Detroit People Mover gave 70,000 rides during NFL Draft
Operators of the rail say the system performed well amid an increase in ridership during the three-day event.
Crowds watch during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Detroit.
Last month’s NFL Draft in Detroit set attendance records, with about 750,000 football fans turning out downtown.
While city officials weren’t sure how many attendees would arrive for the three-day draft, they did expect big crowds — encouraging football fans to use the People Mover as a method of traveling around the city.
Listen: How the Detroit People Mover performed during the NFL Draft
Robert Cramer, general manager of the Detroit Transportation Corporation, which operates the People Mover, says the light rail provided roughly 70,000 rides during the draft.
“From our perspective, we thought it went as good as or better than expected,” said Cramer.
Cramer stated transit operators heard positive feedback on recent upgrades made to the People Mover, which includes new video screens that show waiting passengers the next train’s expected arrival time.
He noted there were big crowds on platforms as draft attendance swelled to capacity on day one.
“After the draft started and you heard that estimate or number saying we had broken the first day record, I think it made us feel a little bit better about how things were going,” said Cramer.
The People Mover operated around the clock during the NFL Draft. Cramer says it was the first time the rail has done that since Greektown Casino opened in 2000.
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