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Assignment #1

An explanation of a current social issue or problem in the city of Detroit.

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Detroit’s Transportation Woes

By Jill Zawacki 

            Detroit has long been known as the “Motor City.” From Henry Ford’s inception and perfection of the assembly line to the North American International Auto Show, Detroit is indeed a metropolis focused and structured around the automobile.

            Many people come into the city of Detroit each day for work, education, or entertainment. A great majority of these commuters live in the “metro Detroit” area, including the city and its many overlapping communities in the Wayne-Oakland-Macomb area. Taking highways such as I-75, I-94, and I-96, the population of Detroit swells during the day – as does the stress on its transportation infrastructure.

            Why does Detroit have such a problem with public transportation? Detroit is one of few cities of its size that does not have a public transportation system. There is no underground train, elevated monorail, only an inefficient bus system. This leaves Detroiters to their only steadfast motive of transport – the automobile – and a higher stress on Detroit roads. Other large cities such as New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. seem to have conquered any transportation problems with few consequences, while simultaneously updating to current technological standards. To fully understand the predicament that plagues Detroit in 2004, we must first look to the past to grasp the roots of the crisis.

            In the post World War II era, many large cities of Detroit’s size and stature began to lose their appeal and glamour .Yet, in the 1920s, 30s, and even through the 40s and 50s, Detroit was a booming business center with all the appropriate transportation amenities. A streetcar system transported employees to their jobs in the city. With routes stretching like fingers across the city, it was easy for a worker living within the city limits to conveniently catch a ride. The streetcar system had originated in 1863 with horses and carts (“Detroit”). By 1896 all routes had been electrified, and in 1901 all companies were combined to form the Detroit United Railway Company (“Detroit”). This company steadily grew throughout Detroit’s boom days. Cars arrived every 90 seconds during peak travel periods of the day and at 5-minute intervals on downtimes (“Detroit”). Such strong transportation coordination was key to strengthening Detroit’s downtown.

            After World War II, many streetcar routes were converted to buses (“Detroit”). This joint-mode system continued for about 10 more years until 1956, when the streetcar succumbed to obsolescence (“History”), leaving behind deserted tracks that connected the city to its past. After the streetcars disappeared, the Detroit buses were forced to pick up the slack. Despite the seeming availability of buses, with out 5,600 bus stops, studies have shown that the population of bus riders has steadily declined (Kim). In 2001, the percentage of commuters riding Detroit buses was 8.3%; another 69.1% of people drove cars (Kim).    

            Currently, Detroit’s transportation woes are preventing the city from rising to its full potential. Though the city has seen much growth, with the addition of casinos and plans for the Superbowl in 2006, there is still much room for improvement. Recent growth has centered in the downtown “epicenter” area. Compuware opened a beautiful building, the Hard Rock Café is thriving, and hotels are in the works. Yet, Stephen Hands, a published researcher of Detroit transportation, asks a most pertinent question: “How is everybody going to get there?”  (“Draining”).

            Downtown, the most well-known and little-used mode of transportation is the People Mover. Constructed in 1991 under great support from then Mayor Colemna Young, the People Mover is an elevated monorail system. Encircling the city’s main business commercial district, the train utilizes only 2.9 miles of track (Hands, “National”). This may be convenient for employees located directly on the track route, but it unfortunately does not assist commuters living or events taking place outside of direct downtown.

            Another option for transport is the SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit) bus system. A fleet of buses patrols various stops in the city and metro region, but the cost per passenger is fairly expensive when compared to other cities (Hands, “National”). Because of its high cost, many potential riders avoid the system, which causes an even greater monetary deficit for the program (Hands, “National”).

            Despite past troubles and adversaries, there is still great hope for renovating Detroit’s public transportation for the future. Many leaders of communities throughout the region feel that a solution can be attained in the very near future. A plan was proposed by SEMCOG (Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments) including a commuter rail system of 100 miles and 30 stations. While this seems simple, it would require over $130 million in funding and an agreement has not yet been reached on a fair division of payment. Achieving cooperation between Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties has not been easy. As Al Martin, Director of Detroit Transportation in 1999, added in Hands’ discussion forum, “A number of years ago, Detroit lost almost a billion dollars in federal transit money because we as a community could not agree on how to spend the money” (“National”). Though, with this fact in mind, any agreement would seemingly be a step in the right direction. Any mass transit system would reduce the vehicles on the roads, therefore reducing the stress, and saving tax dollars usually spent on road reconstruction (Hands, “National”).

            While community, city and state legislators ponder this issue, metro Detroit citizens are left to fend for themselves. Between driving on  crowded interstates every day (while dodging the intermittent potholes) or hurrying to catch a city bus, the average citizen may choose to forgo Detroit all together when the task of getting to work requires more energy than the work itself. A public transportation system would benefit middle class Detroiters who live and work in the city.

            This average citizen should not sit back and wait for changes to be handed down. Becoming involved is as easy as writing letters to local representatives. A first step that metro Detroiters can make is to see that this problem is not permanent; solutions can be found. Many discussion forums and meetings have been held for citizens to get involved in working to alleviate this problem. While a large dilemma such as this may seem to be obvious, representatives may not realize how detrimental the consequences actually are until someone comes forward with a firsthand experience. As George Cushingberry, Jr., Wayne County Commissioner in 1999, summed up in Stephen Hands’ discussion forum: “We nee to get the Southeast Michigan communities together to develop a common vision for transportation in Southeast Michigan. With a common vision, we can develop a world-class transportation system in the Detroit region that everyone in the region can be proud of. If there is no political will, there is no basis for testing new technology” (Hands, “National”).  Back to Top

Is anyone in there?

By Richard Pineau

            Looking at Detroit, there are many ideas that come to my mind.  I think about the sports teams represented here like the Red Wings, or of the museums in Detroit.  Unfortunately, there are some things that I associate Detroit with that are not good.  One example is the abundance of vacant buildings.  Nearly every street has at least one home or business that is vacant.  These buildings are left to deteriorate and help to make the city look bad.  There are safety concerns with the vacant buildings and a great deal of economic potential being lost.  These abandoned buildings help to make Detroit an unsafe city, but there are ways to change this image of our city.

            Safety is a big issue on many people’s minds when it comes to their neighborhoods.  The vacant homes and businesses pose a danger to many people that we may not be aware of.  There are many vacant homes near schools in Detroit and many parents are concerned for their children’s safety.  “The homes are deserted, and their smashed doors, porch steps and window glass are scattered atop overgrown lawns.  These are the homes in the Wilkins Elementary School neighborhood that students pass on their way to class” (Cohen).  I find it hard to believe that parents of Detroit school children allow them to walk past these dangerous homes.  The homes have the potential of hiding people who wish to harm children on their way to school.  “Detroit Police said two serial rapists in the past two years (since 2001) have assaulted 25 women and girls inside abandoned houses and garages near schools” (Cohen).  Clearly this is a serious problem.  Action needs to be taken to protect these children.  The derelict houses need to be torn down.  “Two years ago, a group of students walking to Wilkins Elementary found a body between two empty garages” (Cohen).  In addition to hiding serial rapists and possibly drugs, bodies are being hidden inside of the vacant buildings.  Residents on Elmhurst Street in Detroit claim that there is a cycle to the vacant buildings.  “Vandals and thieves would break into the homes taking anything of value and then bums would move and create fires to stay warm” (McWhirter).  As the cycle continues the homes are left to deteriorate as the neighborhood watches. City officials must realize that these homes are a reason that Detroit neighborhoods are not safe.

            It is important that the city of Detroit cleans up the abandoned buildings because they are an eye sore.  Driving down Gratiot Avenue on my way to Wayne State University, I see many vacant buildings and homes.  This does not present a good image for Detroit because the city looks rundown and dirty.  Visitors that come to Detroit will be surprised to see a city that has many abandoned structures.  It is quite clear that every major city has areas where there are abandoned buildings, but Detroit has too many areas. Driving down Gratiot Avenue is not pleasant to me.  All I see are burned out businesses, broken windows, and garbage everywhere.  It is as though most Detroiters do not care about their city and so they do not take care of their homes or businesses.  It is important that this problem is fixed because I am sure that everyone does not want to see Detroit as the city of vacant and unsafe buildings.  The image of Detroit is tarnished.  Imagine for a moment if all the buildings and homes were rebuilt and taken care of, the city would look great.  Now looking back at reality we see a city that is falling apart.  Steps need to be taken to help improve the image of Detroit so that it shines as a city that is clean and safe.

            When I picked up the newspaper I was surprised to see that Detroit was having budget problems.  City officials were worried that some services like trash pickup would not be available because of a money shortage.  I began to think about how the city could solve this problem and I thought that if all of the vacant homes and businesses were occupied, then the city would be receiving larger amounts of tax revenues.  “The average city contains more than 12,000 acres of usable vacant land (equivalent to 15 percent of its area)” (Chen & Bailey).  As I look down Woodward and Gratiot Avenues, the two main hubs of the city, I see a great deal of vacant property and buildings.  The buildings can be demolished and the property put up for sale to developers.  The trick is to draw the people to Detroit for shopping and entertainment. 

Drawing people into Detroit is difficult to do when there are derelict buildings around.  The economic impact on the city is serious.  As Mosi Kitwana, the director of the International City/County Management Association says, “Property abandonment affects the bottom line with regard to lower real estate values, plunging tax revenues and higher municipal costs, fostering a vicious circle of increased services and decreasing revenues” (Chen & Bailey).  When businesses do well, they carry the rest of the area.  If things are let go then the area slowly deteriorates.  The economical impact of leaving the vacant buildings is visible throughout the city.  I do not see any businesses near vacant buildings.  Everyone must realize that Detroit can be safe if citizens look at the positive outcomes of ridding the city of vacant buildings.

            There are ways to change Detroit into a safe city.  Citizens can eliminate the vacant buildings and improve the look of Detroit.  Average citizens can actually do more than they think.  By starting a petition telling city officials residents want vacant buildings torn down because of the safety concern and image they portray, residents are showing they all share a concern.  Next, the citizens can take their petition to a city council meeting and show the members that residents agree on the issue that vacant buildings need to be torn down.  The average citizen does have the power to change policies by following the right steps.  By presenting the problem to the city council, citizens are expressing a concern.  The next step is to present a solution to the problem.  Perhaps by starting a fund to demolish the buildings the city will go forth and take action.  The citizens can then show how the city of Detroit could prosper if the vacant buildings and property are occupied.  Economical results will definitely get the attention of potential developers and city officials.  Even writing to Congressman for money to demolish the vacant buildings is a good idea.  Residents must realize the potential that Detroit has and stick together to keep pressuring city officials for change.  By raising awareness, residents can rally even more people to their cause.  The more people who become concerned, the more the city will look into fixing the problem.

I think people do not show their concern nowadays because they feel there is no hope to solve the problem.  This is an incorrect judgment because all problems have at least one solution.  I feel that citizens should take pride in their city and do everything in their power to keep it safe and enjoyable to live in.  I would certainly support any action that would help improve the safety of Detroit’s neighborhoods, and I would support any action to tear down vacant buildings because I see Detroit as my city too.  By showing concern, people are fulfilling their duty as citizens because they care enough to want change and want to better their surroundings.

            By taking action to remove derelict buildings from the streets of Detroit, everyone can change the image of Detroit.  These abandoned buildings are raising safety concerns because school children are at risk of being hurt.  No one knows exactly what dangers lurk inside of these homes.  In addition, the buildings are eyesores to the city.  The vacant homes make Detroit look run down and neglected.  They seriously hurt the image of Detroit.  If these homes and businesses were occupied, the city of Detroit would have a great deal of revenue coming in.  People would feel safe to come into the city for entertainment or business related matters.  Economically speaking, the city is losing money.  Average citizens have the power to change Detroit into a city that all can feel safe in.  By starting petitions, organizing rallies, attending city council meetings, and raising awareness, residents will get action taken.  Back to Top