A guest blog by TRU Board Member Stephen Maiseloff
New job. Long commute. Transit.
Date night. Stay out late. Transit.
Mistake. Probation. Transit.
Rush hour. Parking lot. Transit.
Sales up. Move downtown. Transit.
Read, think. Clear your mind. Transit.
Trip, fall. Get back up. Transit.
All scenarios with the same solution—a reliable system of public transit.
We’ve all heard it: Metro Detroit is the Motor City. “We drive,” I hear so many Metro Detroiters say, but (!) we don’t all drive. And we can’t all afford or want to spend as much of our earnings as we do on insurance, fuel, parking, repairs, and citations.
My dad was 55 when he began his ruthless bout with cognitive decline. He had to retire early as a social worker and give up his car keys. That was fifteen years ago.
Helping out with my dad, I became aware of how many people struggle with mobility after they can no longer drive, or never had the luxury. I do not intend to be presumptuous, but don’t we all know someone who’s not 100% in control of when they can leave the house to go about their day? To the many who have the freedom to move about, to blast the heat, to roll down the windows, to control the dial when rush hour strikes, what about those who cannot? Is that you, down the road?
We don’t all use the library, but we pay for it, and libraries build community. Well, transit connects people to the library. And to work. Appointments and nightlife. To everywhere you go.
The staff, board, and volunteers at TRU have been working for better transit service for nearly twenty years. TRU fights for every metro Detroiter with a commute. And we’ll keep developing unique programming for commuters in the region so voters understand why inextricable, subpar transit allows other regions to surpass our own.
Our advocacy is tried-and-true. Donate $20 as a nod to our 20 years and help us get the word out. Speaking up works, and adequate transit will help our expansive community connect, thrive and surpass the jarringly low expectations we’ve set for ourselves.
Our system is not where it should be, but it’s not too late. Let’s invest in transit now.