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Thedownriviera
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Username: Thedownriviera

Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2006
Posted From: 68.61.202.250
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 6:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I stumbled across this website today (warning, the link contains 80+ pages to look at.)

http://www.trailsandgreenways. org/resources/highlights/taser ve/detroit_plan.pdf

I wasn't sure how old the link was, this is the first time I'd heard of such a project.

Basically the plan is(was?) to turn some abandoned rail lines that run throughout the city into a series of nature trails and walkable pathways, making a sort of pedestrian railroad (if you will) to connect the different neighborhoods of Detroit.

Has anyone else heard of this or can anyone comment with further info? I think this is a very admirable cause, provided I haven't completely misinterpreted the info from the link.
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Mackinaw
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Username: Mackinaw

Post Number: 1743
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 70.237.11.26
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 8:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This will be implemented for the Dequindre Cut between the East riverfront and Eastern Market. If it is utilized once complete, then I think it is a great idea.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.
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Rsa
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Username: Rsa

Post Number: 872
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.215.246.115
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 10:01 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

you'll find more info on it here: http://www.detroitriverfront.o rg/index.asp?site=5 (it's now a part of the east riverfront development)
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Tomoh
Member
Username: Tomoh

Post Number: 213
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 24.136.10.153
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 11:40 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rails To Trails is better than turning old railways into new developments but if we want to one day reuse the railways for passenger rail, it's best to keep them as is instead of turning them into a park. But it's much easier to turn a park back into rail than to demo some stuff that got built on top.
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Thedownriviera
Member
Username: Thedownriviera

Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2006
Posted From: 68.61.202.250
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 12:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for the update. I wonder if they still plant to rehabilitate the rest of the sites mentioned?

Mack - Thanks, I've been observing the forum for a month or so and it's become more addicting than the infamous MySpace.
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Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw

Post Number: 1751
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 69.221.95.23
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 1:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It is addicting. And very useful if you want to be ahead of the curve in terms of knowing what's going on in Detroit (i.e. development), even though I believe we aren't being as productive in this pursuite as we were last year.

Looking at that pdf, I think what they identify as corridor 1 needs some serious work. Now, the part that is convertable is quite short, only from Jefferson to the river, but when you see it in person, you notice that it takes up some prime real estate. (as an aside, somewhere I heard that those rails are still used, very infrequently, by some sort of industrial waste facility down near the 'Two Brothers') That big field on the south side of Jefferson (technically owned by Chysler) is really annoying. Then there is the vacant Continental Tire plant. We all know that the East Riverfront from downtown past the Belle Isle bridge is about to boom. The stretch from Dickerson to Alter is showing signs of life, and all the components of a turnaround are in place. But that intermediate stretch near 'Corridor 1' marks an area that needs work. There have been threads within the past year where we got some solid info from people (especially those knowledgeable about the use of the tracks in Detroit these days) on the uses of these old rail cuts on the east side, and where we addressed the issues of this corridor 1 area in general. I'll try to search for these threads.
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Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw

Post Number: 1753
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 69.221.95.23
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 2:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

ah yes, here's a good thread were we discussed blighted rail lines: https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/36206/42766.html

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