Thanks so much to everyone for making calls and emails to our legislators on the RTA.  It has made a big difference.  Almost all of our Detroit area legislators are now on board with the RTA!! 

However, we need the full Michigan legislature, particularly a majority of Senate Republicans, to pass it and many Senators from outside our region are still undecided.

Two essential ways you can help:

1) If you have friends from elsewhere in Michigan (ie Jackson, Traverse City, Kalamazoo), please ask them to email their legislators to support the RTA.  It takes two minutes and can really help Detroit!! 

2) We've also got a new action alert for bus riders and other transit advocates from the Detroit area to email those same outstate legislators and explain why the RTA is so important to us and for our region.  Your personal story could make a big impact!

Thanks for your help!  We're really close to a win.  Let's keep up the great work!

Thank you so much to everyone who made tonight's Regional Transit Awards dinner a great success!

Over 150 people enjoyed a hors d'oeuvres reception, silent auction, dinner, and awards ceremony.  Photographs and additional details coming soon.

Join me in congratulating the Award winners (and all the very deserving nominees):

• Forward Motion Award for the Most Effective Public Servant:
  • Senator Tom Casperson (R – UP), RTA bill sponsor and Transportation Committee Chair 
• Transit Activist of the Year:
• • Patty Fedewa, TRU's lead bus advocate 
• Corporate Transit Champion:
  • Quicken Loans on behalf of M-1 Rail
• Exemplary Regionalism & Innovation Award:
  • Transform Woodward (the Transit Oriented Development Task Force of the Woodward Avenue Action Association)
• Transit Employee of the Year:
  • Michael Patten, SMART’s ADA Coordinator
• Plus a special Lifetime Achievement Award:
  • The Kendrick-Hands family

Photographs, video, and additional details coming soon.

TRU's Regional Transit Awards dinner is shaping up to be a fabulous event.  Don't miss a minute!

Our exciting fundraising dinner is just a few days away and you won't want to miss mingling with regional transit leaders, bidding on fabulous silent auction packages, congratulating the award nominees, and seeing who wins the Regional Transit Awards!!

The event will be held Tuesday evening, May 15, in the Grand Ballroom of the Atheneum Suite Hotel (map) at the corner of Brush and Lafayette in Detroit's Greektown district.  It is just a block from both the Greektown and Bricktown People Mover stations.  Parking is available from the hotel's valets, surface parking lots at the same corner (est. $5), and at the Greektown Casino parking structure (free) at the Layafette exit of I-375. 

Enter through the main hotel entrance and our volunteers will guide you up to the Grand Ballroom on the 8th floor.  Join us at 5:30pm for an hors d'oeuvres reception and the first chance at the fun silent auction packages.  At 6:30pm we'll sit down for a fabulous dinner and the awards ceremony, which will be completed by 8:30pm. 

If you still haven't registered, call the TRU office right away at 313-963-8872 - we may have a few spots remaining.

Just when you think we've finally grown up and are ready to work together as a region, the old 8 Mile divisions creep back in and threaten progress on the RTA.  It has appeared for several weeks that the Michigan Senate was poised to pass the RTA with strong bi-partisan support.  Now that support is faultering.

We need to get 300 calls to our Senators in the next 3 (business) days!  Please call or email your Senator today!  Tell them:

"I use public transportation, I live in your district, I vote, and I need The Senator's support for SB 909 - the regional transit authority. Can I count on the Senator's "yes" vote for SB 909 and 911?"

If you get a firm response, please let me know what they say.

 

Nominees for the Corporate Transit Champion Award

• Beaumont Health System
• Blue Cross, Blue Shield
• Troy Chamber of Commerce (Michele Hodges)
• Quicken Loans on behalf of M-1 Rail

Nominees for Transit Activist of the Year

• Scott Anderson
• Joel Batterman
• Patty Fedewa
• Richard Murphy

• Senator Tom Casperson, Chairman of the Transportation Committee
• Jana Ecker, Planning Director for the City of Birmingham
• Detroit Council President Charles Pugh
• Governor Rick Snyder (and his Special Advisor Dennis Schornack)

• R-PATH:  Regional Partners Advocating Transit Here
• Trans4M: the Transportation for Michigan coalition
• Transform Woodward:  the Woodward Avenue Action Association Transit-Oriented Development Task Force
• UM-SMART: the University of Michigan’s Sustainable Mobility & Accessibility Research & Transformation

• Robert Cantalini, Safety Coordinator for the Detroit Transportation Corporation (the People Mover)
• Hannah Kelley, (former) DDOT planner
• Michael Patten, SMART’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator
• Tim Roseboom, (former) DDOT Manager of Strategic Planning

Broken Promises:

 

DDOT Still Failing to Provide Adequate Bus Service

 

TRU’s Report Card and Recommendations on

DDOT Bus On-Time Performance and Service

 

Today, TRU released our second Report Card with DDOT earning a D- for timeliness, along with a Report Summary and Faces of Transit (print and video).   

Tell City and DDOT leaders: NO MORE BUS CUTS!!

• If you want better coordination between SMART, DDOT, and AATA;
• If you want more frequent, reliable transit along Woodward, Gratiot, and elsewhere;
• If you agree that southeast Michigan needs to invest in more and better transit,

Nearly half of DDOT bus service has been eliminated in the last eight years, including major cuts last month that eliminated overnight service.

Now another round of "service changes" is doing into effect on April 28, resulting in many riders waiting 45 minutes, 60 minutes, or more for buses. 

To pour salt into the wound, the Mayor's office just offered a budget proposal that guts another $10 million out of DDOT, dropping the budget to just half of what it was a few years ago.  Last budget cycle, the administration pushed for $53 million, saying that DDOT couldn't function on the Council's recommended $46 million.  

How many more cuts will riders have to face? 

How many bus routes that people are relying on will stop operating? 

How many bus riders will lose their jobs because they can't get to work anymore?

Use this link to: 

Tell the City and DDOT leaders: NO MORE BUS CUTS!! 

They need to fix the service and eliminate the waste, but don't eliminate any more of the service that riders are relying on every day!! 

The United States is in the midst of the longest decline in driving since World War II, with the greatest reduction in driving occurring among young people. A new report, Transportation and the New Generation, explores the reasons why young people are driving less and the implications for transportation policy.

The trend away from driving has been led by young people. From 2001 and 2009, the average annual number of vehicle-miles driven by young people (16 to 34-year-olds) decreased by 23 percent.  At the same time, alternative transportation use increased:

• Bike trips increased 24%
• Walking trips increased 16%
• Transit trips increased 40%

The trend away from steady growth in driving is likely to be long-lasting – even once the economy recovers. The trend occurred even among young people who are employed and/or are doing well financially.  Young people are driving less for a host of reasons – higher gas prices, new licensing laws, improvements in technology that support alternative transportation, and changes in Generation Y’s values and preferences – all factors that are likely to have an impact for years to come. 

Federal and state governments continue to make massive investments in new highway capacity on the assumption that driving will continue to increase at a steady pace. The changing transportation preferences of young people – and Americans overall – throw those assumptions into doubt. The time has come for transportation policy to reflect the needs and desires of today’s Americans – not the worn-out conventional wisdom from days gone by.

Read more at FrontierGroup.com or download the full report.

Make sure you attend the Detroit Department of Transportation public hearings tomorrow, April 5, 2012 to voice your concerns about the proposed bus service cuts that will take effect April 28. The proposed changes will mean longer times between buses on most of the city's bus lines. Official waits would go from 20 minutes to 30 minutes during peak weekday hours. CEO Ron Freeland said the department will take into account public comments at hearings set for next week. For additional information regarding the hearings and cuts, call (313) 933-1300.

Wayne County Community College District (at I-94)

5901 Conner St., Detroit

Morning: 10 a.m. to 12 Noon

Evening: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Northwest Activities Center

18100 Meyers Rd., Detroit

Morning: 10 a.m. to 12 Noon

Evening: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Even though the Senate Transportation Committee passed the RTA package, we are still a long way away from the finish line. The RTA will now move to the full Senate which is in recess for the next two weeks. This is the time to contact your Senator and let them know how important the RTA package is to you. The following Senators are undecided regarding the RTA and hosting coffee hours during the Senate recess.

If your Senator is listed, please attend their coffee hours to discuss the RTA package.

Sen. Bieda (Warren, St. Clair Shores) 517-373-8360
Sen. Gregory (Southfield, Farmington, Ferndale) 517-373-7888
Sen. Hunter (Inkster, Dearborn Hgts, west Detroit) 517-373-0994

For those who aren’t offering coffee hours in the next two weeks but are undecided, please call their office and let them know the importance of these bills.

TRU is seeking consultant help to improve our fundraising efficiency and develop a workable fundraising plan to enable us to sustainably grow.

We are seeking help from a consultant who has substantial experience working with advocacy nonprofits, grassroots boards, and with a wide variety of fundraising methods. Proposals will be accepted through April 30.  Details available. 

Starting today, AirRide, a new airport shuttle service will be offered 12 times a day between Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro Airport.

The service will be operated as a public/private partnership between Ann Arbor Transportation Authority and Michigan Flyer, a subsidiary of Indian Trails. Introductory tickets will be offered for $10 introductory rate through July 30^th. Regular adult fares will be $15 for walk-ons, $12 one-way with advance reservation, and $22 roundtrip. Discounts will be available for seniors, people with disabilities and children. Parking at the Fourth and William parking structure and at Kensington Court will be just $2 per trip.

For more information or to make reservations, go to http://myairride.com/. Low-emission AirRide buses will offer free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, ADA-compliant wheelchair lifts, and a bathroom.

TRU has summer internship openings for students interested in making a real impact on an essential issue facing Detroit – improving transit!  

These unpaid positions can offer class credit and the chance to get real hands-on experience tackling some of the most important issues for Detroit’s revitalization – improving Detroit’s bus service and bringing real rapid transit to greater Detroit. 

TRU Intern Positions – Summer 2012

 Community Outreach Interns

The success of transit improvement efforts depend on an educated and supportive community.  Build transit understanding and support throughout southeast Michigan by helping arrange and manage community engagement events and TRU outreach at community festivals.

Faces of Transit Intern

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video, many times more so.  Improve support for transit by telling the personal stories of transit riders and supporters through videos, pictures, and more.

Design & Marketing Intern

Did you know that Greater Detroit has an official transit plan?  Few people do and we need a creative intern to design attractive marketing materials to promote the plan and build broad public support.

Social Media & Website Intern

Billions of internet users may want to know about Detroit transit and you can help!  Improve TRU’s website and utilize Facebook, YouTube, and other social media to better educate and engage people in improving Detroit transit

I'm pleased to report that the Senate Transportation Committee passed the rest of the RTA package out of committee today and will now move to the full Senate.  Please join me in thanking those who voted for the package:

• Committee Chair Sen. Tom Casperson (R - Escanaba) - (517) 373-7840,
• Sen. Mike Kowall (R - west Oakland Co.) - 517-373-1758,
• Sen. Goeff Hansen (R - west Michigan) - 517-373-1635,
• Sen. Gleason (D - Flint) - 866-268-2914

You may also want to complain to those who voted against it:

• Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R - N Macomb) - (517) 373-7670
• Sen. Phil Pavlov (R - St. Clair) - 517-373-7708          

Sen. Morris Hood III (D - Detroit/Dearborn) abstained, reportedly concerned about union protections and Detroit's seats on the RTA board.  You can voice your concern to him at 517-373-0990.  

SB 909 had passed two weeks ago.  Today, three bills were passed:  SB 911 sets up a financing mechanism for the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority system, SB 912 requires that zoning ordinances are subject to the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority, and SB 967 allows that authority to designate lanes on streets and highways as public transit lanes.

The full Senate will take up the package when it returns from its spring recess after April 17. 

Note - many Senators will hold coffee hours, town halls, and other events in the district over the next two weeks - a great chance to talk with your Senator about how important improved regional transit and the RTA are to you!!

Mark your calendar now for

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 for

TRU's 2012 fundraising dinner:

Please plan to join us for a wonderful evening supporting TRU's advocacy and celebrating the best of Detroit transit people, companies, and possibilities! 

• Forward Motion Award for Most Effective Public Servant
• Citizen Activist of the Year
• Corporate Transit Champion Award
• Exemplary Regionalism Award
• Transit Employee of the Year
• Transit's Unsung Hero Award
• Top Progressive Initiative

 Sponsorships available.  Please contact me for details and more information. 

LaHood still optimistic about Woodward light-rail project

 

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he is optimistic the M-1 Woodward Avenue light-rail project can still go forward, despite concerns raised by the federal government about the project's feasibility.  LaHood told The Detroit News the city of Detroit has applied for a federal grant for about $25 million for the project. The Transportation Department will announce a new round of awards for transit projects in late May.

 

Last week, the U.S. Transportation Department told Michigan legislators and advocates of high-speed light-rail it has serious concerns about the Woodward project and doesn't believe it is feasible in its current form.  The Federal Transit Administration has concerns about cost — that M-1 advocates are potentially underestimating it — and that M-1 hasn't determined what type of vehicle will be used.  The transit administration also does not believe a January 2015 target date is achievable and transit officials have questions about the funding commitment on the private side M-1 says it has. 

 

The M-1 advocates have 30 days to convince the federal government it can address its concern.  "Everybody's working feverishly," LaHood said. "The M-1 people are continuing to raise the private money."

 

In late April, LaHood will convene another meeting with state, city and Michigan legislators on the M-1 project for an update.  Laura Trudeau, senior program director for the Kresge Foundation in Detroit believes that by the 90-day assessment mark set by federal officials in January backers will be able to show the project is viable.

 

A regional transportation authority for Metro Detroit "is long overdue," LaHood said. "It looks like things are falling into place."  Despite the city's financial difficulties, LaHood said regional mass transit makes sense "to jump start the city's opportunities."