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PAGE EIGHT
VergorriEwisil ORM ICU
VOTERS, ATTENTION!
On Monday, April 1st, 1929, the electors of the City of Detroit will vote on the plan of a Rapid Transit System as recommended by the
Street Railway and Rapid Transit Commissions.
The description of the sys tern is as follows:
SECTION 1. Subway for street car operation.
A line under Woodward Avenue froi n a portal at Temple Avenue to a portal at Wood-
bridge Street. This line will connect w' th the Vernor-Mack subway line by a station at
the Campus Martins.
Three stations on this section, which will be 1.16 miles in length.
SECTION 2. Subway for street ca l operation.
A line under Grand River from a p ,rtal at Grand River and Elizabeth to Grand River,
East, at Randolph, thence under Madiso t u to a portal at St. Antoine. This line will have
underground loading stations at Capitol Park and at Library 'Park connected with each
other and with stations on the Vernor-Mack subway line at Michigan and Shelby on the
West Side, and Monroe and Farmer on the East Side. Six stations on this section, which
will be 1.31 miles in length.
SECTION 3. Subway. and Elevated for train operation.
An elevated line from Coolidge highway through the Ford Motor Company plant at
River Rouge to the neighborhood of Woodmere and Vernor, thence by subway under
Vernor Highvay and Michigan Avenue to Campus Martins, thence via Monroe, Randolph,
Cratiot and Nack to the neighborhood of Connors Road. Twenty-seven'stations on this
line, which will be 13.3 miles of double track.
$91,000,000.00
Total.cost for all three sections
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CITY OF BURNT
RAPID TRANSIT COMMISSION
LEGEND
ELEVATED
on soOlaise SUBWAY
D ilIFACC RAIL. ROUTES
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PLAN OF RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM
PROPOSED BY THE STREET RAILWAY COMMISSION
AND THE RAPID TRANSIT COMMISSION
TO SE SUBMITTED' TO ELECTORS APRIL I
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DANIEL L. TURNER CONSULTING ENGINEER
JOHN
P NAU-IMAN CHILf ENG ■ NtL0.
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This map shows approximately 57 squ are miles or 41 To ol the total Detroit area of 139.02 square miles. Approxima tely 67q 01 Detroit's population occupies this area.
SAVING IN TIME.
The D. S. R. Management estimat es that the use 'of the Woodward Avenue subway
will make a saving of thirteen minutes in the running time for round trip between ter-
urinals. It estimates a saving of seven minutes per round trip by reason of the Grand
River subway.
The running time on the Vernor- qack line will be forty-five minutes from Connors
to the Rouge Plant. The present rune ing time on the surface cars is seventy-three min-
utes. There will be a,saving, therefore, of twenty-eight minutes for a one-way trip be-
ay the saving will he 56 minutes. As the Vernor-
tween terminals. If ridden twice per day
Mack line connects with 27 of the 29 routes of the D. S. R. rail system, and with 12 bus
routes, it will have a co-ordinating and I expediting influence on a large part of the D. S. R.
system.
Users of the subways will be protcc ted from the weather and from surface traffic,
VERNOR - MICHIGAN - GRATIOT - MACK SUBWAY ELEVATED LINE.
The Vernor-Michigan-Gratiot-Mack line has been selected by the Street Railway and
Rapid T ansit Commissions because it offers service to the greatest industrial and business
concent ions in the City. Approximately 30% of the industrial and business workers are
employe •pon, or:within one-half mile, of the line.
REVEN JE PASSENGERS AND FARES. VERNOR - MACK LINE.
On the basis of experience of similar lines in cities having rapid transit facilities, the
Vernor-Mack line is estimated to have a minimum of 32,000,000 revenue passengers in the
first year of operation, approximately five years after the line is approved. This is com-
parable with 36,000,000 revenue passengers on the Woodward Avenue street car line today,
with 30,000,000 on the Baker line, and with 16,000,000 on the Michigan line. An initial 10-
cent fare will be required for this subway-elevated line. On this fare and on the financial
plan proposed the subway will be self-supporting.
FINANCIAL PLAN
It is proposed to constru e ct the system, including equipment for the Vernor-Mack line, by means of:
X1) Ad valorem taxation which m iy be instituted by the Common Council upon ap-
proval of the System by the pe °pie. The amount that may be placed upon the tax
roll in any one year is limited by law to 1, 6 of 1% of the total assessed valua-
tion, or approximately $1.66 pe r M.
K2) Full Faith and Credit Bonds of the City of Detroit. There is a credit already
available for Rapid Transit pu irposes under the Michigan Rapid Transit Act of
approximately $71,000,000.00 b used on Detroit's 1928 valuation. This Act permits
any City to issue up to 2% of is assessed valuation for Rapid Transit purposes,
and without regard to any olf her obligation of the City. Authorization will be
asked on April 1st on $51,600, 000.00 of this sum. The Act permits up to 60% of
the estimated cost to be fina need by Faith and Credit Bonds plus ad valorem
taxation.
K3) Mortgage Bonds secured only upon the property and revenue of the system.
Michigan Rapid Transit Act iermits up to 60% of the cost of the system to be
financed by Mortgage Bonds. It is proposed to use Mortgage Bonds for that por-
tion of the cost not otherwise taken care of by (1) ad valorem taxation and (2)
Faith and Credit Bonds.
The above three sources are suffic ient to finance the construction and equipment of
the system within a period of five yea rs from date of public approval. Work can start at
once upon approval. Subways for stre et car operation can be built within three years.
REPAYMENT OF BONDS. Str ucture Cost.
Referring to the financing of the system, the language of the ordinance includes
among other things the following:
"and by special assessments levied on property benefitted provided, however, the Com-
mon Council shall determine that sufficient benefit has accrued to private property, as
to render it reasonable to.levy sup assessments and further provided, that in levying
the special assessments herein authorized, if any property in the Rapid Transit special
assessment district has been assessed in the ten-year period subsequent to July 1st,
1921, for street openings or widenings, the Rapid Transit special assessment on said
property shall be credited with the amount levied on said property in any street open-
ing or widening assessment during said ten-year period."
Any special assessments will be used to pay bonds issued for the construction of the
permanent way.
Under the law a single year's assessment can itself be spread over ten years with
interest on the deferred payments.
The repayment of fonds together with the unused balance of the City's credit under
the 2% clause in the Rapid Transit Act will permit the construction of other lines to serve
other sections of the City when authorized by the people.
EQUIPMENT COST.
The Commissions recommend that Mortgage Bonds issued to finance the cost of equip-
ment shall be repaid out of fares and other revenues of the system together with the cost
of operation.
FAITH AND CREDIT BONDS TO BE AUTHORIZED.
For the purpose of carrying out the above rapid transit plan, authority is asked for
the issuance of not to exceed $51,600,000.00 of full Faith and Credit Bonds of the City of
Detroit. This represents 60% of $91,000,000.00—the total cost of the project.
Whatever is raised during the construction period by ad valorem taxation reduces the
amount of Faith and Credit Bonds to be issued. The less Faith and Credit Bonds that are
used in building this rapid transit system the greater the balance remaining and the earlier
will it be possible to authorize other projects to serve other sections of the City.
By order of The Common Council.
RICHARD W. READING, City Clerk
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