RTA approves QLINE transfer; streetcar to become fully public transit system
The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan has OK'd a takeover of the QLINE.
The transfer of assets approved Thursday at an RTA board meeting means the streetcars that run along Woodward Avenue in Detroit will become a fully public piece of the local transportation picture.
"We've always envisioned QLINE becoming an official part of the larger regional transit system," said Ben Stupka, RTA's executive director, ticking off envisioned benefits of the change such as stabilizing service and providing access to additional state and federal funding for both the RTA and QLINE.
And it "really serves as a linchpin for potential future investments," he said.
The move of oversight and assets from the nonprofit M-1 Rail to a public 10-member board with representatives from Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties as well as the city of Detroit and state of Michigan was anticipated, but RTA officials had said they wanted to ensure a QLINE transfer would include a balanced budget.
"I am happy to say that we have a fully funded operation for the QLINE for the next five years, but really for up to the next 15," Stupka said, noting that the process to make the change began last year.
How the QLINE reached this point
A slide shown during the meeting listed fiscal year 2025 expenses and revenues for QLINE each at $10.59 million, with most funding through state sources. It described the main cost drivers as an updated union contract for operators and mechanics, a battery replacement project, which is said to be in process, and an additional chief operating officer position with potential savings as insurance, financial, legal and communications.
The 3.3-mile system is currently free to ride, although it has charged fares in the past. Support from groups like the Kresge Foundation helped bridge funding gaps before additional state funds were earmarked.
The system, which includes six streetcars, began operations in May 2017, with construction starting in 2014. A release noted that "the QLINE was made possible through approximately $150 million in philanthropic contributions led by the Kresge Foundation, Penske Corporation and Rock Family of Companies, with participation from nearly every major Detroit-based corporation and foundation."
The QLINE has been both celebrated and criticized over the years, with regular service delays at one time being one of the major complaints. Efforts to improve service — including through acquiring a tow truck to deal with improperly parked vehicles on Woodward, the addition of a permanent dedicated transit lane near Little Caesars Arena (as well as a section near Comerica Park during events) and shifting operations oversight in-house from a global transit service company in recent years — appear to have borne some fruit.
Last year, the system marked a rebound in ridership from the COVID pandemic, which included a service shutdown in 2020, of more than 1 million riders , which was said to represent a 50% increase over the prior year. So far this year, ridership is reported to be up more than 25% over 2023 levels.
M-1 RAIL President and Chief Operating Officer Lisa Nuszkowski called the transfer to the RTA the "culmination of a lot of hard work" from both staffs, including plenty of due diligence. The transfer is not immediate, but it is expected to take effect officially on Oct. 1, following a formal closing process.
She predicted that the change will not be evident to riders.
"People who are riding the QLINE are not going to see any difference whatsoever," aside from things like the RTA name being added to the side of the streetcars at some point, Nuszkowski said.
The transfer will include the current group of almost 50 employees at the QLINE.
When asked about her own role, Nuszkowski said there would be "more to come on my future."
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