Public transit – What now?

As everyone knows by now, the ballot proposal to improve public transit in Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties failed by a small amount in the just completed election.

Despite this outcome, the Regional Transit Authority staff — together with consultants and hundreds of people who volunteered their time – did a remarkable job. In a very short period of time, they showed the four county RTA region what regional transit could mean. Though the effort fell just short of the mark, it remains a truly remarkable effort in my opinion.

While we are disappointed at the results, there is no need for anyone to hang heads. Many of these ballot proposals do not pass the first time they are proposed, so there is no need to think that this effort is over. It should be looked at as part of the growing process. Much new information was gathered and the proposal needs to be revised as a result of this new intelligence.

You propose, get feedback from voters, assess the feedback, and revise the plan or approach based on what you learn and try again. That is the way the process works in most other urbanized areas. It’s the way it worked in Grand Rapids, which is now working to build its second BRT line – and it can work that way in Southeast Michigan as well!

The real question is about what comes next – what is Plan B? I recently read a quote by one of the consultants that worked on the public campaign that they did everything right – if they were to do it again, they wouldn’t change a thing. Well, if that is true – then it would lose again! We need to learn from this first attempt and come back with a better approach and product. We must not be so cavalier to think the product and process was perfect or even good enough – the people spoke and the plan needs to better reflect their concerns.

Over the next few weeks, I hope that the RTA reviews the detailed results, identifies ways to improve the plan and messages, and develops a new approach for the next effort. I hope that County Executives Evans, Hackel, and Patterson; Mayor Duggan; and Board Chair Brabec come together to discuss and agree on the next steps in this process. There are challenges for sure – funding and timing, among them – but this effort has come too far and gotten too close to end now.