The Penske Tech Center, which will be the northern tip of the QLine and will serve as a service center for the entire streetcar system, opened on May 3, 2016, according to reports from The Detroit Free Press. Maintenance, storage, and other operations of the QLine will all occur within this facility. It is expected that this ‘car barn’ will staff over 40 workers when the rail becomes fully operational in the Spring of 2017. The total cost of building the center ran investors $10.6 million after labor, supplies, land, etc. While, the QLine will not be operational until Spring of 2017, the service center has been open since Tuesday, May 3, 2016, to cover operations for the coming months until the service is up and running.
Dan Gilbert is a major investor in the M-1 Rail Project, which was recently given the name ‘QLine,’ an abbreviation that many believe is to brand Quicken Loans to the streetcar system. Quicken Loan is of course the company of which Dan Gilbert is currently the CEO. The tracks of the QLine will run from downtown around Campus Maritus all the way to New Center and The North End neighborhood, where the new Penske Tech Center will reside.
The QLine is very important for a number of reasons. First, it offers those without cars an alternative to the often criticized Detroit bus system. The addition of better public transportation would also encourage people with cars to use public transportation instead of worrying about the hassle of finding and paying for city parking, thereby reducing the number of cars on the road. Decreasing the number of cars sharing the crowded streets of Detroit would result in far fewer automobile accidents.
Overall, the QLine project has many positive outcomes. It also will service all of the sports stadiums after the completion of the new Red Wings Arena, a project that is expected to be finished just after the QLine. This project has already created jobs for the citizens of Detroit, as people are needed to build the system. In the future, the QLine will help boost the economy which Michiganders hope will only create more jobs.
Although these plans will be very helpful to Detroiters in the near future, many citizens are currently left in the dark when it comes to public transportation. You may be entitled to benefits if you are involved in a public transportation accident. If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident while riding a city bus or any form of public transportation, call The Michigan Law Firm PLLC. Our attorneys are highly experienced in handling all types of motor vehicle accidents, including bus collisions and rail accidents. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.