.

That means the traffic lights and signals sync up, generally based on a kind of proximity sensor, with travel of the streetcar as it goes down the route to lessen the number of in-traffic stops.

Currently, on some intersections, the QLINE will get a 15 second head start thanks to special traffic lights that let the streetcar goes first. But more could be done, according to Dan Lijana, Communications Officer for M1-Rail.

Inside the QLINE streetcar today.

What it would take is government cooperation, as Woodward’s signals are control partly by the Michigan Department of Transportation, and partly by the city of Detroit.

“It would take a lot of coordination, because if you change the signals going north/south, you’re changing them going east and west,” said Lijana. “Multiple entities including MDOT, the City, DDOT, to work with along with the QLINE to make something like that happen.”

But it could happen and it has been discussed.

“All of the entities being together under Regional Transit would certainly speed the progress toward not just signal pre-emption, but universal fare card. A universal app to ride all the different systems,” said Lijana. “It’s a little a difficult to do it without that authority, but we continue to work toward that.”

The last Regional Transit System proposed was defeated at the ballot box in 2016, mostly due to Macomb County’s overwhelming opposition.

Another thing that’s interesting about the QLINE is contrary to other reports, the system has been built to expand.

“The tracks are set up so we could accommodate a larger system – people were thinking ahead,” said Lijana on the media tour.

It’s going to be interesting to follow this and see just how far ahead we actually go in the next few years.

FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

Filed Under: Brush Park, CBD, City Of Detroit, New Center, Policy Tagged With: Detroit, QLINE, Speed, Streetcar, Why is the QLINE Slow

Be In The Know In About 20 Minutes A Day

“Thanks for your excellent coverage! Daily Detroit is part of my morning routine and as a lifelong metro area resident I appreciate your focus.”

– Jessica

Be like Jessica and keep up on the news, stories, and people that are pushing the Motor City forward on the Daily Detroit podcast. Free in your podcast app of choice:

Apple logoGoogle logoSpotify logoAmazon logoPocketcasts logoStitcher logoOvercast logoIheartradio logoRss logo
Previous Post: « Here’s Where To Drink In Detroit Like Don Draper
Next Post: Six More Tiny Homes Appear In Detroit’s Dexter-Linwood Neighborhood »

Primary Sidebar

Support the businesses & orgs that keep us on the air!

Fusion Marketing

Media funded by listeners serves our listeners. Become a member, get swag!

Support this podcast

PODCAST: Hate Has No Home Here; Pistons & Detroit City FC News w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: Previewing the new Portillo’s w/ Karen Dybis + Stories to know around town

PODCAST: Michigan’s Growing Cannabis Business; QLINE Leadership Change and More

PODCAST: Blake Griffin Benched; UM Hoops Success & More w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: Remembering Mary Wilson Of The Supremes

PODCAST: Jefferson East’s New Community HQ w/ Josh Elling

PODCAST: Michigan Central Restoration Update Plus 4 Things To Know In Metro Detroit

PODCAST: Restaurant Workers Can Get Vaccines In Detroit; Mama Shu Fights On; Lions, DCFC w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: How To Think About The Stonk Market w/ Professor X

PODCAST: Luminarias Brighten Southwest Detroit; How To Support Women Veterans

Get our newsletter covering what to know & where to go in Metro Detroit in your inbox!


Footer

Popular Topics

Belle Isle Brush Park Business Cars CBD City 5 City Of Detroit Corktown Crowdfunding Culture Development Doing Good Eastern Market East Riverfront Education Events Featured Ferndale Food + Drink Fun Green Hamtramck History Lifestyle Lists Macomb County Midtown New Center News Newsflash Oakland County Opinion Podcasts Policy Royal Oak Shopping Southwest Detroit Sports Staff Picks Tech Things To Do Transit University District Video Wayne County

On Social Media

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On InstagramVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On LinkedinCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Youtube
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 · Daily Detroit · 1420 Washington Blvd, Suite 301 · Detroit, MI 48226

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!