Detroit light-rail project will receive $25 million in federal funding

from the Detroit Free Press:


President Barack Obama’s Transportation Secretary will visit Detroit late next week with $25 million in new money for the fledgling M-1 Rail project to bring light rail to about 3 miles of Woodward Avenue between downtown and New Center, two people familiar with the decision confirmed today.

Ray LaHood is expected to be in Detroit for the North American International Auto Show on Monday for industry-related events, but he will return Jan. 18 to award $25 million to the M-1 project, a largely private-sector effort to bring a light-rail line to Woodward after a larger effort, spanning from downtown to 8 Mile, collapsed last year.

LaHood has said publicly that he would help the effort led by some of Detroit’s top corporate leaders and civic and philanthropic groups. But he said he would do so only if metro Detroit leaders were finally able to agree to set up a regional transit authority that would usher in new cooperation and reform of public transportation in southeast Michigan. Lawmakers approved the authority late last year, although much work remains before the region will see the the benefits of it. ......................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20130110/NEWS01/130110064/ray-lahood-to-visit-detroit?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE