Detroit's QLine Streetcar to Begin Charging Fares

Free rides will be a thing of the past on the QLine come September 5, but there will be more frequent headways.

1 minute read

August 30, 2017, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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"The operator of the QLine said Tuesday that it has improved train frequency as it prepares to launch paid service beginning Sept. 5.," reports Tyler Clifford.

"M-1 Rail, the organization that runs the Detroit streetcar line, said Tuesday that streetcars are now arriving every 15 minutes during peak service, a 15 percent reduction in wait time," adds Clifford. Previously headways were in the ballpark of 20 to 25 minutes.

The QLine has had strong ridership throughout the summer, averaging 5,150 daily riders in June and July—an increase from previous months. Ridership is expected to decline when fares are enacted, however. "To combat the expected decline, the QLine plans more passenger education, additional ticketing locations aside from its on-platform kiosks and continued work on improving streetcar travel-time efficiency," according to Clifford.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 in Crain's Detroit Business

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