Embargoed Until: Monday, September 15, 2008                                                                                Contact: Megan Owens, Executive Director 313-963-8872 or 248-259-2439   New Report: Michigan Could Gain Thousands of Jobs and Billions in New Developments by Investing in Rapid Transit   Other States Realizing Huge Job and Development Gains From Light Rail DETROIT — Significant investments in rapid transit in Metro Detroit […]

    New research being released by TRU today shows that significant investments in rapid transit could generate tens of thousands of good jobs and billions of dollars in new development.  Our research intern, Steve Hurst, studied the impact that new light rail systems have had in Dallas, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Charlotte.  Each region made

    The Detroit Free Press Friday announced new details about the potential for a privately funded light rail or streetcar line on Woodward Avenue.  Wayne State University has agreed to help fund it, in exchange for naming rights to a station.  It lists stop locations, several funders, tentative fares, and more.  It also uses our

Metro Detroit drivers spend over $20 billion a year on our private transportation system – just to own and operate cars. (According to SEMCOG, the 3.5 million people of the tri-county area drove 39.6 billion miles last year.  According to the IRS, the average cost of driving is currently $0.585 per mile, including the costs

In the News – Cities on the Rebound:  A Brookings Institution report cites census data that indicate Older Cities Are Holding onto More People.  A Wall Street Journal article pronounces the End of White Flight.  Governing.com cites the Atlantic Station brownfields project as an example of urban rejuvenation and back-to-the-city demographics in “Atlanta and the