SEMCOG announces public meetings in July to set future transportation direction

SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, has announced that it will hold three public meetings this month where citizens can express their opinions regarding the future of Southeast Michigan’s transportation system.

The local elected officials representing SEMCOG’s member governments want to hear from the public about how the transportation system is performing and how citizens would prioritize future transportation investments.

Public input is an important aspect of SEMCOG’s Direction2035 — a long-range plan serving the needs of the region’s citizens and businesses by promoting a transportation system that is accessible, safe, and reliable.

SEMCOG announces the following public meetings where citizens can express their opinions.

• Monday, July 21, 2008, SEMCOG offices, 535 Griswold, Suite 300, Detroit; 4-7 p.m. (formal presentations begin at 4:10 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.);
• Tuesday, July 22, 2008, Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Rd, Southfield; 4-7 p.m. (formal presentations begin at 4:10 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.); and
• Wednesday, July 23, 2008, Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building, Ann Arbor; 9 a.m.-12 noon (formal presentations begin at 9:10 a.m. and 10:40 a.m.)

At these meetings, the public can complete SEMCOG’s public opinion survey, browse information stations to learn how the transportation system works, spend $100 in “SEMbucks” on various transportation improvements, and provide verbal or written comments.

The results will be presented to SEMCOG’s elected officials before they adopt an official investment direction that will guide the submission of projects for funding by state and local road and transit agencies. Direction2035 will be adopted in March 2010.

For more information about Direction2035, visit www.semcog.org/Long-RangeTransportationPlan.aspx.

SEMCOG is a regional planning partnership of governmental units serving 4.9 million people in the seven-county region of Southeast Michigan striving to enhance the region’s quality of life.

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