Transportation in metropolitan Detroit

Transportation in metropolitan Detroit is provided by a comprehensive system of transit services, airports

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....

, and an advanced network of freeways which interconnect the city and region. The Michigan Department of Transportation

Michigan Department of Transportation

The Michigan Department of Transportation is a constitutional government agency in the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac...

(MDOT) administers the region's network of major roads and freeways

Roads and freeways in metropolitan Detroit

The Roads and freeways in metropolitan Detroit comprise the main thoroughfares in the region. The freeways consist of an advanced network of interconnecting freeways which include Interstate highways. The Metro Detroit region's extensive toll-free expressway system, together with its status as a...

. The region offers mass transit with bus services provided jointly by the Detroit Department of Transportation

Detroit Department of Transportation

The Detroit Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as DDOT is the public transportation operator of city bus service in Detroit, Michigan...

(DDOT) and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation ' is the public transit operator serving suburban Greater Detroit. Beginning operations in 1967 as the "SouthEastern Michigan Transportation Authority" or "SEMTA", it operates 44 "linehaul" and three "park-and-ride" bus routes in Wayne,...

(SMART) through a cooperative service and fare agreement. Cross border service between the downtown areas of Windsor and Detroit is provided by Transit Windsor

Transit Windsor

Transit Windsor is a company that provides public transportation in the city of Windsor, Ontario. Transit Windsor provides transportation to more than 6 million passengers each year, covering an area of and a population of 218,000....

via the Tunnel Bus. A monorail

People mover

A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...

system, known as the People Mover

Detroit People Mover

The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....

, operates daily through a 2.9 mile (4.6 km) loop in the downtown area. The Woodward Avenue Light Rail

Woodward Avenue Light Rail

Woodward Avenue Light Rail is a 9.3 mi proposed light rail line to run along Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The line is the first part of a $10.5 billion, 25-year plan to develop a regional mass transit system that is to include light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail...

, beginning 2015, is expected to link the Detroit People Mover

Detroit People Mover

The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....

downtown and SEMCOG Commuter Rail

SEMCOG Commuter Rail

SEMCOG Commuter Rail is a proposed regional rail link along Amtrak's Wolverine between the cities of Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan with stops at new or existing stations in Ann Arbor, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Ypsilanti, Dearborn, and New Center. The project would connect with...

with access to DDOT and SMART buses. Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

's current passenger facility is north of downtown in the New Center area. Amtrak

Amtrak

provides service to Detroit

Detroit (Amtrak station)

Detroit is an Amtrak station located in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It is served by the . The station was built in 1994 as a replacement for the former Michigan Central Station, which closed in 1988...

, operating its service between Chicago, Illinois

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, and Pontiac

Pontiac, Michigan

Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...

. Greyhound Bus operates a station on Howard Street near Michigan Avenue. The city's dock and public terminal receives cruise ships on International Riverfront

Detroit International Riverfront

The Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...

near the Renaissance Center

Renaissance Center

Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...

which complements tourism in metropolitan Detroit

Tourism in metropolitan Detroit

Tourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a significant factor for the region's culture and for its economy, comprising nine percent of the area's two million jobs. About 15.9 million people visit Metro Detroit annually, spending an estimated $4.8 billion. Detroit is one of the largest American...

Freeways

Metropolitan Detroit

Metro Detroit

The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...

has a comprehensive network of interconnecting freeways including the I-75

Interstate 75 in Michigan

Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, just to the north of Toledo. It runs generally north through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crossing the...

, the I-94

Interstate 94 in Michigan

Interstate 94 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of New Buffalo...

and the I-96

Interstate 96

Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...

Interstate Highways. The region's extensive toll-free highway system which, together with its status as a major port city, provide advantages to its location as a global business center. There are no toll roads in Michigan. Taxi

Taxicab

A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...

services and rental cars are readily available at the airport and throughout the metropolitan area.

Detroiters referred to their freeways by name rather than route number (Fisher Freeway and Chrysler Freeway for sections of the I-75, Edsel Ford Freeway for a section of the I-94, Jeffries Freeway for parts of the I-96 and "The Lodge" for the M-10

M-10 (Michigan highway)

M-10, is a state trunkline route in the US state of Michigan. The southernmost portion follows Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit, and the southern terminus is at the intersection of Jefferson and Randolph Street leading to the entrance to the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel...

. M-53, while not officially designated, is commonly called the Van Dyke Expressway. Other freeways are referred to only by number as in the case of I-275

Interstate 275 (Michigan)

Interstate 275 in the US state of Michigan is an Interstate Highway that functions as a western bypass of the Detroit metropolitan area. The Michigan Department of Transportation maintains it as a component of the larger state trunkline highway system. The freeway runs through the western suburbs...

and M-59

M-59 (Michigan highway)

M-59 is an east–west state trunkline highway that crosses the northern part of Metropolitan Detroit in the US state of Michigan. It runs between Howell at Interstate 96 and I-94 on the Chesterfield Township – Harrison Township line near the Selfridge Air National Guard Base...

with their names not being in common everyday usage. Detroit area freeways are sometimes sunken below ground level to permit local traffic to pass over the freeway.

The Detroit River International Crossing

Detroit River International Crossing

The Detroit River International Crossing , alternatively New International Trade Crossing , is a multi-national construction project and committee between Canada and the United States to create a new border crossing over the Detroit River...

is a proposed new crossing linking I-75 and I-94 in the USA to Ontario Highway 401 in Canada avoiding the Ambassador Bridge

Ambassador Bridge

The Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...

. Proposed in 2004 it is yet to receive approval from the Michigan Senate

Michigan Senate

The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....

Airports

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) is one of America's largest and most recently modernized facilities, with six major runways, Boeing 747

Boeing 747

The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...

maintenance facilities, and an attached Westin Hotel and Conference Center. Located in nearby Romulus

Romulus, Michigan

Romulus is a suburban city of Metro Detroit, located in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 23,989 at the 2010 census, an increase from 22,979 in 2000. Romulus is home to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and a General Motors plant that opened in 1976...

, DTW is metro Detroit's principal airport and is a hub for Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...

and Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...

. Bishop International Airport

Bishop International Airport

Bishop International Airport is an airport located in the city of Flint, Michigan. The third busiest airport in Michigan, it surpassed competitor MBS International Airport in terms of airline operations in 2002. In 2007, 1,072,420 passengers used Bishop Airport, followed by a slight drop to...

in Flint and Toledo Express Airport

Toledo Express Airport

Toledo Express Airport is a passenger and cargo airport located 10 miles west of the city of Toledo in the extreme Western portion of Lucas County, Ohio, United States, near the border with Fulton County, in the townships of Swanton and Monclova. It is also a base for the Ohio Air National...

in Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, Ohio

Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...

are other commercial passenger airports. Coleman A. Young International Airport

Coleman A. Young International Airport

Coleman A. Young International Airport , also known as Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport, is a public use airport located five nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Detroit, in Wayne County, Michigan, United States...

(DET), commonly called Detroit City Airport, is on Detroit's northeast side, and offers charter service. Willow Run Airport

Willow Run Airport

Willow Run Airport is an airport located in Van Buren Charter Township and in Ypsilanti Township, near Ypsilanti, Michigan, that serves freight, corporate, and general aviation clients...

in Ypsilanti primarily serves commercial aviation and offers charter services. Selfridge Air National Guard Base

Selfridge Field

Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...

, a major military facility, is located in Mount Clemens

Mount Clemens, Michigan

Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,312. It is the county seat of Macomb County.-Early history:...

. Smaller airports include Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB)

Ann Arbor Municipal Airport

Ann Arbor Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport located 3 miles south of the city of Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan, USA....

, Oakland County International Airport (PTK)

Oakland County International Airport

Oakland County International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan, United States. The airport is five nautical miles west of the central business district of Pontiac....

in Waterford Township

Waterford Township, Michigan

Waterford Charter Township is a charter township in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 71,707.-History:...

which offers charter services, and St. Clair County International Airport

St. Clair County International Airport

St. Clair County International Airport is a public airport owned by the government of St. Clair County, Michigan, USA. It is located in Kimball Township, five miles southwest of the central business district of Port Huron.-Facilities:...

near Port Huron, Michigan

Port Huron, Michigan

Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...

which serves as an international airport on the U.S. and Canadian Border.

Transit systems

Bus transportation

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation

(SMART) is the public transit operator serving suburban portions of Metro Detroit

Metro Detroit

which networks with the Detroit Department of Transportation

Detroit Department of Transportation

The Detroit Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as DDOT is the public transportation operator of city bus service in Detroit, Michigan...

(DDOT) serving the city of Detroit and the enclaves of Hamtramck

Hamtramck, Michigan

Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park...

and Highland Park

Highland Park, Michigan

- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...

. SMART and DDOT operate under a cooperative service and fare agreement. SMART maintains its administrative headquarters in the Buhl Building

Buhl Building

The Buhl Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Architect Wirt C. Rowland designed the Buhl in a Neo-Gothic style with Romanesque accents...

in downtown Detroit, while DDOT's major operations center is located at 1301 E. Warren Ave. in Detroit. As of 2008, SMART has the third highest ridership of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

's transit systems, surpassed by Capital Area Transportation Authority

Capital Area Transportation Authority

The Capital Area Transportation Authority provides mass transit bus service and paratransit within the metro Lansing, Michigan area including Michigan State University .- CATA system :...

and Detroit Department of Transportation

Detroit Department of Transportation

The Detroit Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as DDOT is the public transportation operator of city bus service in Detroit, Michigan...

.

Many of SMART's routes enter the City of Detroit and serve the Downtown

Downtown Detroit

Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Downtown is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375 to the east, and the Detroit River to the south.Downtown contains much historic...

and Midtown

Midtown, Detroit

The Midtown area in Detroit is a mixed-use area located along the east and west side of Woodward Avenue between Downtown Detroit and the New Center. The community area of neighborhoods is bounded by the Chrysler Freeway on the east, the Lodge Freeway on the west, the Edsel Ford Freeway on the...

cores. Elsewhere in Detroit city limits, SMART policy does not permit passengers to be dropped off on outbound routes, or board on inbound routes. This is intended to avoid service duplication with Detroit Department of Transportation

Detroit Department of Transportation

The Detroit Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as DDOT is the public transportation operator of city bus service in Detroit, Michigan...

, which supplements the city of Detroit with its own bus service, although there are exceptions where SMART does drop off and pick up passengers within Detroit, mostly when there is no DDOT service.

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation

is the suburban bus system providing services outside the city, although SMART buses come in and out of the city on their routes. Visitors to the city can distinguish the two types of buses by their colors: DDOT buses have green

Green

Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...

and yellow

Yellow

Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...

stripes; SMART buses have red

Red

Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...

and orange

Orange (colour)

The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...

stripes.

Greyhound Lines

Greyhound Lines

Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...

provides nation-wide service to the city of Detroit and the metropolitan area. Greyhound

Greyhound Lines

station is on Howard Street near Michigan Avenue.

Detroit People Mover

The Detroit People Mover

Detroit People Mover

The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....

is an 2.9 miles (4.7 km) elevated light rail route which operates a loop encircling the central business district

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

of downtown

Downtown Detroit

Detroit. The People Mover is run by the Detroit Transportation Corporation of the City of Detroit.

Intercity rail

Intercity rail services using the Wolverine line are available from Detroit (Amtrak station)

Detroit (Amtrak station)

offering service to Chicago, Illinois

Chicago

, Pontiac

Pontiac, Michigan

and intermediate stations. Infrastructure work is in progress to improve journey times on this line.

Woodward Light Rail

The Woodward Avenue Light Rail

Woodward Avenue Light Rail

is a proposed light rail

Light rail

Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

line that would run along Woodward Avenue from downtown to the 8 Mile Road

M-102 (Michigan highway)

M-102 is a state trunkline in the US state of Michigan, running along the northern boundary of Detroit. It is known as 8 Mile Road for most of its length. As part of the land surveying of the state, the road follows the Michigan Baseline, and it is called Base Line Road in places. M-102 is the...

serving Wayne State University

Wayne State University

Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...

, Detroit's New Center

New Center, Detroit

The New Center is a significant commercial and residential historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, adjacent to Midtown, one mile north of the Cultural Center, and approximately three miles north of Downtown...

and Detroit (Amtrak station)

Detroit (Amtrak station)

. From the railway station it would connect to Ann Arbor using the SEMCOG Commuter Rail

SEMCOG Commuter Rail

and to Chicago using the Chicago–Pontiac–Detroit high speed rail project.

The cost of the light rail system is estimated as $372 million.

A private group of Detroit area investors proposed offering matching funds to government dollars to developing a $125 million, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) line through central Detroit (similar to the Tacoma Link) called the M-1 Rail Line. The proposed line received $25 million in funding from the United States Department of Transportation in February 2010. Groundbreaking is scheduled to begin at the end of 2010. City, State, and Federal officials are developing a plan to for a nine mile (14 km) extension to continue M-1 Rail Line to 8 Mile Rd. along Woodward Avenue. The DDOT proposal estimates daily ridership at 22,000 by 2015.

SEMCOG Commuter Rail

is a proposed regional rail

Regional rail

Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...

link between the cities of Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...

and Detroit which is 'on hold'. The stops includes new or existing stations in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor (Amtrak station)

Ann Arbor Station is an Amtrak station in Ann Arbor, Michigan serving the Wolverine. The station has a ticket office, is fully wheelchair accessible and has an enclosed waiting area. Other amenities include public restrooms, public payphones, vending machines, paid parking, and a taxi stand...

, Detroit Metropolitan Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

, Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...

, The Henry Ford

The Henry Ford

The Henry Ford, a National Historic Landmark, , in the Metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, USA, is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex...

, Dearborn

Dearborn, Michigan

-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...

, and Detroit

Detroit (Amtrak station)

's New Center

New Center, Detroit

area. The route would extend 38.5 miles (62 km) from Ann Arbor to Detroit, along the same route used by Amtrak's Wolverine
Wolverine (passenger train)
The Wolverine is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The line provides three daily round-trips along the Pontiac–Detroit–Chicago route...

. The planned system has secured $100 million in federal grants.

Bicycling

Like many American cities, Detroit embraced bicycling during the "golden age" of the 1890s. However, as the automotive era began, the interests of bicycle shop owners, manufacturers, racers, and enthusiasts turned to the automobile.

Now, Detroiters are rediscovering the bicycle, helped in part by significant infrastructure investments as well as bicycle-friendly

Bicycle-friendly

The term bicycle-friendly describes policies and practices which may help some people feel more comfortable about traveling by bicycle with other traffic...

and extensive road infrastructure.

1805–1928

The period from 1800 to 1929 was one of considerable growth of the city, from 1,800 people in 1820 to 1,560,000 in 1930 (2,300,000 for the metropolitan area). During this period a new road system had been created in 1805, a regional rail network was constructed, a thriving streetcar network developed and an emerging global motorcar industry was established in the city.

In 1805 five new radial avenues (Woodward

Woodward

A Woodward is a warden of a wood and, deriving from that, an occupational surname. It may refer to:-People:* Alan Woodward , former British soccer player* Alfred Woodward , American jurist, and father of Bob Woodward...

, Michigan

Michigan Avenue

Michigan Avenue may refer to:* Michigan Avenue * Michigan Avenue , a designation for much of both current and former U.S. Route 12 in Michigan...

, Grand River

Grand River Avenue

US Highway 16 , also called Grand River Avenue for much of its length, is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16...

, Gratiot, and Jefferson

Jefferson Avenue (Detroit)

Jefferson Avenue is a scenic road along the eastern part of the Detroit metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan. It travels alongside Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake Saint Clair. This road also provides access to many recreational facilities in the area...

) were constructed in the city as part of a new city plan drawn up by Augustus Woodward following a devastating fire in the city earlier the same year.

Over land the Sauk Trail

Sauk Trail

Sauk Trail began as a Native American trail running through Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in the United States. From west to east, the trail ran from Rock Island on the Mississippi River to the Illinois River near modern Peru then along the north bank of that river to Joliet, and on to Valparaiso,...

, a Native American

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

trail which ran through Michigan

Michigan

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

and Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

connected Detroit with Sauk Village, Illinois

Sauk Village, Illinois

Sauk Village is a village in Cook County and small parcel south of 231st St. in Will County, Illinois. The population was 10,411 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sauk Village is located at ....

and Chicago; in 1820 it was described as a 'plain horse path, which is considerably traveled by traders, hunters, and others' but one which not possible for someone unfamiliar with the route to follow without a guide.

Congress passed an act to construct a new Chicago Road from Detroit to supply Fort Dearborn

Fort Dearborn

Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of...

in Chicago, surveying began in 1825 however financial shortfalls resulted in the road mostly following the path of the Sauk Trail which military couriers were already using. By 1835, daily stage coach departures run by the Western Stage Company traveled all the way from Chicago to Detroit on a multi-day trip whose travel time was dependent on how bad the road was at the particular season.

The Erie Canal

Erie Canal

The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...

, which had first be proposed in 1807, opened in 1825 and greatly improved access to Detroit and other Michigan ports from Europe and the eastern seaboard. From Detoit settlers were able to use the Chicago Road and other land routes. Land sales in Detroit reached a peak in that year with 92232 acres (373.2 km²) being sold.

A charter for the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad

Detroit and Pontiac Railroad

The Detroit and Pontiac Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan during the mid-nineteenth century. It was the sixth railroad to receive a charter from Michigan, then a territory, and the second, after the Erie & Kalamazoo, to actually operate trains.The first attempt...

was granted in 1830 to link Detroit with Pontiac, however it was not until 1843 that the line was completed and operation started from a station at Jefferson & Woodward Avenue. Plans for a railway line to St. Joseph, Michigan

St. Joseph, Michigan

St. Joseph is a city in the US state of Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about east-northeast of Chicago. It is the county...

and then on to Chicago by boat wereoutlined in 1930, and after a number of funding problem the line reached Dexter

Dexter, Michigan

Dexter is a village in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The majority of the village is in the northwest corner of Scio Township with a small portion in Webster Township. The population was 4,067 at the 2010 census...

ten years later and Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo, Michigan

The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...

in 1846 when the Michigan Central Railroad

Michigan Central Railroad

The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...

was formed to progress the work faster and replace faulty rails that had already installed. The new company decided to create a line all the way to Chicago (via New Buffalo rather than St. Joseph) which they completed by 1852.

An ordinance was passed in May 1863 awarded a 30 year franchise to the Detroit City Railway Company for the construction of horse drawn streetcar system in the city; construction started in June and services were available to the public starting August 4 on Jefferson (from the Michigan Central depot at 3rd to Elmwood Street), August 27 on Woodward (from Jefferson to Adams), September 12 on Gratiot (to Russell Street) and November 25 on Michigan (to Thompson Street [later 12th Street, now Rosa Parks Boulevard]). By the end of the year services were operating along Jefferson [which had been extended on October 1 to the then-city limits at Mount Elliott), Woodward (extended in October to Alexandrine Street), Gratiot and Michigan. Other companies were also established on other streets (the first being the Fort Street & Elmwood Avenue Railway Company which operated the city's first crosstown car line from the then-city limits west of Porter Road (present-day 24th Street), to downtown along Fort Street, then out along Michigan Grand Avenue (present-day Cadillac Square), Randolph and Croghan Street (present-day Monroe Street) to the Elmwood Cemetery) and business was brisk, by 1875; the Detroit City Railway Company alone carried 2,900,000 passengers on their four lines. The first electric streetcars

Streetcars in North America

Electric streetcars—trams outside North America—once were the chief mode of public transit in scores of North American cities. Most municipal systems were dismantled in the mid-20th century....

started operation on September 1, 1886 along Dix Street (present-day West Vernor Highway) from 24th Street to Livernois Avenue (which was now along the western city limits) and the last horse drawn trams on November 9, 1895 on the Chene Street line, in which the car was literally stripped down to its trucks. In 1880 the Grand Trunk Western Railroad

Grand Trunk Western Railroad

The Grand Trunk Western Railroad is an important subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway , constituting the majority of CN's Chicago Division ....

was formed to provide a new route to Chicago through lower Michigan.

Work started on the construction of the 12 miles (19.3 km) long U-shaped Grand Boulevard

Grand Boulevard (Detroit)

Grand Boulevard is a thoroughfare in Detroit, Michigan, running east to west in some places and north to south in other places. It once constituted the city limits of Detroit. Grand Boulevard is named the "Berry Gordy, Jr...

road around the city in 1883 which was completed in 1891. The entire length was decorated with trees, shrubbery, and flowerbeds. Originally, the roadway was supposed to run through the then-rural outskirts of Detroit near it's borders with Springwells

Springwells Township, Michigan

Springwells Township is a defunct civil township in Wayne County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. All of the land is now incorporated as part of the cities of Detroit and Dearborn.-History:...

, Greenfield

Greenfield Township, Michigan

Greenfield is a former civil township of Wayne County, Michigan; it was created from a portion of neighboring Springwells Township in 1833. Greenfield eventually encompassed the survey township T1S R11E....

and Hamtramck townships, between East Jefferson in Hamtramck Township and West Jefferson in Springwells Township.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford

Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...

tested his new Quadricycle

Quadricycle

Quadricycle, quadracycle, quadcycle, quadrocycle refers to any vehicle with four wheels.More specifically the term may refer to:...

, gasoline-powered motor car, in Detroit on 4 June 1896.

On New Year's Eve 1900, the Detroit United Railway took over as the streetcar provider for the Detroit area and by August 1901 it had began interurban operations to Port Huron

Port Huron, Michigan

, Flint

Flint, Michigan

Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...

, Pontiac

Pontiac, Michigan

, Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

, Jackson

Jackson, Michigan

Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...

and Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, Ohio

and even operated interurban service from Windsor, Ontario

Windsor, Ontario

Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...

.

The Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad

Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad

The Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan.The Pleasant Bay Railway was incorporated in Michigan in March 1898 and purchased the Toledo and Ottawa Beach Railway, an Ohio company incorporated in January 1898, in...

which linked Detroit with Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, Ohio

opened in 1903. The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad

Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad

The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad was a railroad that operated between its namesake cities of Detroit, Michigan and Ironton, Ohio via Toledo between 1905 and 1983.-Early history:...

was formed in 1905 from the merger of two existing companies, it went bankrupt in 1908 but remained solvent and was later bought by Henry Ford in 1920 to carry raw materials and finished goods to and from his factories in Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn, Michigan

.

The Michigan Central Railway Tunnel

Michigan Central Railway Tunnel

The Michigan Central Railway Tunnel is a railroad tunnel under the Detroit River connecting Detroit, Michigan, USA with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The U.S. entrance is south of Porter St. and Vermont St. near Rosa Parks Blvd. The Canadian entrance is south of Wyandotte St. W. between Cameron Ave....

between Detroit and Canada opened in 1910 followed by Michigan Central Station

Michigan Central Station

Michigan Central Station , built in mid-1912 through 1913 for the Michigan Central Railroad, was Detroit, Michigan's passenger rail depot from its opening in 1913 after the previous Michigan Central Station burned, until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988...

in 1913 after a fire at the previous station. The New York State Barge Canal opened in 1918 offering an improved route route to the Eastern seaboard compared to the Erie Canal. The Ford Airport (Dearborn)

Ford Airport (Dearborn)

Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan was one of the first modern airports in the world. The airport operated from 1924 to 1947, and the site is now part of Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Proving Ground. The airport is about 360 acres in size....

opened in 1924 which added an Airship

Airship

An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...

mooring mast in the following year. The Ford River Rouge Complex was completed in 1928 by which time it was the largest integrated factory with some 100,000 employees during the 1930s.

Later in 1921, the Municipal Operations began streetcar operations in Detroit while the DUR continued to provide interurban service. It had been plagued by problems and soon, at midnight on May 15, 1922, the Department of Street Railways was created to provide the streetcar service.

1929–1969

The years following the Wall Street Crash of 1929

Wall Street Crash of 1929

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...

until 1969 saw the creation of the Interstate Highway System

Interstate Highway System

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...

, rapid growth of the suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

s and associated shopping malls, the growing importance of civil aviation and growing dominance of the motorcar; it also witnessed the end of the streetcar system in the city followed by an increased use of buses plus the creation of three successful trolleybus lines. The 1967 Detroit riot only accelerated rate at which people, mainly white, were moving to the suburbs, with some 88,000 leaving in 1968 alone. The city population peaked at 1.85 million in 1950 before falling to 1.5 million in 1970; the metropolitan area's population peaked in 1970 at 4.5 million. There was growing opposition

Freeway and expressway revolts

Many freeway revolts took place in developed countries during the 1960s and 1970s, in response to plans for the construction of new freeways, a significant number of which were abandoned or significantly scaled back due to widespread public opposition; especially of those whose neighborhoods would...

to urban freeway construction in many cities across the US, including Detroit, in the 1960s and the city authorities modified, scaled back and cancelled a number of schemes and passed a decree stating that no further urban freeways would be constructed in the city.

The Ambassador Bridge

Ambassador Bridge

, a road bridge to Canada, opened in 1929 and then the Detroit–Windsor road tunnel

Detroit–Windsor Tunnel

The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel is an underwater highway tunnel connecting Detroit, Michigan in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario in Canada. It was completed in 1930....

in 1930 which was also the year of the first flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

. By the late 1920s railroad-highway intersections

Level crossing

A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...

were becoming serious source of travel delays and traffic collisions. The railway companies agreed to contribute half the $2million cost of creating a number of grade separated junctions

Grade separation

Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...

; the Michigan Central Railway, Pennsylvania railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

and Wabash Railway contributed $200,000 towards the ambitious 204 feet (62.2 m) Fort Street-Pleasant Street and Norfolk & Western Railroad Viaduct

Fort Street-Pleasant Street and Norfolk & Western Railroad Viaduct

The Fort Street—Pleasant Street and Norfolk & Western Railroad Viaduct is a bridge carrying six lanes of Fort Street over both Pleasant Street and four tracks of Norfolk Southern Railway's Michigan Line in Detroit, Michigan, just west of the Rouge River. It was listed on the National Register of...

which opened in 1930. This work was undertaken when Fort Street close to the Ford River Rouge Complex was converted to a "superhighway" with a divided highway and night-time lighting.

The city had one of the first municipally owned streetcar systems. The Department of Street Railways had taken over in 1922 since when it had been run by a three man Detroit Street Railways Commission appointed by the mayor of Detroit. On June 14, 1930, the DSR launched a trolleybus route along Plymouth Road

M-14 (Michigan highway)

M-14 is a east–west state trunkline highway in the southeastern portion of the US state of Michigan. Entirely freeway, it connects Ann Arbor with Detroit by way of connecting with I-96.-Route description:...

but the route began to decline in 1936 due to the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

and was discontinued on August 11, 1937. By 1934 the general manager, Fred A. Nolan, said that he wanted to convert the Detroit streetcar system to all buses operation by 1953 and the last streetcar actually ran in 1956. It remained in public ownership until 1974 Some sources claim that the Detroit Streetcars system was purchased and dismantled by National City Lines

National City Lines

National City Lines, Inc. , was a controversial company founded in Minnesota, United States in 1920 as a modest local transport company operating two buses which was reorganized into a holding company in 1936 with equity funding from General Motors, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California and...

as part of the 'Great American streetcar scandal', however this was not the case as the company could not buy into the public system and the decline of the streetcar system has to be explained by other reasons.

Approval was given in 1940 for the Davison Freeway

M-8 (Michigan highway)

M-8 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan lying within the cities of Detroit and Highland Park. Much of it is the Davison Freeway, the nation's first urban depressed freeway, which became a connector between the Lodge and the Chrysler Freeways.Named for an English immigrant...

which was the nation's first urban depressed highway; the six-lane limited-access highway opened in 1942. In 1941 the Willow run bypass

M-112 (Michigan highway)

M-112 was the state trunkline highway designation given to segments of what is now Interstate 94 in the Metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:...

was rapidly constructed as a four-lane divided highway following the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

to bring workers from Detroit to the Willow Run

Willow Run

The Willow Run manufacturing plant, located between Ypsilanti and Belleville, Michigan, was constructed during World War II by Ford Motor Company for the mass production of the B-24 Liberator military aircraft....

factory to the west of the city where Henry Ford had constructed a factory to produce the B-24 Liberator military aircraft.

By 1945 plans had been drawn up for a system of expressways and subways which included trains running within the median strips with of these roads. The Ford airport closed in 1947 when all remaining services were transferred to Wayne County.

Also in 1945 the DSR purchased two PCC streetcars after finding out it's existing streetcars were worn out, the cars, numbered #100 and #101 were diverted from an order by the Pittsburgh Railways Company and placed in service along Woodward, which at the time was the DSR's most-used car line. More PCC cars would arrive in May 1947 and August 1949.

The first major discontinued use of street rail occurred on Grand River on May 5, 1947 to alleviate rush hour congestion, which was alleviated further with the addition of two center lanes which were reserved for downtown-bound traffic during the morning and in the other direction in the evening. On September 15, 1949, the Crosstown (Warren Avenue) was converted experimentally into trolleybus service from Saint Jean Street to the Pierson Loop, although from 1955 to 1959 it operated to Ann Arbor Trail. Trolleybus service on the Crosstown line ended on March 31, 1961. The Grand River line was also converted experimentally to trolleybus

Trolleybus

A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...

operation partially in July 1951 and completely on September 5, 1951 and operated until November 16, 1962 when the vehicles were replaced by diesel buses. General Manager of the DSR, Leo J. Nowicki, justified discontinued use of rail on Jefferson in January 1954, citing that the cost of replacing worn out track and maintaining overhead wires would cost around $1,647,500 while the cost of purchasing 40 new 51-passenger diesel buses would only cost around $800,000. On September 5, 1951 the Jefferson Carhouse closed which resulted in the transferring of the Jefferson PCCs to the Gratiot Carhouse. Then on February 7 the Jefferson line was replaced by buses while the PCCs that operated the Jefferson line were used as backup cars for the remaining three lines. Then on September 8, 1954 the Gratiot Carhouse closed and the remaining PCC cars were transferred to the Woodward and Wyoming carhouses, resulting in Gratiot-assigned cars being forced to deadhead along Woodward followed by the Michigan portion of the Michigan-Gratiot line on September 7, 1955 and the closure of the Wyoming Carhouse on the same day, resulting in the PCCs being transferred to the Woodward Carhouse, resulting in the construction of two temporary tracks across Second Avenue into the Highland Park Shops. By 1956 only the Gratiot and Woodward line remained. On September 12, 1955 the Detroit Street Railway Commission approved the replacement of Detroit's last streetcar route for the spring of 1956. The commission argued that replacing streetcars with buses would allow more flexibility in route scheduling; eliminate mid street loading zones and allow curbside passenger pick up, increasing safety; and reduce operating cost.

In 1950 both Pan-Am and BOAC

Boac

Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...

started services from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

. Also in 1950 GM Truck & Coach introduced new 40 feet (12.2 m) diesel-powered transit coach and during 1951 the Mt. Elliott, Oakland, Trumbull, Clairmount, and Mack lines were converted from streetcars to buses. Streetcar ridership had declined after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

and a protracted union conflict over single-man operation of a new generation of streetcars included a damaging 59 day strike during 1951. A decision on the future of streetcars in Detroit gained urgency with the nearing completion of the Edsel Ford Freeway as part of which the Detroit Street Railway Commission was expected to pay $70,000 to support streetcar operation over the new Gratiot Avenue Bridge. The Edsel Ford Freeway

Interstate 94 in Michigan

and The Lodge

M-10 (Michigan highway)

were completed in the 1950s

Northland Center, one of four new suburban shopping mall

Shopping mall

A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...

s (the others were Eastland Center

Eastland Center (Harper Woods, Michigan)

Eastland Center is an enclosed shopping mall located in the city of Harper Woods, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1957, the mall has been expanded several times since. It currently features over 88 stores, as well as a small food court, with Macy's, Sears,...

, Southland Center

Southland Center (Michigan)

Southland Center is an enclosed mall located at 23000 Eureka Road. in Taylor, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is the newest of the Detroit area's four "land" malls . Southland Center opened on July 20, 1970...

, and Westland Center

Westland Center

Westland Center is an enclosed shopping mall located in the city of Westland, Michigan, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit. The mall features more than 100 inline stores, with JCPenney, Sears, Macy's and Kohl's serving as anchor stores.-History:...

) which opened 1954 was built by J. L. Hudson Company, a major upscale Detroit based department store

Department store

A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...

chain. The Jefferson Avenue line streetcar line was converted to buses in 1954, then the Michigan Avenue in line 1955. The days of PCC service on Gratiot Avenue were numbered as construction of the Edsel Ford Expressway

Interstate 94 in Michigan

inched closer to Gratiot, the DSR refused the option to operate the PCC streetcars over the new expressway. Thus, Gratiot Avenue PCC service ended on March 25, 1956 followed by Woodward Avenue two weeks later. An "End of the Line" grand parade and final excursion along Woodward Avenue was held on April 8, 1956. By late 1955 some 186 of Detroit's streetcars had been sold to Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

. The former Detroit PCCs continued to operate in Mexico City until the remaining tram service in that city was discontinued in 1984. Then on September 19, 1985, the remaining ex-Detroit PCCs were destroyed during the 1985 Mexico City earthquake

1985 Mexico City earthquake

The 1985 Mexico City earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck Mexico City on the early morning of 19 September 1985 at around 7:19 AM , caused the deaths of at least 10,000 people and serious damage to the greater Mexico City Area. The complete seismic event...

.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway

Saint Lawrence Seaway

The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...

opened in 1959 allowing ocean going ships to access the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

and Detroit.
The Fisher Freeway was built in the 'early 1960s' and the Chrysler Freeway in 1967 (both of which are now part of the I-75

Interstate 75 in Michigan

). In 1968 the Davison Freeway was extended a few blocks through a junction with the newly opened Chrysler Freeway.

The new Jeffries Freeway (I-96)

Interstate 96

was intended to have followed the route of Grand River Avenue however led to opposition as were many other schemes across the country.

1970–present

In the 1970s the Jeffries Freeway was completed, followed by a number of transit schemes and pedestrian/cycling schemes. The population of the city fell from 1,500,000 in 1970 to 910,000 in 2009; since 1970 the population of the metropolitan area has fallen by 100,000.

The modified Jeffries freeway opened in stages in 1970, 1971 and 1972 with further elements being added between 1973 and 1977.

In 1976 a one mile (1.6 km) narrow-gauge heritage trolley bus

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

service along an "L-shaped" route from Grand Circus Park to the Renaissance Center

Renaissance Center

along Washington Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue, using trams from Lisbon

Trams in Lisbon

The Lisbon tramway network serves the municipality of Lisbon, capital city of Portugal. In operation since 1873, it presently comprises five urban lines, and is primarily a tourist attraction.-History:...

, Portugal. The tram was originally just 3/4 miles long, but was extended 1/4 mile to the Renaissance Center in 1980.

The Detroit People Mover

Detroit People Mover

The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....

opened in 1987 after some 20 years of discussion. In 1988 Michigan Central Station

Michigan Central Station

closed and passenger services were moved to the Detroit (Amtrak station)

Detroit (Amtrak station)

in the New Center, Detroit

New Center, Detroit

area.

The William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor

William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor

The William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is a state park in Michigan, and the state's first to be located in an urban area. Located just east of downtown Detroit along a portion of the city's International Riverfront, it covers on the Detroit River, and includes a 52-slip harbor of refuge...

which included a 52 berth marina opened in 2003; the park was then extended in 2009.

Washington Boulevard

Washington Boulevard Historic District

Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places...

was refurbished in 2003 and the heritage narrow-gauge trolley-bus service was closed at the same time (the service had lost of most of its patronage following the opening of the People Mover).

3.5 miles (5.6 km) of continuous RiverWalk along the Detroit International Riverfront

Detroit International Riverfront

between the Ambasdor Bridge and Belle Isle

Belle Isle Park

Belle Isle is a island park in the Detroit River, between the United States mainland and Canada, managed by the Detroit Recreation Department. It is connected to the rest of Detroit, Michigan by the MacArthur Bridge...

and two of four planned pavilions opened in 2007. A further section of the riverwalk from the Ambassador Bridge to the River Rouge is not expected to open before 2012.

In 2009 the approach to the Ambassador Bridge

Ambassador Bridge

from the US side was redesigned to provide a direct access to the bridge from I-96 and I-75. In the same year a 1.2 miles (1.9 km) section of the Dequindre Cut

Dequindre Cut

The Dequindre Cut is a below-grade pathway, formerly a Grand Trunk Western Railroad line, located on the east side of Detroit, Michigan just west of St. Aubin Street...

, a cycle and greenway

Greenway (landscape)

A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...

from Gratiot Avenue south to Woodbridge Street, between Jefferson Avenue and the Detroit River; extensions are planned north to Mack Avenue and south to the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor

William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor

. The 'Detroit Non-Motorized Master Plan' was also published which proposed 400 miles (643.7 km) of bike lanes primarily through road diet

Road diet

A road diet, also called a lane reduction, is a technique in transportation planning whereby a road is reduced in number of travel lanes and/or effective width in order to achieve systemic improvements.-Techniques:...

s. The Rosa Parks bus terminal opened.

In 2010 the new 407 feet (124.1 m)-long Bagley Avenue Pedestrian Bridge re-connected Mexicantown bridging both I-75 and I-96.

Freeways

Airports

Transit systems

Bus transportation

Detroit People Mover

Intercity rail

Woodward Light Rail

SEMCOG Commuter Rail

Bicycling

1805–1928

1929–1969

1970–present

Further reading