Bing locks out bus riders

How Dare He!!!!

TRU staff and other bus riders went to Mayor Bings office this morning to deliver a valentine requesting him to keep his promise to improve transit. Yet when we arrived, his office locked the doors and refused to even let us in the lobby.

Despite promises to improve the bus service, many buses are still leaving riders waiting in the cold. Even worse on March 3rd, overnight and some weekend services may be cut.

To add insult to injury, they will not be having public hearings for bus riders to give their input on the service cuts. They are completely removing us out the decision making  process. How dare they!

Mayor Bing should not have locked TRU staff or the bus riders out of  his office.  

We need your help! Let Mayor Bing know his poor  treatment of bus riders is unacceptable.

Please call Mayor Bing's office today  at (313) 224-3400.

Stay tuned for more details........

Nearly three months ago, Mayor Bing promised that we'd see major improvement in bus service by now.

Yet too many buses are still running far too late and are way too overcrowded.

So we're using Valentine's Day to remind Mayor Bing that we love good transit and that we must have good bus service no matter what!

Help us spread this message!

1)  Call Mayor Bing - 313-224-3400 - tell him how important buses are to you and that we need good bus service no matter what!

2)  Download, print, and hand out these flyers!

3)  Join us at the City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb 14, at 10am, to share this message too!

TRU primarily focuses on local issues, but we're impacted by what happens in Lansing and Washington DC too.  Which is why we need your help today!

With the House planning to vote on this bill any day now, we need to send a message loud and clear that the House must scrap this bad bill and start over.

We're joining with other groups today for a national day of calls to defeat this horrible bill. Take a moment and call to your representatives!  Follow the link or call the capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, ask to speak to your rep and tell them:

"Hi, my name is [NAME] and I live in [CITY]. I'm calling to ask Representative [NAME] to vote "NO" on HR 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act which would eliminate dedicated funding for public transit!  We desperately need an updated federal transportation bill, but HR 7 is not it. Thank you."

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it may be the busiest for transit advocacy!!  Please join us for these important activities:

1)  First TRU Ambassador monthly conference call

• Thursday, Feb 9, 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Call in number: 605-475-4850, passcode: 636655#.

TRU Ambassadors are community leaders who help spread the transit message throughout their groups and networks.  Join this call to learn more about our top two priorities - improving DDOT and passing the RTA - and how you can get involved to help spread to word and win the campaign!  Ambassadors needed to recruit people, testify to City Council, and share information about TRU campaigns with their community-based & faith-based groups, clubs/associatioons, schools, and workplaces.

A key US House Committee is threatening to kill three decades of successful investments in transit by ending the guarantee for dedicated funding for public transportation!

According to our partners at Transportation for America, the House bill (HR 3864) proposed putting every public transportation system in immediate peril and leaving millions of riders already faced with service cuts and fare increases out in the cold.  It proposes eliminating guaranteed funding for the Mass Transit Account and forcing transit to go begging before Congress for general funds each year — all while highway spending continues to be guaranteed with protected funds for half a decade at a time.

“It would reverse all the progress we have made in the past 20 years…horrible.” (League of American Bicyclists)

“This is the worst transportation bill I’ve ever seen during 35 years of public service,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman. "It hollows out the guts of the transportation efforts that we’ve been about for the last three years,” LaHood added. 

“If you were to dream up legislation to maximize America’s addiction to oil, it would look pretty much like this. Make no mistake: this move would cut public transportation out of the federal budget.  (USPIRG) 

Take Action:  Michigan Congressman Dave Camp chairs the committee that will consider this bill Friday morning at 9 a.m. We need your help TODAY to maintain predictable transit funding.  Please call Rep. Camp (202-225-3561 or 231-929-4711) and ask him to restore transit to the Transportation Trust Fund so we can plan strategically for the future of our cities and state. 

Then contact your own congressperson to urge them to fight this too!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to our Annual Meeting on Detroit Regional Transit Monday night.  We had an enthusastic packed house of over 100 attendees.

As we reported, it's been a very tough year for Detroit area transit, with major bus crises and the loss of Woodward Light Rail.  But we still have hope and are ready to work hard to improve transit.  Our priorities these year include:

• Improving DDOT bus service
• Persuading the legislature to pass a strong RTA bill
• Supporting and watchdogging regional rapid transit efforts
• Advocating for smart investments in Detroit area transit.

Special thanks to these elected / appointed officials:

• Dennis Schornack, Governor Snyder's Strategic Advisor and our keynote speaker about the Regional Transit Authority;
• Rep. Jim Townsend, RTA bill sponsor and chair of the SE MI bi-partisan causus, who also provided an update on RTA bills;
• Rep. Doug Geiss, minority vice-chair of the House Transportation Committee, who committed to help pass these bills;
• Rep. Maureen Taylor, Senator Coleman Young, and several legislative staff who also attended;

Also, join me in welcoming our newest members of the TRU Board, unanimously elected by the TRU members at the meeting:  Bob Prud'Homme, Adrianna Jordan, and Meagan Costea!! 

Attention all transit supporters!  Don't miss:

TRU's Annual Meeting on 

Detroit Regional Transit

Despite major transit setbacks in recent months, TRU is still fighting for more and better transit for greater Detroit! Join us January 30 to:

• Learn the latest about Detroit area transit (including bus, rail, and more); 
• Learn
• Hear from special guests Dennis Schornack (Governor’s Special Advisor on Regional Transit) and Rep. Jim Townsend (chair of the SE MI caucus) about the newly introduced Regional Transit Authority legislation;
• Vote on TRU's new Board of Directors (if you are a current member); and 
• Learn lots of different ways to get involved to fix the system!

Next Monday, January 30, 6:00 - 8:30pm
U of M Detroit Center
3663 Woodward (at MLK)

Agenda:

• Registration, member renewal, and refreshments start at 5:45pm
• Welcome and TRU business meeting at 6:15pm
• Detroit Transit overview and TRU Strategic Plan at 6:30pm
• Regional Transit presentations and Q&A at 7:15pm
• Opportunities to get involved and sign up at 8:00pm

Please RSVP to (313) 963-8872 or TRUmember@DetroitTransit.org

Because of our region's odd system of letting each city council or township board decide whether to be part of the SMART bus system, we have an difficult patchwork of transit service throughout the suburbs.  And it's about to get even odder.

Last week, the Farmington City Council decided to quit the SMART bus system, despite overwhelming support for SMART in last year's election. According to the Free Press:

"It was a tough decision, but SMART just wasn't working for us," City Councilman Greg Cowley said. "All of us believe in regional transportation. But what SMART offers is really not a regional solution. The prime example is, of the more than 60 communities in Oakland County, only 23 are in SMART and the remainder have opted out," Cowley said. Many of those in the crowd said they depended on the bus system.

Many expected Farmington Hills to follow suit.  But after five hours of passionate public testimony in support of SMART, the FH City Council voted 4-3 to stay in SMART (or at least to give their voters the option to continue to support it, which they've done overwhelmingly in the past).  According to the Free Press:

Mayor Barry Brickner, who voted with the majority to stay in SMART, said dozens of visitors to the council meeting spoke in support of the service and only one spoke against it.  He said bus service will continue to be spotty in Oakland County, and that "all of us are waiting for legislation in Lansing to clarify transit for the whole region."

At least they both agree on the need for a better regional transit solution!  Hey Lansing, are you listening?!?

Governor Snyder has pledged to make southeast Michigan regional transit a top priority in 2012, said the Detroit News.

Then this evening, he included the need for a Regional Transit Authority in his State of the State address.  While he gave it just a few moments in the speach, he top staff continue to highlight the importance.

New Regional Transit Authority bills will be introduced next week, so get ready for some strong advocacy work to make sure they pass!

The Troy Transit Center is back.

Last night, the Troy City Council reconsidered the Troy Transit Center and approved a scaled down $6.3 million plan. 

As the Free Press reported,

"By a narrow vote of 4-3, the seven-member council gave the go-ahead for the project that regional boosters of metro Detroit said was needed and that Snyder called “good for Michigan” as well as “important for the people and the economic future of Troy.” 

The three "no" voters, led by Troy's new mayor Janice Daniels -- a longtime activist in the Troy Tea Party -- stuck with their contention that the project was a waste of tax dollars, although Troy City Hall would not be footing the bill.

The lower cost was aimed at overcoming the key objection of Councilman Wade Fleming, who said last month he could approve the center only if it cost no more than about $6 million." 

TRU applauds the supportive councilmembers, vocal activists, and especially the Troy Chamber of Commerce, led by Michele Hodges, for their hard work and passionate drive to make this transit center a reality.

TRU is seeking smart, enthusiastic students and others to get actively involved in improving public transit thoughout greater Detroit.

If that is you then TRU is the place for you to do your internship.

The Internships that we offer are: Business Engagement, Senior Mobility Outreach, Fundraising Event, Design & Marketing, Community Outreach, Faces of Transit /Story Teller and Social Media / Web.

From our friends at SMART:

Every New Year we make resolutions to be healthier, save money or to be more environmentally aware. Why not achieve all three goals by riding SMART? You'll save money on gas, you'll free yourself from the headache of driving and you'll contribute to fewer polluting emissions in the air.
 
Be ready for this New Year by planning your routes ahead of time. Use the SMART Trip Planner to map out your route so you're ready to ride. If you don't live near a bus stop, don't worry, try one of our many park and ride lots! Keep your resolution going strong and purchase a SMART bus pass for added convenience and commitment to riding SMART.
 
SMART offers first-rate and convenient commuter service into the city of Detroit during peak morning and afternoon rush hours. Nearly 70% of SMART riders' destinations are work or school and more than 50% of riders choose the bus over their own vehicle.
 
See our convenient Rider Guide for easy, comprehensive help on scheduling and planning your route. For more information, talk with an operator to guide you through your trip planning process at (866) 962-5515.

 
Make a New Years Resolution you CAN keep!
Be Healthier, Go Green, Save Green...Take SMART! 

What do you think of the job SEMCOG is doing planning southeast Michigan's transportation?

• Major federal investments promise to drastically improve Michigan’s passenger rail network,
  • Yet Mayor Bing has canceled the Woodward Light Rail project.
• Governor Snyder has been bringing together top leaders to improve regional transit,
  • While many bus riders are being left stranded by DDOT problems and SMART cuts.