Pugh Now "on board" with BRT

[bartock]

Our "low" is their "high".

Let's remember that there are a lot of people who think transit is a waste of money and that we shouldn't even consider funding it with $40 registration fees. Are these people backwards thinking and closed-minded in my opinion? Yes.

But in times of intense political polarization and extreme views coming from everywhere, it's the reasonable and pragmatic views that will win over the independents/moderates.

Framing this as a human rights issue may energize the base, but do not hing to win over the moderates on each side. Detroit has been doing things in the name of "human rights" issues for decades, many times with good intentions followed by horrible execution and then leaving things worse than they were before. I'd consider an RTA a major victory, considering we've failed at putting one together 30+ times. Let's not frame this as a "rights' issue. Let's frame it as a "business" issue and we'll get this through.

Detroit no longer has the political clout to "force" the state to do anything, let alone demand a $1B slice of the state budget.

Very well stated. For any number of reasons, and despite a very vocal minority view [[that I am not necessarily suggeesting is wrong), taxpayer-funded LRT was sort of the cart before the horse in this climate Cynacism aside, there's nothng wrong with hoping a RTA leads to more positive changes and options in mass transit around here.

[Danny]

I say put those mass transit proposals back in the self. If Detroit's population and regional infrastructure is back on track, then we could have more mass transit.