Meet Paul Hillegonds, Chairman of the Regional Transit Authority
Interview from MichiganNow.org
A veteran politician who knows the art of compromise will become chairman of the new regional transit authority for metro Detroit. Republican Paul Hillegonds became speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives in the 1990’s when both parties had 55 members. He had to share the job with a democrat. Now, Hillegonds will try to bring the city and suburbs together to build a new transit system.
"What do we want a system to look like? How should the existing system be better coordinated? All of those issues I expect will have varying opinions around them, diversity of viewpoints. The challenge will be building consensus around what the authority should be and what a master plan should be. And finally how do you fund it? What can we take to the people that will inspire support?"
Detroit Bus App Stop313 Gives iPhone Users Real-Time Transit Information
As reported by The Huffington Post:
"An app cooked up by a software developer in his free time and quietly released last month is making it easier for iPhone-carrying bus riders to get around Detroit. Stop313, available for free in the iTunes store, determines a user’s location and then shows arrival times from nearby bus routes."
2012 Passenger Rail Ridership Hit Record Heights in Michigan
As reported by Trans4M:
?Record-breaking Amtrak ridership was achieved in fiscal year 2012 – both nationwide and in Michigan – creating an economic boost for our state, and giving momentum to Governor Rick Snyder’s revitalization goals for Michigan’s transportation infrastructure.
A total of 792,769 travelers rode an Amtrak line in Michigan, and record-highs were posted on each of Michigan’s three service lines. Since FY 2003, Amtrak has experienced a 58% increase in Michigan ridership which created a 112% increase in Michigan Amtrak revenue. Additionally, the Pere-Marquette began running 110 mph trains in February 2012, and plans are in place for the 110mph service to expand to the Wolverine by 2015."