The Regional Transit Authority announced Thursday that operations and assets of the Qline could transfer to the RTA early next year. This means instead of running under one nonprofit, the streetcar would be more integrated with the transit in the area.
Lisa Nuszkowski, president of M-1 Rail, said in an announcement that this was always part of the plan for the Qline. “QLINE is an asset that was always envisioned as one piece of a larger, connected regional transit system,” said Nuszkowski in the release. “Now is the time to make this transition. Performance has never been better. Ridership is approaching 1 million for the year, and the system’s finances are sustainable over the long-term.”
The release states that the groups will do their due diligence to make sure the streetcar line is transferred with a balanced budget and will have no impact on taxpayers.
The RTA's predecessor, the Regional Transit Coordinating Council, proposed the streetcar in 2008. $150 million was raised through public-private partnerships, and construction started in 2014. An amendment in 2014 authorized the transition of the Qline to the RTA in 2024.
One criticism of the Qline is that it is its own entity; it doesn't officially connect to the other transit up and down the Woodward corridor. But the Qline has had increased ridership this year, and the M-1 Rail states that $10 billion has been invested along the corridor since its inception.
The RTA board is expected to acquire the Qline early next year.
