QLine, Wayne State University collaborates for $5 Park-And-Ride program
(CBS DETROIT) - Finding a place to park in downtown Detroit can get a bit frustrating, but a new pilot program with QLine and Wayne State University might be the answer to your dilemma.
All you need is $5 to make your trip a little easier. When you hear that ding, you know the QLine has arrived.
It's just another option for convenient transportation on a three-mile stretch down Woodward Avenue.
And a new program might attract more riders to see the attractions around town.
"So, you can pay $5 to park at Wayne State's Lot 12, which is right at the corner of Woodward and Harper and hop right on the QLine at Amsterdam Street," said M-1 Rail President Lisa Nuszkowski.
"It's less than a minute walk from the parking lot. The QLine is free so you can hop on the QLine and ride to wherever your destination is in New Center, Northend, Midtown or Downtown."
In December 2022, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed off on an $85 million investment to subsidize the QLine through 2039.
"We got a five-million-dollar a year annual allocation from the State Convention Development Facility fund, so that's paid for out of hotel and liquor taxes to support, partially support the operations of the QLine going forward," Nuszkowski said.
And as ridership continues to return to pre-pandemic levels, more plans could be underway to get more people to give the QLine, a go.
"We're seeing a lot more people who are coming into the city to you know enjoy dinner, or an evening in the city or bring their family down. In addition to the folks that we were you know serving before the pandemic that was kind of more of the workday crowd," Nuszkowski said.
"We serve students, we serve residents along the corridor. So, it's really a great diverse mix of ridership that we have."
The $5 Park-and-Ride Pilot Program will run every weekend through the month of February.