Despite the enormous benefits of public transit and the outrageous gas prices Michiganders are facing, some legislators question whether the people of Michigan really care about transit. 

As you know, a 21st century state must have modern transportation options to attract 21st century jobs and workers.  Michigan has the opportunity to launch a quality rapid transit system, including the Detroit-Metro Airport-Ann Arbor commuter train, a Grand Rapids rapid transit line and more.

These projects will help jumpstart Michigan’s economy, create jobs and strong vibrant communities. Yet many Michigan legislators say we can’t afford to invest in transit. TRU asks, can we afford not to?

Our friends at ProgressMichigan have set up a tool to make it easy for you to tell your legislators what you think.  Go to www.FundMiTransit.com to send a letter to your Michigan legislators.  You can use their sample letter,edit their letter with your own thoughts, or write your own letter about why it is so critical to fund transit.  Whichever you prefer, take action today!

Celebrate National Bike to Work Day in Detroit with the 3rd Annual Woodward Avenue event. 

A perfect end to National Transportation Week, participate in a viable means of transit, a healthy and productive activity, and a event that builds community pride while on your way to work. Experienced cyclists and casual Friday co-workers welcome.

The ride will begin at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market at 6:20am and end downtown Detroit around 8am, with several stops in between.  Check the Detroit Bikes! website for full details.

Also catch the morning buzz about Detroit Bikes! to Work Day - Woodward Avenue on the Detroit Today Show on 101.9 FM WDET around 10:45am, Friday, May 16th.

According to SMART:

SMART is posting the highest ridership since its formation in 1967! 

SMART carried more than 44,000 passengers daily for the month of April. Weekend service on SMART is also at its peak. Overall, ridership on the Fixed Route system has increased more than 6.5% from this time last year.

“With gas prices at an all-time high, people are choosing to park their cars in the driveway and ride the bus,” said Hayes W. Jones, SMART general manager. “We haven’t seen ridership like this since the early eighties.”

Routes along Gratiot and Woodward are requiring expanded service with more frequency to accommodate standing loads. Weekend ridership is also experiencing record numbers with an 14% increase on Sundays and a 10.4% increase on Saturdays year to date.

“The price of gas is a huge deficit for most families. We charge $1.50 a trip…the best deal in town and we can get you anywhere you need to go,” said Jones.  For less than the cost of a tank of gas, people have access to SMART’s system which covers more than 1200 square miles.

If you're fed up with gas prices and considering the bus, check out SMART's trip planning tools or Google Transit to figure out your route and schedule. 

As reported by the Detroit News, there was an exciting discussion about public transit at the Brownfields Conference at Cobo Hall last week:

Former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and Dan Gilbert, head of Quicken Loans, said mass transit is key to the success of the region. They also said people under age 35 are the most willing to move to Detroit to live and work.

Gilbert and businessman Dave Bing were part of a panel, moderated by Archer, discussing why companies should relocate downtown. Each urged support for creating light rail systems and other mass transit.

"The trains are coming," Gilbert said. "There's no way this region is going to compete, period, if the trains aren't coming."

Archer said there is willingness among political and business leaders to finally resolve a mass transportation system for the region.

May 11-17 is National Transportation Week; "an opportunity for the transportation community to join together for greater awareness about the importance of transportation. National Transportation Week also focuses on making youth aware of transportation-related careers."

Unfortunately: "Detroit’s theme for National Transportation Week 2008 is “The Year of the Car”, in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the world’s largest car company, General Motors, and the Centennial of the Ford Model T, the car that changed the world."

That means most of the events are very auto-centric.  However, there is one event that has a broader vision and might be of interest:

Thursday, May 15, 8am-10am
WWJ Newsradio 950 Business Breakfast
The Henry Ford's IMAX Theatre Lobby/Anderson Theatre
20900 Oakwood Blvd. | Dearborn, MI 48124-4088

WWJ/FOX 2 Business Editor Murray Feldman moderates a two-panel discussion on Detroit's future in moving freight and moving people. How can Detroit's existing infrastructure be leveraged to drive economic growth for the region?  Featured Speakers Include:

• Dick Blouse, President & CEO, Detroit Regional Chamber
• Heather Carmona, Executive Director, Woodward Avenue Action Association
• Dan Deane, President, Nicholson Terminal & Dock, Inc.
• Robert Ficano, Wayne County Executive, on the Aerotropolis Concept
• John Hertel, CEO, Regional Transit Coordinating Council
• Marc Higginbotham, representing Norfolk Southern Corporation, on the Detroit International Freight Terminal project
• Kirk Steudle, Director, Michigan Department of Transportation
• Paul Tait, Executive Director, SEMCOG, 2035 Southeast Michigan Transportation Plan

Tickets for are $25, breakfast included.  Advanced reservations are required.  To register or for more information, visit http://www.wwj.com/pages/2085706.php or call 248-455-7200.

Shocking new news from Forbes: Detroit's got a lousy commute. 

"Forbes.com looked at the 75 largest metro areas in the U.S. and evaluated them based on traffic delays, travel times and how efficiently commuters use existing infrastructure. The worst commutes were those that ate up the most hours and were the least reliable. The best commutes were in cities with short, dependable treks to the office, where fellow commuters efficiently use transit options to reduce congestion. . .

"Detroit is losing population and has one of the worst commutes in America. Transit design in Motown is, not unexpectedly, tailored to the car, yet traffic patterns aren't smooth. The average Detroit commuter is delayed 54 hours a year, . . . more than Chicago or Boston, 46 hours each. When you add up all the people that walk, carpool or take pubic transit to work, it's only 11% of the Detroit commuting population; that's the worst of any big city in America. . ."

It's interesting that the same day of the Forbes article, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that, "Motorists in metro Atlanta aren't just venting about the nation's second worst commute. They're willing to pay more at the cash register for buses and trains that could help alleviate it, according to an 11-county survey released Thursday.

"Asked if they would support a 1 percent sales tax to fund a specific list of transportation projects, including rail and bus service, 58 percent of respondents said yes. That support held across the region, from inner counties to the suburbs. And it cut across gender, race, age and income level as well. . .

Curious about TRU?
Interested in learning more about Detroit transit issues?
Want to get involved in making quality transit a reality for greater Detroit?

Then come to TRU's Open House / Transit 101 on Wednesday, May 7 at 6:30pm.

Come see the office, learn some of Detroit's transit history and challenges, get updates on Woodward light rail, discuss TRU's plan for solving transit, and talk about how you can get involved in the solution, all in an introductory, small group, low-key setting.

We need volunteers to help spread the transit message, research transit policy, update the website, outreach to regional VIPs and much more.  This is a great chance to get involved.

The event will be at TRU's office on the 16th floor of the Guardian Building (500 Griswold, Suite 1650, between Congress and Larned in downtown Detroit).  If possible, please RSVP. 

Beginning May 15th, AATA will offer a commuter bus line from Chelsea to Ann Arbor. 

There will be two trips daily in the morning and afternoon for a monthly cost of $125 (less than $5 a day).  This service will be provided by Indian Trials on nice coach buses with big high-backed seats, a place for coffee and enough room to read the paper, work on your laptop or just recline and relax. 

AATA is offering free trial passes for people to try the service before making a commitment.  And if an emergency should arise, AATA will cover the cost of a taxi back to Chelsea.   Go to theRide.org for more info and to sign up. 



There's also a new group called Get Me Downtown that organizes buses from downtown Ann Arbor to and from Detroit for specific hip happenings in the city, for just $16 round trip.  You can attend the event they schedule around or do whatever else you'd like.  Just meet at the predetermined departure location and time. 

Their next trip is Saturday, May 10 at 5pm for the Detroit Derby Girls and/or MOCAD's new exhibit on "Sustainable Designs from Detroit."  Go to GetMeDowntown.com to learn more, sign up for their emails and/or buy tickets for this event. 

This past Monday, DDOT held a press conference to officially announce Woodward Light Rail as the locally preferred alternative to launching the region's rapid transit system.  Check out the DTOGS webpage for the press release, FAQ and an excellent video.

Here's some of the press coverage:

• April 22, 2008 - Detroit Free Press: Plan takes shape for travel by light-rail
  • "Detroit took a small but significant step Monday toward a long-envisioned proposal to construct a two-rail rapid-transit system along Woodward Avenue from downtown to 8 Mile. . . . Patty Fedewa, a board member of the pro-transit Transportation Riders United group, said Woodward is a natural fit for rapid transit. . ."

• April 22, 2008 - Detroit News: Rail proposal a 'first step'
  • "It's a very natural, very obvious place to build rapid transit," said Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, a local mass transit advocacy group. "Being able to connect all of these together without all the driving and parking is critical for the region's future."

• April 22, 2008 - Model D: Big Transit News Would Mean Big things for Woodward Corridor
  • "This is very, very important to the future of southeast Michigan," Kilpatrick said at the press conference. "I don’t think we'll have a future if we don't do this."  It seems that everyone is jumping on the transit bandwagon, and it's about time. And putting transit along Woodward just makes sense.

• April 25, 2008 - Detroit Free Press editorial: All above-board on light-rail plans!
  • "The city deserves great credit for trying to jump-start rapid transit in southeast Michigan. . .  However, no one should believe the city's plan is a done deal. . . Metro Detroit must speak with one voice on this vital issue. . ."

• April 21, 2008 - Crain's Detroit Business: Mass-transit groups to meet
  • The public and private plans need to work together, White said, and the pending talks will work toward that end.

• April 13, 2008 - Detroit Free Press (Op. ed): Region needs a first-step success on transit

• April 13, 2008 - Detroit Free Press: Map a new plan for transportation; Take a big turn to transit's potential

• April 21, 2008 - Ann Arbor News: Crucial rail study to get going

• April 21, 2008 - YspiNews.com: Google Transit launches AATA map service

• April 21, 2008 - Ann Arbor News: AATA leaning toward becoming regional

• April 21, 2008 - Grand Rapids Press: Public transit advocates reveal increasing popularity of buses

Every few years, SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, updates their long range transportation plan to decide the region's transportation funding priorities for the next 25 years. 

They are seeking your help setting the direction for transportation in Southeast Michigan. SEMCOG is conducting a survey to gauge the public’s level of satisfaction with the region’s transportation system and their attitudes toward prioritizing transportation improvements.

According to SEMCOG, the survey findings will be considered by staff and local elected officials as they "explore transportation investment choices and establish a regional investment direction. The end result will be a long-range plan serving the needs of the region’s citizens and businesses by promoting a transportation system that is accessible, safe, and reliable."

Visit SEMCOG's website to learn more, to complete the survey online, or to print out the survey to mail in. 

Senator John McCain recently proposed cutting the federal gas tax as a way to save drivers money this summer.  This is unfortunately a very short-sighted and unwise proposal, as the American Public Transportation Association explained in a recent press release:

"Now is the time for leadership on transportation issues, not pandering to voters with an alleged  “quick fix” to the economy through the suspension of federal gas taxes through the summer months. With gas prices at an all time high, it is an easy thing to suggest the removal of the gas tax.  However, stating that the suspension of gas taxes from Memorial Day to Labor Day ostensibly to help our economy hides the real truth -- that America’s transportation is intertwined with our high standard of living and prosperity.  To cut back transportation infrastructure investment endangers, not boosts, our economy, our jobs and our way of life. . . . 

The truth is that we need the federal gas tax to pay for the much needed highway and public transportation infrastructure.  Do we really want our bridges to fall down?  No.  Do we want to see bus routes and train lines cut?  No. . . . "

More at APTA.com.

New book documents how key changes in land development patterns could help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions

On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, ceremonially creating the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. Suddenly, the country was united in a way it never had been.

The train became the go-to mode of transport for people and goods, and much more. It was a proud achievement of engineering vision, technical ingenuity and sweat. It was a cultural force that sparked countless creative imaginations. Railways provided jobs for thousands of Americans. The train station became a focal point of every community, from New York City’s Pennsylvania Station to the tiny stations that dotted rural America.

Now, 139 years after the golden spike connected east and west, there’s never been a better time to take the train. Huge crowds and frustrations burden our highways and airports. And with pressing concerns about energy conservation, trains are a more energy-efficient mode of travel than either autos or airplanes. Riding the rails is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Not to mention meet interesting people and see breathtaking scenery.

So mark May 10th on your calendar for a coast-to-coast celebration of the way trains connect people and places. In New York’s Penn Station and Union stations in Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles, there will be simultaneous National Train Day festivities that are a treat for all ages.

The US Government spends hundreds of billions of dollars on transportation every year, but what are those dollars really getting us?  More highways and more sprawl? 

Several national organizations are working to change how the federal government spends critical transportation dollars.  And they're looking for your help to persuade our legislators to support smarter investments. 

APTA has a Transit Action Center on their website where you can contact your elected officials about the importance of investing in transit. 

Smart Growth America also has an active action page on their website, providing information and action opportunities on top Congressional issues.  Right now they're focused on ensuring Complete Streets, preserving the EPA's Smart Growth office budget and inserting smart growth into the climate change debate.  While they are focused on smart growth broadly, transit is an integral part of smart growth, and important to support. 

Use these great resources to have your say!

The expo is free and open to the public. It will offer dozens of indoor product/service exhibits and outdoor vehicle & farm displays, many informative presentations and keynotes, lively music & entertainment, organic food and drink, kids’ crafts & activities, award-winning films & videos, and free samples & door prizes, all focused on earth-friendly and healthy living. Stop by our booth to see the DTOGS demo video and much more!

The US Public Interest Research Groups (US PIRG) are sponsoring a national video contest.  They ask:

Are you tired of being stuck in traffic?  Shouldn’t we have better options?  What’s your vision of a 21st century transit system?

US PIRG invites you to create your most persuasive short video about why we need more and better public transportation. The winning videos will be used to help decision-makers imagine a better future. Your video will be a critical part of an effort to educate city councils, legislatures across the country, and lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

Entries are due by July 4, 2008. Check out their website for full contest rules and to enter.  You can also read more about their campaigns to expand transit all across the country.

DDOT is planning a set of schedule changes, including new express bus service, increased peak frequencies, and decreased frequencies at night.  They have also recently developed a new service manual to guide their changes and improvements.

They are holding a set of public meetings this week to invite riders to learn more about and comment on these changes and the service manual.  All DDOT riders are strongly encouraged to attend.  Others are of course welcome too!

There will be six meetings this Tuesday through Saturday at four locations around Detroit:

• Considine Little Rock Family Life Center (8904 Woodward Avenue, Detroit)
  • Tuesday, April 1, 10am-12noon and 6pm-8pm
• Northwest Activities Center (18100 Meyers Road, Detroit)
  • Wednesday, April 2, 6pm-8pm
• Wayne County Community College Districts - Eastern (5901 Conner Street, Detroit)
  • Thursday, April 3, 10am-12noon and 6pm-8pm
• DDOT offices, 1st floor meeting room (1301 E. Warren Ave, Detroit)
  • Saturday, April 5, 11am

For more information, call DDOT customer service at 313-933-1300.

Model D and metromode continue to do a fabulous job of reporting on exciting development news, opportunities and other positive news about Detroit and the region.  They aggregate a lot of the development news in the traditional media, post blogs from interesting regional leaders, write features, articles and briefs all their own.  If you're not already signed up, make sure to sign up for both weekly e-zines!

Just this week, the two reported on all of these exciting topics:

• 16 Sweet Developments in Detroit

  For those of you who haven't been following all of Detroit's redevelopment news, or those of you who can't keep track of it all, Model D put together a Sweet 16 list of exciting redevelopment projects around Detroit.  While all pretty fabulous, the list includes the Riverwalk, the Dequindre Cut, Rosa Parks Transit Center, an art overhaul (especially DIA and MOCAD), a new grocery, a new pub and several new restaurants.  

• Meetings set for development of regional transit plan

  They're also helping spread the word about the upcoming regional transit plan open houses:  "Metro Detroit's Regional Transportation Coordinating Council, led by transit czar John Hertel, will host regional transit planning open houses in the tri-county area in early April. Hertel's group is developing a regional transit plan for Metro Detroit . . . and is hosting the meetings to get public input on developing this vision."

• 8 Slam-Dunk Ways Detroit is Getting More Green

  Environmental concerns have often taken a back seat to more immediate ones in Detroit — like the economy. But finally, it seems like folks around here are seeing that the two are not mutually exclusive. Although Detroit isn't about to be mistaken for Seattle, or even Chicago, "green" is sneaking up. Take a gander at Model D's picks for the eight  ways it's happening.

• Speakers urge more green building, policy for a sustainable Detroit at Model D event

• Slow's Bar BQ purchases Midtown building for carry-out and catering customers

• Riverfront Conservancy to detail progress at March 27 community forum

• Detroit News: Book-Cadillac developer Ferchill plans future downtown investment

Dearborn residents and SMART officials today announced a new program offering bilingual drivers and schedulers who can translate SMART services to the Arab American population.  They also dedicated two new lift equipped vans.

This program is a part of SMART's Community Partnership Program, a cooperative program with 75 participating communities in which funding is made available to develop and operate transportation services to meet specific local needs.  This new program will assist Dearborn's large Arab American population, especially seniors, with scheduling and receiving paratransit rides. 

“We are pleased to work with SMART to expand our already excellent transportation program for our senior citizens with the addition of these two vans” said Dearborn Mayor John C. O’Reilly. “The residents’ use of this program has been increasing dramatically over the last few years, and now with the inclusion of a bilingual scheduler, we will reach even further into our community with this critical service for our seniors.”

In case you didn't make it to the Michigan Suburbs Alliance Regional Redevelopment Summit, they have generously posted many of the presentations online.  Check out the presentation from Smart Growth America on the global warming and other impacts of development patterns, plus great information on Michigan's redevelopment plan, brownfields, and more.  

Attention college students - interested in an exciting internship working on the hottest issue facing greater Detroit?

TRU has summer internships available!

Get involved researching transit funding, mobilizing the grassroots, garnering media attention, developing marketing messages, or more.  Check out the internship positions and apply!

In case you didn't make it to the DTOGS public meetings or didn't see it at the meeting, check out this great video showing a little of what the actual light rail would look like on Woodward Avenue.  It's quite compelling!