More Free Rides! QLINE Free Until July

DETROIT (WWJ) -- After a successful first week of passenger operations, the QLINE will extend free rides to the public for an additional six weeks.

Dan Lijana with M-1 RAIL says revenue operations will begin July 1.

"The cars performed great this week, the reception was really enthusiastic," Lijana said. "We didn't really have a whole lot of issues in terms of vehicles on the road. The testing and training process that we did with the public worked really, really well."

Last week, nearly 50,000 riders took advantage of the free rides, averaging 8,300 riders per day over the QLINE's first weekend.

The new streetcar, running on a 6.6-mile loop along Woodward from Midtown/New Center to Grand Circus Park downtown, is now picking up passengers following a grand opening celebration and an inaugural first ride by local dignitaries last weekend.

"Many folks who are experiencing the line for the first time are taking the full route, that's leading to a little bit more crowding at the platforms and some folks having to wait a little bit longer for the streetcar," Lijana said. "We want to make sure that we give everybody a chance to try it out, give it a whirl before we start charging and start to bring those headway times a little bit."

Beginning in July, 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.

The 66-foot-long cars carry up to 125 passengers each, sharing the road with traffic on Woodward at speeds up to 35 mph. The $142 million project was paid for with a combination of public and private funding.