In 1946, the DSR's Grand River line could easily be ranked as one of the busiest streetcar lines in the city. With
peak hour service requiring approximately 50 of the Peter Witt style streetcars to operate along its 14.1 mile
route from downtown to Seven Mile Road, it's no doubt Grand River was a major DSR streetcar route. However,
Grand River would also soon become a political battleground—where the proponents of rubber–tired
transportation would soon claim that roadway as one of their major victories.
During the years following WW-II, the city of Detroit had a serious problem to contend with—Traffic! With the city's
population at the time pushing nearly 1.9 million, and the proposed freeway system only in the developing stages, it
wasn't uncommon to find the city's major thoroughfares during morning and evening rush hours jammed-pack with
automobiles. As motorists crawled along those limited number of lanes reserved for auto traffic, many Detroiters
began accusing the streetcars of monopolizing the center lanes and contributing to the city's traffic problem.
One such thoroughfare where an anti-streetcar sentiment was brewing was Grand River Avenue—a major six-lane
highway that extended northwesterly across the city from the city's downtown business district. Although three fixed
lanes carried traffic for each direction, the two center lanes were occupied by the streetcars and their accompanying
tracks and safety islands. Many residents and businessmen along Grand River had even asked that the city have the
streetcars and safety islands removed, claiming they disrupted auto traffic in the area. Interestingly, city officials had
already been scrambling for years to find ways to increase the flow of traffic along that roadway. This streetcar
removal sentiment expressed by the surrounding residents would no doubt give those city officials who favored the
removal of the streetcars the added ammunition they would need.
THE BATTLE OVER RAIL AND RUBBER-TIRED TRANSIT:
Meanwhile, the demand for public transportation along Grand River during that time was still high, with close to
100,000 riders utilizing the service daily. On October 15, 1945, the DSR began offering express bus service along
Grand River to supplement the streetcar service. Three separate express runs—beginning at Seven Mile Road; at
Archdale (Southfield); and at Ardmore (Schoolcraft)—began operating during the peak hours, while an "off-peak hour"
express service began operating days, evenings and on Saturdays. The off-peak hour express buses operated in
local service (boarding only) from Seven Mile to Oakman Blvd. Beginning at Oakman Blvd., all of the Grand River
Express buses operated express into downtown—stopping only at W. Grand Blvd.
However, in late 1946, city and state officials announced plans to repave the entire stretch of Grand River Avenue. As
a result, the city wanted the safety islands removed in order to open an additional traffic lane in each direction. Of
course, the removal of these islands would obviously require the removal of the streetcars and replacing them with
motor buses.
The planned repaving and conversion of Grand River to rubber-tired transit began lining up factions pro and con on
the issue—pitting Mayor Edward J. Jeffries, Jr., the DSR Board of Commissioners, DSR General Manager Richard A.
Sullivan, along with area residents and businessmen along Grand River on one side; against the Common Council,
the car men's union—Division 26, of the Amalgamated Association of Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach
Employees of America (now ATU), and other pro-rail proponents on the opposing side.
The DSR Commissioners, led by President Samuel T. Gilbert, cited the unusual long length of the route required the
addition of express buses to supplement the service, resulting in an uneconomical use of street space. The
employment of mixed bus and streetcar service on Grand River detracted from the efficient use of the limited available
street surface. The commissioners also cited the tendency of auto drivers to utilize the center streetcar lanes—
weaving back and forth from the tracks and the inside lane in order to overtake and pass streetcars—contributing to
further traffic slowdowns. The elimination of the tracks and safety zones from the middle of the street would provide
three full lanes of free flowing traffic along each side of the street.
The DSR management, led by general manager Richard Sullivan, wanted the 50 or so streetcars needed for its Grand
River operation removed from its Coolidge Terminal in order to begin rebuilding the Coolidge site into an all-bus
facility where the department could store its increasing bus fleet. Obviously, the city's own transit department favored
the bus conversion aspect of the plan.
Of course, the Street Car and Coach Men's Union (Division 26), was looking out for the jobs of its union members and
were in opposition, while the overwhelming majority of the Detroit Common Council members heavily supported the
retention of streetcars on the city's major lines, and fought to maintain that service. Consequently, the Council
rejected the immediate total conversion, and implemented a temporary four month trial period of bus substitution,
allowing only for the removal of the safety zones from one side of the street during the trial period. The Council
intended for the DSR to reinstate all rail service on Grand River if the bus substitution proved unsuccessful and didn't
live up to expectation.
RUBBER TIRED-TRANSIT BEGINS ALONG GRAND RIVER:
Beginning Monday, May 5, 1947, 98 motor coaches (including local and express buses) replaced the 50 Peter Witt
streetcars along Grand River. However, that very same day, and without Council's approval, Mayor Edward J. Jeffries,
Jr. ordered the city's Department of Public Works to pave over the streetcar tracks along Grand River, between
Trumbull and Joy Road. The Mayor cited the extensive rail and pavement deterioration along that stretch of right-of-
way as the reason for his decision.
With streetcars no longer operating along Grand River, the two center lanes were now open for vehicular traffic.
However, the traffic congestion problem along Grand River would continue to increase—prompting the Mayor's office
to push for the remaining tracks along Grand River to be covered in order for the city to begin implementing a
proposed "reversible lanes" traffic plan. To help accommodate the increased rush-hour traffic, the "two" center lanes
would be made reversible—carrying traffic downtown in the morning and back in the evening. The two remaining
lanes were used for opposite direction traffic.
RUBBER-TIRED PROPONENTS VICTORIOUS:
Meanwhile, Lloyd B. Reid, City Traffic Engineer, was quoted as saying: "Rubber-Tired Transit with reversible
center lanes fits our Grand River problem like a glove. It has stepped-up traffic from 2500 to 3500
vehicles per hour past out testing point——besides reducing driving time by 5 minutes between
Schoolcraft and downtown Detroit (10 miles)."
Needless to say, with the safety islands removed and the rails now paved over, the streetcars along Grand River
Avenue never returned. With a major streetcar line like Grand River now being substituted by motor buses, the future
of street railway service in Detroit looked bleak. Grand River had become the first major streetcar line in the city to be
taken-over by motor buses, and became a major victory for those who supported rubber-tired transportation.
Over the years, the traffic pattern flow along Grand River Avenue would change. As new expressways were built, traffic
congestion along a number of major thoroughfares would ease somewhat. By the late-fifties, the two reversible
center lane concept would give way to another Detroit phenomenon—the center left-turn-only lane. These were
initiated along other major arteries in the city after the streetcars were removed during the mid-fifties. Interestingly, for
a number of years, left turns were forbidden along Grand River during rush hour traffic, while the center 'left-turn-only'
lane was reserved for through-traffic only—inbound traffic during the morning rush, and outbound traffic during the
evenings. However, this practice was later abandoned as well, as the traffic along Grand River diminished
considerably over the years.
Below (see web-page), is a recent photo of the same intersection of Grand River and Clarendon S., seen in the
previous photo (also see web-page). Today, the center lane is used only for making left turns. Of course, a number of
the buildings, businesses and cars along Grand River visible in the other photo, and those reversible center lanes,
are all a part of Detroit's rich history, long gone bye.
peak hour service requiring approximately 50 of the Peter Witt style streetcars to operate along its 14.1 mile
route from downtown to Seven Mile Road, it's no doubt Grand River was a major DSR streetcar route. However,
Grand River would also soon become a political battleground—where the proponents of rubber–tired
transportation would soon claim that roadway as one of their major victories.
During the years following WW-II, the city of Detroit had a serious problem to contend with—Traffic! With the city's
population at the time pushing nearly 1.9 million, and the proposed freeway system only in the developing stages, it
wasn't uncommon to find the city's major thoroughfares during morning and evening rush hours jammed-pack with
automobiles. As motorists crawled along those limited number of lanes reserved for auto traffic, many Detroiters
began accusing the streetcars of monopolizing the center lanes and contributing to the city's traffic problem.
One such thoroughfare where an anti-streetcar sentiment was brewing was Grand River Avenue—a major six-lane
highway that extended northwesterly across the city from the city's downtown business district. Although three fixed
lanes carried traffic for each direction, the two center lanes were occupied by the streetcars and their accompanying
tracks and safety islands. Many residents and businessmen along Grand River had even asked that the city have the
streetcars and safety islands removed, claiming they disrupted auto traffic in the area. Interestingly, city officials had
already been scrambling for years to find ways to increase the flow of traffic along that roadway. This streetcar
removal sentiment expressed by the surrounding residents would no doubt give those city officials who favored the
removal of the streetcars the added ammunition they would need.
THE BATTLE OVER RAIL AND RUBBER-TIRED TRANSIT:
Meanwhile, the demand for public transportation along Grand River during that time was still high, with close to
100,000 riders utilizing the service daily. On October 15, 1945, the DSR began offering express bus service along
Grand River to supplement the streetcar service. Three separate express runs—beginning at Seven Mile Road; at
Archdale (Southfield); and at Ardmore (Schoolcraft)—began operating during the peak hours, while an "off-peak hour"
express service began operating days, evenings and on Saturdays. The off-peak hour express buses operated in
local service (boarding only) from Seven Mile to Oakman Blvd. Beginning at Oakman Blvd., all of the Grand River
Express buses operated express into downtown—stopping only at W. Grand Blvd.
However, in late 1946, city and state officials announced plans to repave the entire stretch of Grand River Avenue. As
a result, the city wanted the safety islands removed in order to open an additional traffic lane in each direction. Of
course, the removal of these islands would obviously require the removal of the streetcars and replacing them with
motor buses.
The planned repaving and conversion of Grand River to rubber-tired transit began lining up factions pro and con on
the issue—pitting Mayor Edward J. Jeffries, Jr., the DSR Board of Commissioners, DSR General Manager Richard A.
Sullivan, along with area residents and businessmen along Grand River on one side; against the Common Council,
the car men's union—Division 26, of the Amalgamated Association of Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach
Employees of America (now ATU), and other pro-rail proponents on the opposing side.
The DSR Commissioners, led by President Samuel T. Gilbert, cited the unusual long length of the route required the
addition of express buses to supplement the service, resulting in an uneconomical use of street space. The
employment of mixed bus and streetcar service on Grand River detracted from the efficient use of the limited available
street surface. The commissioners also cited the tendency of auto drivers to utilize the center streetcar lanes—
weaving back and forth from the tracks and the inside lane in order to overtake and pass streetcars—contributing to
further traffic slowdowns. The elimination of the tracks and safety zones from the middle of the street would provide
three full lanes of free flowing traffic along each side of the street.
The DSR management, led by general manager Richard Sullivan, wanted the 50 or so streetcars needed for its Grand
River operation removed from its Coolidge Terminal in order to begin rebuilding the Coolidge site into an all-bus
facility where the department could store its increasing bus fleet. Obviously, the city's own transit department favored
the bus conversion aspect of the plan.
Of course, the Street Car and Coach Men's Union (Division 26), was looking out for the jobs of its union members and
were in opposition, while the overwhelming majority of the Detroit Common Council members heavily supported the
retention of streetcars on the city's major lines, and fought to maintain that service. Consequently, the Council
rejected the immediate total conversion, and implemented a temporary four month trial period of bus substitution,
allowing only for the removal of the safety zones from one side of the street during the trial period. The Council
intended for the DSR to reinstate all rail service on Grand River if the bus substitution proved unsuccessful and didn't
live up to expectation.
RUBBER TIRED-TRANSIT BEGINS ALONG GRAND RIVER:
Beginning Monday, May 5, 1947, 98 motor coaches (including local and express buses) replaced the 50 Peter Witt
streetcars along Grand River. However, that very same day, and without Council's approval, Mayor Edward J. Jeffries,
Jr. ordered the city's Department of Public Works to pave over the streetcar tracks along Grand River, between
Trumbull and Joy Road. The Mayor cited the extensive rail and pavement deterioration along that stretch of right-of-
way as the reason for his decision.
With streetcars no longer operating along Grand River, the two center lanes were now open for vehicular traffic.
However, the traffic congestion problem along Grand River would continue to increase—prompting the Mayor's office
to push for the remaining tracks along Grand River to be covered in order for the city to begin implementing a
proposed "reversible lanes" traffic plan. To help accommodate the increased rush-hour traffic, the "two" center lanes
would be made reversible—carrying traffic downtown in the morning and back in the evening. The two remaining
lanes were used for opposite direction traffic.
RUBBER-TIRED PROPONENTS VICTORIOUS:
Meanwhile, Lloyd B. Reid, City Traffic Engineer, was quoted as saying: "Rubber-Tired Transit with reversible
center lanes fits our Grand River problem like a glove. It has stepped-up traffic from 2500 to 3500
vehicles per hour past out testing point——besides reducing driving time by 5 minutes between
Schoolcraft and downtown Detroit (10 miles)."
Needless to say, with the safety islands removed and the rails now paved over, the streetcars along Grand River
Avenue never returned. With a major streetcar line like Grand River now being substituted by motor buses, the future
of street railway service in Detroit looked bleak. Grand River had become the first major streetcar line in the city to be
taken-over by motor buses, and became a major victory for those who supported rubber-tired transportation.
Over the years, the traffic pattern flow along Grand River Avenue would change. As new expressways were built, traffic
congestion along a number of major thoroughfares would ease somewhat. By the late-fifties, the two reversible
center lane concept would give way to another Detroit phenomenon—the center left-turn-only lane. These were
initiated along other major arteries in the city after the streetcars were removed during the mid-fifties. Interestingly, for
a number of years, left turns were forbidden along Grand River during rush hour traffic, while the center 'left-turn-only'
lane was reserved for through-traffic only—inbound traffic during the morning rush, and outbound traffic during the
evenings. However, this practice was later abandoned as well, as the traffic along Grand River diminished
considerably over the years.
Below (see web-page), is a recent photo of the same intersection of Grand River and Clarendon S., seen in the
previous photo (also see web-page). Today, the center lane is used only for making left turns. Of course, a number of
the buildings, businesses and cars along Grand River visible in the other photo, and those reversible center lanes,
are all a part of Detroit's rich history, long gone bye.
© 2011 – www.DetroitTransitHistory.info (PV 03-19-11)
Information for the above article was compiled from various articles written by Jack E. Schramm on the Detroit Street Railways, including
"Detroit's DSR. Part 3" (Motor Coach Age Magazine–May-June 1993) and "DETROIT'S STREET RAILWAYS Vol II: City Lines 1922-1956"
(Bulletin 120 - Central Electric Railfans' Association, by Schramm, Henning, and Dworrman), and from miscellaneous articles posted at
Tom's Trolley Bus Pix — Detroit. Additional information from the recorded minutes of various sessions of the Detroit Common Council as
recorded in the "Journal of the Common Council — City of Detroit – 1947."
"Detroit's DSR. Part 3" (Motor Coach Age Magazine–May-June 1993) and "DETROIT'S STREET RAILWAYS Vol II: City Lines 1922-1956"
(Bulletin 120 - Central Electric Railfans' Association, by Schramm, Henning, and Dworrman), and from miscellaneous articles posted at
Tom's Trolley Bus Pix — Detroit. Additional information from the recorded minutes of various sessions of the Detroit Common Council as
recorded in the "Journal of the Common Council — City of Detroit – 1947."
GRAND
RIVER
AVENUE:
DETROIT'S PUSH
TOWARD
RUBBER-TIRED
TRANSIT
RIVER
AVENUE:
DETROIT'S PUSH
TOWARD
RUBBER-TIRED
TRANSIT
Proponents of rubber-tired transit considered
Grand River Avenue in Detroit as a major
victory for their cause. In 1946, U.S. Royal
Tires even featured a D.S.R. Grand River
express bus in its Fleetway Tires
advertisement.
(Photo courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pix—Detroit)
Grand River Avenue in Detroit as a major
victory for their cause. In 1946, U.S. Royal
Tires even featured a D.S.R. Grand River
express bus in its Fleetway Tires
advertisement.
(Photo courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pix—Detroit)
BEFORE STREETCARS – AFTER STREETCARS: The above photo was taken from a Timken Axle Company advertisement
(Timken Axles manufactured axles and brakes for trolley-coaches and motor buses). The company used the left photo in their
ad to show how streetcars limited the traffic flow along Grand River, while the right photo (taken shortly after the streetcars
were removed in 1947) was used to show the same thoroughfare operating with Rubber Tired-Transit and reversible center
lanes. After the bus substitution, four lanes along Grand River were used for heavy traffic flow, while the two remaining lanes
were used for less heavy traffic in the opposite direction.
(Photo courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pix—Detroit)
(Timken Axles manufactured axles and brakes for trolley-coaches and motor buses). The company used the left photo in their
ad to show how streetcars limited the traffic flow along Grand River, while the right photo (taken shortly after the streetcars
were removed in 1947) was used to show the same thoroughfare operating with Rubber Tired-Transit and reversible center
lanes. After the bus substitution, four lanes along Grand River were used for heavy traffic flow, while the two remaining lanes
were used for less heavy traffic in the opposite direction.
(Photo courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pix—Detroit)
Return to original version web-page: http://www.detroittransithistory.info/AroundDetroit/GrandRiverAvenue.html