For over 50 years, Michigan has provided modest intercity bus and train service to provide residents with affordable transportation connections across and beyond our state. These services are well-used, but they are not sufficiently well-developed or convenient to meet our travel needs. As a result, for most cross-state trips, Michiganders rely on driving and flying.
As Michigan families face rising costs, increasing congestion, and climate change, the state must make a long-term commitment to building a strong bus and train network, building on the foundation of our already existing services.
TRU’s latest report, “Reconnecting Michigan: A Vision for Cross-State Transit”, highlights current cross-state (or intercity) transit services in Michigan, the need for investing in cross-state transit, examples from other states, and provides a vision for how we can have a cross-state transit system that serves the needs of all Michiganders. Additionally, scroll down to find a recap of our Transit Tuesday Talk on Cross-State transit, and how you can get involved for cross-state transit!
Michigan’s existing cross-state transit system.
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What Michigan’s cross-state transit system could be.
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MDOT spends just 0.008% of its budget on our cross-state bus and rail system, with passenger rail operations receiving $28 million a year and public intercity bus service receiving a meager $2.6 million a year. This lack of support shows: Two of our three Amtrak routes run only once a day, and many towns are connected to the rest of the state by a once a day bus that comes at midnight. There isn’t even a direct express bus between Michigan’s two largest cities, Detroit and Grand Rapids! People who don’t or can’t drive deserve to be treated with the same respect as drivers in Michigan, whether it’s for local transit or intercity travel.
TRU is calling on our state leaders to expand and invest in this vital system. MDOT should allocate more funding to increase frequencies on rural bus routes, and to rapidly introduce express bus service between Michigan’s large urban centers. These bus routes could likely begin operation within a year of receiving funding, and could follow the successful model of the D2A2, DAX, and Michigan Flyer services operated by Indian Trails. While rail expansion takes longer, MDOT is currently studying Michigan’s rail future, and the state should continue to support these rail plans, such as doubling Amtrak service on each route, introducing a Grand Rapids to Detroit train, and the North-South rail study from Petoskey to Detroit being undertaken by Groundwork Center.
If you support cross-state transit, learn more in the report and:
Advocate for cross-state transit!
TRU is excited to launch our Statewide Transit Committee as part of our cross-state transit efforts! This is a volunteer, grass-roots effort to fight for improved transit issues that affect the entire state. Our initial focus will be cross-state transit, but we’ll also tackle MDOT reform, elevating transit as a priority issue, and engaging candidates and leaders for statewide offices on transit.
We’ll meet at least once every other month virtually. These meetings will be a chance to meet other people interested in transit across Michigan, identify advocacy opportunities outside of Metro Detroit, and to keep up to date on statewide transit issues. TRU can also help you organize meetings with your local leaders or state representatives and senators, and provide support!
If you’re interested in this, please email Petra ([email protected]) to sign up!
Cross-State Transit Tuesday Talk Recap
As part of the launch of this report, TRU held a Transit Tuesday Talk presentation about cross-state transit. We were proud to be joined by:
- Chad Cushman, President of Indian Trails, to discuss Michigan’s cross-state bus network;
- Peter Anastor, Director of MDOT Office of Rail, on MDOT’s Corridor ID rail expansion studies;
- Carolyn Ulstad, Transportation Program Manager at Groundwork Center, for the North-South rail study she is leading and how rail expansion studies work.
Thank you to everyone who could join us! If you couldn’t check out the recording below
And read our cross-state transit report below!