Who’s in charge of regional transit? It’s supposed to be the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) which was created by state law to explicitly coordinate and improve public transit throughout the four counties of southeast Michigan. Yet on Thursday, November 16, the Regional Transit Authority appears to give up and close up shop. At their Nov […]
The end of the RTA as we know it? Read More »
In a YouTube video for SMART, County Executives Brooks Patterson and Mark Hackel promise to “revolutionize mass transit as we know it.” SMART has now provided a little more information (pasted below): SMART is proposing major changes along its busiest corridors. Earlier teasers talked about frequent (every 15-30 minute) limited stop (every 1-2 miles) service on Woodward, Gratiot
Big Changes Coming to Woodward, Gratiot, Michigan Transit Read More »
The RTA and County Executives continue to debate the question of what’s next for regional transit. While they agreed upon a set of questions to explore when they held a retreat in May, no further news has been shared publicly since. No timeline has been set for a decision and they’ve offered no opportunity for public input on these critical decisions.
Key questions include:
1) Size of the Region – Should the rural and exurban areas be removed from the RTA taxing authority?
2) Consolidation – How can transit agencies coordinate, collaborate or consolidate to increase efficiency?
3) Timing of Funding Vote – Should the RTA place funding back on the ballot in November 2018 or November 2020?
4) Transit Plan Changes – Modest or major?
5) RTA Today – What can they do now to improve and coordinate transit?
RTA Still Debating Next Steps for Transit Funding Vote Read More »
As TRU Director Megan Owens reminded attendees at the 2017 Regional Transit Awards dinner, temporary setbacks are overwhelmed by the enormous progress southeast Michigan has experienced in people and support for regional transit investment. This sixth annual Regional Transit Awards dinner spotlighted five amazing people and one important project working to improve transit throughout our
Transit Champions Celebrated at 2017 Regional Transit Awards Read More »
(TRU column published in The Detroit Free Press editorial page May 11, 2017) Column: What’s next for regional transit By Megan Owens Six months ago, southeast Michigan voters narrowly defeated a measure to fund major regional transit improvements. Across the region, 49.5% of voters supported the measure and many more agreed that our region’s transit
TRU Opinion: What's Next for Regional Transit Read More »
