13 years ago this week in Metro Times: Louis Mleczko and Tim Dugdale recount the history of public transportation in Detroit. In the 1920s, the city had 363 miles of track used by 1,457 electric streetcars and interurban rail cars. As the proliferation of private cars demanded more road space, the light rail system was pushed aside. Proposals for the creation of new rail systems were presented in 1926, 1929, 1949, 1958, 1969 and 1979, but were defeated by highway construction interests and auto industry lobbying. What Was Happening: The Chieftains at Hill Auditorium.
10 years ago this week in Metro Times: Jane Slaughter reports on the resistance of residents in the Lafayette-Elmwood area to the construction of a juvenile detention facility in their neighborhood. A 1989 state law says that no prisons may be built within 300 feet of a residence, but attorneys for Detroit and Wayne County argue that it doesn’t apply because the prison will not be operated by the state. Some locals say their willingness to live in Detroit should earn them more consideration. What Was Happening: Ass Ponys at the Blind Pig.
Seven years ago this week in Metro Times: Desiree Cooper writes about a report from Amnesty International that criticizes the United States for executing juveniles. Executing underage individuals is prohibited by international law, but in the United States, more than 65 people are on death row for crimes committed when they were younger than 18. In the ’90s, according to the report, juveniles were executed in Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and America. What Was Happening: Outkast and Black Eyed Peas at Harpo’s.
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