CO: Detroit People Mover closes for track maintenance

The Detroit People Mover will be closed for nearly two weeks as essential work gets completed for the winter season, officials said.

Operations are suspended from Monday through Nov. 22, allowing crews to install a new track switch, representatives said in a statement.

"The 10-day project will wrap up the series of guideway assessments and upgrades that can only be completed by closing the system for this length of time," the release said.

The Detroit Transportation Corporation, the agency that runs the People Mover, is slated to restart the elevated train service in time for Thanksgiving week festivities. Hours are extended on Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. until midnight for the Detroit Lions vs. NY Giants game and the Jonas Brothers concert.

Meanwhile, DTC is in the midst of public mobility study that looks at the People Mover's future and how it should possibly evolve. Using outside consultants, the DTC is asking residents and stakeholders to participate in its grant-funded system study to provide feedback on operations, stations and expansion possibilities for the Detroit People Mover.

A public meeting was held this fall to begin to get residents' input. The study will conclude with possible strategies to reevaluate the People Mover's current configuration or even possibly expand it, along with short and long-term recommendations for other transit services in Detroit.

The People Mover was built as part of a project under what was then known as Urban Mass Transportation Administration, aiming to boost Detroit's Central Business District. Construction began in 1983 and the system opened to the public in 1987.

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