Motor City Transit: Legislation would extend QLine funding

Why it matters: The money will help the streetcar system remain free to riders — a perk that began when it resumed service in September 2021 after a pandemic shutdown, QLine spokesperson Dan Lijana tells Axios.

State of play: QLine ridership increased over the past year, but is still down from pre-pandemic levels.

• Average daily ridership increased from 969 between October 2021 and January 2022 to 2,285 between June and September.
• Average daily ridership was 2,620 in the six months before the shutdown.

Between the lines: The extended funding is tucked into a set of rapidly moving bills to benefit the downtown Huntington Place convention center, Crain's reports.

• The legislation would authorize the convention center's governing body to enter into public-private deals, authorize new borrowing and lift a spending cap.
• The QLine money would come from the state's Convention Facility Development Fund, which receives about $100 million annually from hotel and liquor taxes.

What's next: The proposals — Senate bills 1222 and 1223 — could come before the House this week.