The following story was published in The Macomb Daily as a letter to the editor, written by TRU communications intern Theresa De Benedetti.
As a young person who has grown up in Macomb County I urge our state leaders to increase funding for public transportation. Young people, elderly and business owners all benefit from a successful public transportation system. People living in Macomb should have the choice for how they get around rather than being forced to rely on owning a car for transportation.
A region cannot thrive without a robust public transit system and the ability for residents to live a full life without the need to own a car or drive. As the population continues to age and the cost of living continues to rise, Michigan needs to invest in our public transportation here in Macomb County in order to best serve its residents and grow its economy.
Gov. Whitmer recently revealed the MI Road Ahead Plan which includes $3 billion a year investment for Michigan transportation infrastructure, including $250 million for transit and rail. This would be a huge boost for public transportation across the state if approved.
While we do need to fix the roads, as we so often hear, fixing Michigan’s transportation infrastructure as a whole would benefit everyone – drivers and transit riders alike.
As a lifelong resident of Macomb I’ve witnessed first hand the impacts of having a region that lacks robust transportation infrastructure. I live right off of one of the main roads in my city, Hayes, yet the nearest bus stop to my house is a 30-minute walk.
As much as I want to use local public transit, what is currently being offered does not meet my needs meaning more often than not I have to drive myself wasting time, gas money and increasing my carbon footprint.
Using transit in Macomb presents many challenges – needing to walk across eight lanes of traffic to get to a bus stop isn’t exactly a pedestrian friendly experience. Sometimes that trip includes sections where there is no sidewalk, leading to people having to walk through the grass or more dangerously in the street.
Providing more bus shelters, benches and paved stops, increased service and on-time performance in Macomb is essential to making the transit riding experience in Macomb more accessible, comfortable and attractive for riders. In order to have a successful transportation system people have to want to use it.
According to the United States Census 18.8% of the population in Macomb is above the age of 65. When seniors reach the point where they are unable to drive, they need an expansive public transportation system they can rely on to get them where they need to go. Expanding what is currently offered would allow seniors more independence and the ability to engage more with their community and engage in the local economy.
More access to transportation for everyone means more people will be able to shop and dine and experience what Macomb has to offer. Businesses will also benefit from their workers having more transportation options. So many people in Macomb have limited job options because of public transportation gaps, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
Investing in transit is essential in ensuring young people want to continue living in Macomb. Teens and young adults who can’t drive or don’t have cars have limited options to get around and engage with their community. Service needs to expand and improve so that everyone can participate in the unique and diverse experiences offered by Macomb County– not just those with cars.
According to a study by the University of Michigan the number of people under 30 who get driver’s license has been on a steady decline. With these trends it’s important that we have transportation infrastructure to match.
If Macomb wants to remain competitive and keep young adults from moving to cities with better transit, serious investment needs to get the region on the same level as other metropolitan areas. As a young adult looking at purchasing their first home, Macomb is not one of the locations high on my list – mainly because of the lack of public transportation infrastructure. A goal of mine, like many young people, for the future is to live a car-limited or possibly car free lifestyle and that is just not possible in this area yet.
The time is now to increase funding for public transit and improve the transportation system as a whole. Two of the most important decision-makers for transportation are in our community: Senator Veronica Klinefelt who represents Macomb and Rep. Donni Steele next door in Bloomfield Hills and Orion Township. They’re writing transportation budget proposals for the state of Michigan and will negotiate with the governor. They have the opportunity to make meaningful changes for transportation in our regions that would improve the quality of life for Macomb residents.