Public transit supporters had high hopes that Michigan’s 102nd legislature would achieve great things, given the newly formed Legislative Transit Caucus and pledges from the Democratic trifecta to fight for affordability and equity. Yet beyond a one-time boost in last year’s budget, transit has achieved little lasting benefit.
As the number of legislative session days slips into single digits, transit riders, workers, agencies, and allies are jointly demanding that legislators take bold action to support public transit with four essential policy measures:
1) Restore Local Bus Funding
To ensure transit service doesn’t fall backwards, the legislature must allocate $39 million in the supplemental / book-closing spending bill expected in December. At a minimum, $15 million would bring state operating support up to the $261 million invested last year, while $39 million is really needed to hold transit harmless given increased operating costs.
- Please call House Budget Chair Angela Witwer at (517) 373-0822 and Senate Budget Chair Sarah Anthony at 517-373-6960 and urge both of them to include $39 million in the supplemental budget for transit!
2) Invest in the Full Transportation System
While Michigan’s roads need work, so does our entire transportation system. There’s a lot of talk of ways to reallocate funds to pay for roads. We need to make sure any new road funds also invest in the full transportation system, including transit!
- Please call your state legislators and tell them:
- “Any new investment in fixing our roads needs to follow the long-standing transportation funding formula that also invests 10% in public transit, including buses, trains, senior shuttles, and ferries.”
- Take action to tell your legislators you support funding a full transportation system
3) Enable Countywide Transit in Wayne County
Legislators should also pass pending legislation that would eliminate local opt-outs in Wayne County, enabling the entire county to vote together and invest together in transit service throughout the county.
- UPDATE – the House passed it on 12/10 with all 56 House Dems in support! Now it goes to the Senate.
4) Invest in Transformational Transit
The legislature has the potential to pass a SOAR-reform package that would balance Michigan’s long-term economic development spending with $200 million a year for public transit and $100 million for housing, making Michigan a more attractive and affordable place to live, work, and invest.
Michigan’s 77 public transit agencies provided over 46 million rides last year to people who physically, financially, or legally can’t drive across all of Michigan’s 83 counties. Public transit is a public service that depends on public investment, just like public parks, public schools, and public libraries. Yet after a one-time bump in the 2023-24 state budget, state reimbursement levels dropped to their lowest level ever in the current year.
We also support:
- Enabling e-bike incentives to expand affordable, clean transportation options to more people
- Closing the “dark-store loophole” that is starving localities of vital revenue, and
- Enabling a Land Value Tax to encourage density while saving money for Detroit homeowners.
Public transit riders, workers, providers, and allies will come together Wednesday December 4 to urge Michigan legislators to support public transit during their lame duck legislative session, especially to invest at least $15 million for Local Bus Operating in a year-end spending bill, to restore funding to last year’s level.
Please join us in speaking out for transit!
Take action to tell your legislators to support transit in SOAR-reform
Take action to urge legislators to support going all-in for transit.