• 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

New Report Shows QLINE Service Improvements, Ridership On The Rise

You are here: Home / News / New Report Shows QLINE Service Improvements, Ridership On The Rise

Jul 28, 2017 by Sven Gustafson

A new report from the parent organization of Detroit’s streetcar says that the new QLINE streetcar service is making improvements following several opening glitches, expected growing pains and complaints from riders.

M-1 Rail, the QLINE’s operating organization, has been working with the streetcar’s operator, Transdev North America, on service improvements for about a month now. Those have resulted in more riders, shorter waits and better coordination with traffic signals.

Ridership on the QLINE, which launched May 12, has increased from an average of 4,000 daily trips during the week of June 12 to 6,300 the week of July 17, the report says. That’s higher than the 5,000 daily trips officials have established as their target, though the streetcar has yet to begin charging for rides.

Thanks to a commitment from the Kresge Foundation announced last month, riders can continue to ride for free until Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Opening day crowds on the QLINE. Daily Detroit photo.

“Over the past month, we have improved QLINE service, putting more streetcars on the road, reducing wait times between vehicles and integrated rider feedback into our operational enhancement plan,” said M-1 RAIL CEO Matt Cullen. “Many more people have had the opportunity to experience the QLINE for the first time and Detroiters are beginning to integrate the streetcar system into their daily travel.”

Here’s how the improvements are shaking out:

  • Round-trip rides have been reduced by 6 minutes due to operational improvements.
  • Average wait times between streetcars fell from more than 19 minutes to an average of 16:49 Monday to Saturday. They’re down 20 percent since the start of operations on May 12, and officials have said they’re targeting long-term wait times of 12 minutes during weekdays.
  • M-1 Rail increased streetcar operator staff from 17 to 21. M-1 says it plans to have 27 certified operators on staff when the QLINE begins charging riders in earnest, after Labor Day.
  • QLINE worked with city and state traffic engineers to improve traffic-signal timing at the intersections of Burroughs, Montcalm and at Campus Martius. At Congress, approaching streetcars now trigger a signal change.
  • Streetcars no longer stop at stations if no one is waiting and if no passengers have signaled for a stop.
  • Since launching in May, transit police have issued 30 tickets and towed seven cars that were obstructing the tracks.

Estimated wait times remain inconsistent, though M-1 officials insist the digital kiosk technology is improving. M-1 is working with technology partner Nextbus to make the arrival and streetcar location data more accurate and says the system is showing incremental improvements over six weeks of work.

“Improving the arrival prediction system is one of our top priorities as we prepare for revenue service,” said Paul Childs, M-1 Rail’s COO. “We appreciate the patience of our riders as we refine this technology and we expect to see a significant improvement in the data over the next six weeks.”

The QLINE begins charging for rides in Sept. 5. Rides will start at $1.50 for three hours of unlimited rides and $3 for a day pass.

FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

Filed Under: Brush Park, CBD, City Of Detroit, Midtown, News, North End, Tech Town, Transit Tagged With: Downtown Detroit, QLINE, Report, Transit

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: « “Greetings From Detroit: Historic Postcards of the Motor City” Now Available For Pre-Order
Next Post: PODCAST: Starting A Micro Charter School In Detroit With Drew Schantz Of Venture School Photo illustration of lightbulbs plugged into the Detroit skyline.»

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: The End Of Auto Shows As We Knew Them Plus NACTOY Winners w/ Eric Trytko

PODCAST: 7 Things To Know Around Metro Detroit

PODCAST: WTF Happened in Washington w/ Steve Friess

PODCAST: 7 Things To Know Around Metro Detroit

PODCAST: College players can get paid in Michigan; Free beer for Lions fans and more w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: The Real Story of Detroit’s “Fist” – The Monument to Joe Louis

PODCAST: 3 Things To Know Plus Sports w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: Big Sean And The Pistons, Detroit City FC News, Three Lions Go To Pro Bowl w/ Fletcher Sharpe

Beating Coronavirus For Christmas – A Miracle for Mom

PODCAST: Why We Should Save The Bandshell On The State Fairgrounds Amazon Site

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!