May Membership Month: Think Transit? Join TRU!

TRU staff and interns work every day all year round to fight for more and better public transit at the local, county, regional, state, and even federal levels.

That work is only possible with membership support from people who agree transit is essential.

If you think about Detroit-area transit and want to see it improve, YOU need to join TRU as a member!


Update – Success!

Thank you thank you thank you to all 32 new and returning lapsed members who joined TRU in May. We’re so pleased to see so much support for this critical work. Donations ranged from $5 to $500, with a few people becoming monthly sustainers!

  • Andrew S.
  • Johanna S.
  • Steve B.
  • Andrew L.
  • Carolyn L.
  • Clark C.
  • Jacob H.
  • Alice B.
  • Christine C.
  • Anthony A.
  • Daniel M.
  • Alex M.
  • Anna S.
  • Joe M.
  • Richard S.
  • Andrew J.
  • Brian S.
  • Alexander S.
  • Anthony B.
  • Virginia G.
  • Judith K.
  • Arthur S.
  • Julia M.
  • Christina G.
  • Jacob P.
  • Timothy B.
  • Michelle F
  • .Analicia H.
  • James F.
  • Dana K.
  • Joe C.
  • Kathleen K.
Congratulations to Andrew S. on winning the Detroit Tigers Prize pack, including 2 great tickets to a June home game and a $50 gift certificate to Baobob Restaurant!

We still welcome everyone who thinks about transit to join TRU! We can’t do our work without you.

May Membership Challenge

We know thousands of people support Detroit-area transit yet only 170 are paid members of TRU.

Our goal this May is to sign on 30 new members in 30 days!

TRU memberships start at just $5, so there’s no reason not to join!

Everyone who joins TRU before May 31 will be invited to TRU’s Member Appreciation Event and will be entered to win a fabulous transit prize pack, as will all current members who recruit someone else to join!

Your Support is Key to TRU’s Success!

Our work is only possible thanks to individuals and organizations who support transit giving what they can – whether that’s:

YOU decide the donation level that’s right for you.

Accomplishments TRU members have made possible

Thanks for transit supporters have have donated to TRU, for twenty years, TRU staff, volunteers, and allies have shined a spotlight on the importance of public transportation to ensure affordable access to opportunities, vibrant attractive cities, and equitable climate solutions. 

  • We’ve educated tens of thousands of residents and community leaders about the value of transit, making dozens of presentations and garnering scores of media stories every year, to shift public perception to support transit.
  • Our efforts were integral to preventing the extension of I-375 into the Detroit riverfront, the gutting of Detroit bus service during bankruptcy, and the elimination of bus service in Macomb County. 
  • Coalitions we led helped get the Regional Transit Authority created, cross-county transit launched, and transit service expanded throughout Oakland County.

What’s next, if YOU think transit and join TRU!

There are several critical transit crises and transit opportunities in 2023 which TRU is working to seize:

  • Help Drivers Help Riders: Bus riders depend on consistent reliable service, yet transit agencies can’t maintain enough drivers to provide it. We’re fighting the crisis of no-show buses by demanding competitive livable wages and effective work rules for DDOT and SMART bus drivers. 
  • Transit Investments to Build Michigan: You get what you pay for. Yet for decades, the State of Michigan has neglected transit funding. We’re fighting for a major boost in state investment in the buses and senior shuttles tens of thousands of Michiganders statewide depend on. 
  • Regionwide Transit: Public transit is an essential lifeline no one should be left without. Yet several southeast Michigan communities still fail to connect to the regional transit system – including Livonia, Plymouth, and Canton. Following our success in expanding transit throughout all of Oakland County, we’re working to expand transit throughout all of Wayne County as well.
  • Transit: Climate Solution: The MI Healthy Climate Plan commits to expand transit access by 15% a year to help achieve statewide carbon neutrality by 2050. We strive to ensure the Michigan Department of Transportation develops the capability and values-driven prioritization to achieve this and other essential state goals. 

And thanks!