The new QLine isn't a charity -- it just acts like one for another six weeks.
An opening day trip May 12. (Photo by Allan Lengel)
Riders can continue going up and down Woodward Avenue as otten as they want without a fare, the seven-day-old system announces. At Crain's Detroit Busuness, Bill Shea shares news of the bargain, extended beyond next Monday:
The $187-million QLine — which saw an estimated nearly 50,000 riders its first week of operation — will extend free service until July 1 as the streetcar system adjusts its operations to meet passenger demands and learns to co-exist with traffic on Woodward Avenue.
It also will use more of its six-car fleet during heavy ridership times, and roll out a transit education program next week, officials said in a statement Friday afternoon.
Shea quotes from a media handout that says staff members will be assigned to field waiting riders' questions and help users understand how to connect to city and suburban buses, the Detroit People Mover and Amtrak trains.
"As we refine operations to accommodate demand, it's also clear a public education campaign to help transit users is needed in Southeast Michigan," M-1 Rail Vice President for External Affairs Sommer Woods said in a statement.
"Over the next six weeks, we will deploy street teams at station stops to assist riders in navigating the system and connecting to the destinations throughout the Woodward corridor."
Related content today:
My Daily Commute Aboard the New QLine -- the Good and the Glitches
