At the turn of the 20th century, metro Detroit had one of the largest mass transit system in the United States,

Detroit's Department of Street Railways, the predecessor to the Detroit Department of Transportation, operated hundreds of buses and over 900 streetcars on 20 routes throughout the main spokes of the city — including the streetcar on Michigan Avenue — as well as routes leading to neighboring suburbs.

But over the years, as more families purchased automobiles and racial tensions grew, ridership decreased, and the streetcar system became too costly for the city to maintain. The streetcar tracks across the city have since been paved over, but a new campaign from the Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America aims to restore the tracks along Michigan Avenue — a vital hub of Detroit’s historic streetcar system.

Metro Detroit DSA member Melina Herrera joined The Metro to discuss how the organization is working to move the needle on transit in Detroit.

Hear more stories from The Metro on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.