Think Regional/Act Local

May 13, 2013 – This week, SEMCOG’s Executive Committee will be asked to approve a draft 2040 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan. Once adopted, the plan will guide transportation investment for the next few years.

One big difference in this plan is the funding anticipated to be available. The 2035 plan anticipated a significant increase in funding to build needed transportation improvements. The draft 2040 plan does not anticipate such a generous assumption. Why? Well, neither the Congress nor the Michigan Legislature has shown any courage to provide needed additional funding. It doesn't make any sense to continue to anticipate dollars to make improvements that just never seem to show up. If you do not see your favorite project included, it is probably because there just are not enough dollars to do all of the work that needs to be done.

The draft 2040 plan does anticipate additional Canadian funds to build a new bridge to Canada. The draft plan also includes two other major projects: improvements to I-94 from the Lodge to Connor and widening I-75 in Oakland County. The rest of the projects are all programmed to improve existing pavement and bridges. In this regard, the draft 2040 plan continues a "fix it first" approach consistent with the 2035 plan.

Another way the draft plan and the 2035 plan are similar is that there aren't significant new investments in public transit. The M-1 Streetcar project is a start – an important start. The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will hopefully be able to raise additional dollars in the coming years to allow the funding of additional service, including introducing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other higher levels of public transit.

Be sure to review the materials on SEMCOG’s Web site and try to attend one of the remaining three public meetings and let us know what you think before SEMCOG’s General Assembly adopts the plan in June.

If you want to know what about anything related to transportation in Southeast Michigan, don’t miss Carmine Palombo's blog. Carmine has more than 30 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He is responsible for administering SEMCOG’s transportation planning program, which includes the region’s long-range transportation plan and short-term transportation plan.

 

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May 6, 2013 – Well, that sure didn’t take long! The first meeting of the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) was April 10 and already some groups want to revise the legislation that set it up. The latest attempt was made last week as a western Wayne County legislator introduced legislation in Lansing to allow for opt-out communities. We just can’t stand it when we actually do something right!

One of the strengths of the RTA legislation is that it addressed many of the flaws in the way we governed transit for many years. For example, the legislation made many of the RTA decisions subject to only a majority, instead of a unanimous vote. Even some of the more challenging issues only require a super majority vote instead of a unanimous vote. The RTA has the ability to raise its own revenue – this is crucial for implementing its plans. The legislation also includes all four counties – Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw – with no opt-out communities. We are either all in or all out. In my opinion, this is key.

Transit is an issue that impacts us all and we should all decide together how it should operate, where, when, and what it should look like. Even if you don’t personally use public transit, it impacts you in ways you may not even know. It helps people get to work so they can earn a living and pay taxes. It helps decrease auto emissions. It helps decrease congestion. It helps the young and the old get around without you and me having to provide that needed ride. Does everyone get back exactly what they put into it? The answer is no. At the same time, do the citizens that pay a gas tax get back a dollar-per-dollar benefit for what they put in – again the answer is no.

Legislators point out that transit is expensive and inefficient, yet they would introduce legislation ensuring it is run inefficiently – helping to legislate their point. This bill should be voted down and vetoed by the governor if it somehow gets that far.

If you want to know what about anything related to transportation in Southeast Michigan, don’t miss Carmine Palombo's blog. Carmine has more than 30 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He is responsible for administering SEMCOG’s transportation planning program, which includes the region’s long-range transportation plan and short-term transportation plan.

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