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Cynthia Gauthier

December 12, 2006

Project 2 Reflection

The people mover is a method of mass transportation in Detroit’s Down Town area that helps add to the charm of a city that has a current reputation of fright and paranoia.  Detroit is one of the largest cities in the USA with a massive population.  It is no wonder that Detroit has a large amount of crime.  Because of its consistent ranking in the top five for homicide rates, Detroit has been renamed “Murder City” by some.  The People Mover is an icon to Detroiters, and is helping aid in the city’s attempts at revival. 

The Detroit People Mover opened in 1987 and runs on an automated system on a single-track in a one-way loop through the downtown area.  The track runs for 2.9 miles using Bombardier Advanced Rapid Transit technologies in the unmanned cars.  The DPM is the only local rail system in Detroit, but is one of twenty nine in the USA.  Some say this is due to Detroit’s close ties with the auto industry.  I also believe it is because more people take to the road at a younger age with their own car in and around the city of Detroit (Detroit Almanac).  It is not uncommon for the majority of sophomores in a High School class to start the year out “without wheels” and end the year not only with a license, but also with their own vehicle.  The DPM in recent years, for the most part, has lacked in ridership.  But since January of 2006, its ridership has greatly increased due to Superbowl XL and the long awaited and much needed improvement and success of the Detroit Tigers.  Is the DPM being revived? (Lyndon).

          My portrayal of the DPM will be a website, organized in a series of “stops” that the viewer will make at different pieces of information.  The pages will be organized into a circular format, just like the DPM’s track.  Each page will link together in order, and the ending will bring you back to the beginning.  My website will include the unique art from the 13 different DPM stations as well as the sounds and sights of the people mover itself. 

The DPM did not get off to the greatest start.  It was originally $170 Million over budget and was 10 years late opening.  The DPM was the brainchild of the old Southeast Michigan Transportation Authority and was rescued by Mayor Colman A.Young after they messed up the DPM’s construction.  Later on, in 1998, the DPM was damaged by the implosion of the J.L. Hudson Building.  The People Mover was partially closed for more than a year, pulling down ridership numbers. (Detroit Almanac).

Since 1996, ridership on the DPM has reached up to nearly 2.2 million riders in one year.  In 1999 (after the J.L. Hudson Building incident) ridership was as low as 763,000 riders.  Another slump for the DPM was the year 2004, when ridership dropped below a million yet again.  But already, the year 2006 has brought good luck back to the People Mover and back to the city of Detroit. (Detroit People),

          In the first six months of 2006, ridership had already reached 1.4 million (Detroit People).  This can be attributed to the social and sports happenings in Detroit.  In February of 2006, Detroit hosted one of the biggest sporting events of the year, the Super Bowl.  No, our Detroit Lions may not have been a part of this event, but people from all over the state and all over the country made their way to Detroit for the festivities.  It was unbelievable the changes the city made for this event, making tourists and citizens alike, feel safe in the city for a change.  The safety factor definitely helped with the numbers.  Another thing that also helped was the winning season that the Detroit Tigers had already begun.

          The figures are not in for complete 2006 ridership totals since the year is not yet over, but one can be confident that the Detroit Tigers finally making it to the World Series has helped the ridership of the DPM tremendously, as did the Super Bowl.  The more social events, such as the North American International Auto Show, plays, and sporting events that Detroit can attract individuals to the city with, the more people who will use the people mover.  The people mover makes attending big downtown events much more convenient and much less time consuming where traffic is involved.  For instance, one can park at Cobo Hall and ride the DPM to Comerica Park for Tigers games.  By doing this, one’s car is in a safer parking structure, and in leaving the event, one is beginning away from the heaviest part of post game traffic.

          The Detroit People Mover has become an icon in the city of Detroit.  Not all Detroiters use it, since it is only a 2.9 mile loop in the downtown area, but is a sight that makes downtown Detroit what it is today.  When downtown, it is the preferred form of public transportation.  The other current form is the option of riding the city bus.

 

WORKS CITED

Detroit Almanac, The. Detroit: The Detroit Free Press, 2001.

 

Detroit People Mover. Online. 10 Nov 2006.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_People_Mover>.

 

Detroit People Mover, The. Online. 10 Nov 2006.

<http://www.thepeoplemover.com/Home.id.2.htm>.

 

Lyndon, Mike Ridership Surging On Detroit's People Mover. 24 Jul 2006. Online.

10 Nov 2006.<http://www.planetizen.com/node/20613>.

 

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