Oakland Co. and the suburbs in general need rail transit to survive. Detroit needs rail transit to survive. But it seems that the Oakland disagrees with this and therefore isn't interested in cooperating with the rest of the region. With the full support of all the Metro Detroit counties and the State of Michigan we could build a state-of-the-art transit system akin to Vancouver or DC. Why? Because it would propel us into the future.

Michigan can not exist without a major city, and a major city can't exist without a mass transit system. We can and should share the benefits of rail with the suburbs. The city should frame it like this when working out a compromise. If there are lines extending into the burbs, the stations will see intense development. Maybe "urban centers" will form around the stations.

For example, there could be a spur from the Woodward line, along McNichols, past UDM and Marygrove college up the Lodge and connecting to Southfield's three business districts -- Northland, Civic Center and the Northwestern Hwy area-- remake and existing suburban commercial area into an urban one.

This is what has to happen for Oakland county to adapt. Young people are fleeing the state rapidly. And the Downtown-Midtown area is edging very close to entering into a phase of rapid growth. The publicized goal is 15,000 new residents by 2015, which will be possible through incentive packages from WSU, DMC and HFH for their employees if they move to the area. In addition, the M1 rail will be strictly in this area, and people are going to be very excited to ride it and one come to their community. Maybe then we can have some bolder proposals.

Once Downtown-Midtown is one solid, vibrant urban area, it will only spread further... the idea of a critical mass. It took over 10 years to get to this point, but it will make the next 10 years possible. The area will start to look more and more attractive. It will help other neighborhoods too, which will become more desirable because the proximity to Downtown-Midtown.

I think the burbs can also improve and adapt, but they will have a hard road ahead if they remain the same. I think the whole region needs to "shrink" its geographic footprint in order to survive. Build in existing areas, near new rail transit stops. Centers of activity will form. Some of these activity centers already exist, but aren't connected well to transit, such as Southfield. So if Oakland doesn't want Southfield [[and Troy and Auburn Hills and Farmington Hills) to look like Detroit circa 1984, they should invest in the future which is mass transit. We can all share the benefits.