Mass Transit In Detroit: QLINE Opens With Fanfare This Friday

DETROIT (WWJ) - It's just about time to ride the QLINE.

Detroit is taking a stab at mass transit on a small scale, as the QLINE street car — also know as the M-1 rail — opens to the public this Friday.

The QLINE runs on a 6.6 mile loop along Woodward Ave. (M-1) ,from Midtown/New Center to downtown Detroit.

The 66-foot-long cars will carry up to 125 passengers each, sharing the road with traffic on Woodward at speeds up to 35 mph.

"QLINE's grand opening will be a historic day in Detroit," said M-1 RAIL CEO Matt Cullen. "We're bringing rail transit back to the heart of the city and connecting the Woodward Corridor in a way that's already begun to transform the entire district."

Midtown resident and Wayne State University student Katie Partington is among those who can't wait to climb aboard.

"I actually work downtown with the city, so I'll be able to take that right into my job and not have to pay for parking, and I'm really excited about that," she told WWJ's Vickie Thomas.

How much will she save?

"A ton, a ton," Partington said. "Because parking can get expensive, and it will just be easy not to have to worry about a car, not have to worry about finding parking. It will just be a lot less stressful to get downtown."

Rides will be FREE during the QLINE's grand opening weekend — Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 and multiple local institutions are planning deals and events  to celebrate the streetcar's big debut.

[View a complete schedule of opening weekend events]

After this weekend, rides will be $1,50 for a single pass (good for three hours), $3 for a day pass, $30 for monthly pass, and $285 for an annual pass with unlimited rides.

Tickets will be available for purchase on the QLINE Detroit Mobile App, at qlinedetroit.com and with cash only on the streetcar.

Ticketing kiosks are also available at all QLINE stations:

• Grand Blvd. (Connect to SMART bus nearby)
• Baltimore St. (Connect to Amtrak nearby)
• Amsterdam St.
• Ferry St.
• Warren Ave. (Connect to DDOT nearby)
• Canfield St.
• Martin Luther King Blvd. /Mack Ave.
• Sproat St. /Adelaide St.
• Montcalm St.
• Grand Circus (Connect to the People Mover nearby)
• Campus Martius
• Congress St.

Mark Hudson, co-founder and CEO of Rocket Fiber, is excited about another way for QLINE riders to connect.

Free internet access, via Rocket Fiber WiFi, will be available both at QLINE stations (and within about 30 feet away) and on the cars.

"It's a system-wide network to basically provide super fast high-speed WiFi services to the QLINE and all the riders,"  Hudson said.

The QLINE's hours of operation will be 6 a.m.- 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 6 a.m.-12 a.m. Friday; 8 a.m.-12 a.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Each car has room for wheelchairs and hooks for bikes.

The $142 million project was paid for with a combination of public and private funding.

For more QLINE information, visit this link.