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This motorized car called a “speeder" will test the tracks.
The reality of the QLine, the light rail on Woodward Avenue in Detroit that stretches 3.3 miles, or 6.6 miles round trip, is getting closer.
M-RAIL, which operates the QLine, announced Monday that it will begin testing the track on Tuesday, using a small motorized inspection car called a “speeder.” The car will run a few hours on Tuesday after the morning rush hour, M-1 RAIL spokesman Dan Lijana tells Deadline Detroit. Eighty-three percent of the track is done.
On Tuesday, the vehicle will travel nearly a mile along Woodward between Larned and Adams to ensure "that the route is free of obstructions taking into account the physical dimensions of the vehicle and ensures proper maintenance of traffic," a media release says.
The motorized speeder vehicle will be operated by a driver and will be flanked from both ends by safety vehicles and will travel slowly along Woodward, M-1 RAIL said. The tests will be conducted intermittently on different stretches of the track.
“Construction progress continues on schedule,” M-1 RAIL Chief Operations Officer Paul Childs said in a statement. “Speeder tests will be ongoing over the next few weeks, eventually covering the full 6.6 mile track. It’s one of nearly 1,000 tests we’ll be going through over the course of the project.”
Construction expected to finish this year and service is scheduled to begin in early 2017. A ride will cost $1.50.
Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are being asked to keep a safe distance and obey all posted traffic signs throughout testing and remaining construction, a press release said. They will also be asked not to park in lanes where the trains will operate.
Starting Tuesday, notices will be placed on vehicles blocking track access to remind motorists to avoid parking in roadway lanes where the QLine will run.
Bicyclists reportedly have been hurt after tires got caught in the tracks.
Lijana said efforts will be made to educate bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians on safety issues regarding the QLine.
Tests through fall will include:
- Track switch access for emergency vehicles
- Electrical testing for the communications system and overhead system
- Traction power substation readiness
- Disabled users access
