Legislators aim to get serious about improving public transit

[Airforceguy]

Lawmakers who want Michigan to get serious about public transportation are banding together in hopes of better funding the system and elevating its importance in the Capitol.The newly formed transit caucus, a group of around four-dozen legislators — more than 40% of those serving — will hold an inaugural meeting this week. The goal, organizers say, is to advocate for ways to improve transit at a time the service has been called "disconnected and unreliable" for residents statewide by a commission Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tasked with tackling the state's stagnant population.

A robust, well-functioning transit system is critical to the state's future ability to compete for jobs and talent, particularly as young people are driving less, according to the report sent to the Democratic governor in December. "Our goal with this is to be very targeted and say, 'What are short-term and long-term priorities that we can advance to support public transit throughout the state of Michigan' and to just get at it and start doing it," said Rep. Jason Morgan, a one-term Ann Arbor Democrat who formed the caucus with first-term Democratic Rep. Mike McFall of Hazel Park.

Public transportation, supporters say, helps residents get to work and school without a car, is important for young people, protects the environment and is an economic engine.

"We felt that the discussion needed to be elevated beyond the counties and the cities and up to the state level," McFall said. "That way we can make sure we can hopefully secure some additional funding and some reliable funding."

The group is dominated by Democrats, who currently lead the Legislature. But a handful of Republicans are participating, too.
The focus comes as advocates and some lawmakers push back against Whitmer's latest budget proposal.
Funding for local bus operations would drop from $261 million to $221 million, mainly due to a one-time boost of federal pandemic aid ending. Environmental organizations and groups like Transportation Riders United, a Detroit-based nonprofit, are advocating for an increase to $276 million to account for inflation.
They ultimately want the state to spend at least $350 million annually. That would bring its share of operating assistance reimbursements to 80 transit agencies to 50% in urban areas and 60% in rural areas, the ceilings under current law. The state funded 29% of urban costs and 35% of rural costs in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

"That is money that goes directly into our communities to improve bus service and accessibility," Morgan said. "It doesn't require a new program or a new fund. The bus operators throughout the entire state benefit. It's a very tangible way to improve public transit and to invest in it."

Whitmer did propose $50 million more for a separate item, transit- and rail-related capital spending, which would be funded with federal money and increased restricted revenues. She also floated $30 million in grants for local transit agencies to spur "innovation" to connect Michiganders with new transportation options.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/politi...-legislature#/

[gratiotfaced]

Sure they do. Democrats had all of last year with a trifecta to pass some transit bills, yet they waited until they lost their House majority to "get serious" about it? Pretty convenient timing.

I'd love to be proven wrong here, but I don't see major transit [[light rails, BRT, regional rail) investments ever happening in Michigan. The car culture runs too deep here.

Just look no further than the Governor, a Democrat who's budget proposes cutting bus funding by $40M, while offering millions in cash rebates for auto purchases. It's so bleak.

[stasu1213]

I'd the city want to be serious on improving its transportation system the operation of the Qline should be near the top on the list. A van was parked on the track yesterday for almost an hour while the police had to wait for it to be towed. The Qline has it own towing service. Why did it take so long for the tow truck to arrive? When the tow truck finally arrived then the owners came out and driven the van away.

[Richard]

^ that’s insane,anywhere else in the real world if somebody is stupid enough or that self centered to park on the tracks,their vehicle gets removed,not by a tow truck and they usually do not like the results or the condition of the vehicle.

That should just be common knowledge,you do not park on train tracks.

[mwilbert]

I'd the city want to be serious on improving its transportation system the operation of the Qline should be near the top on the list. A van was parked on the track yesterday for almost an hour while the police had to wait for it to be towed. The Qline has it own towing service. Why did it take so long for the tow truck to arrive? When the tow truck finally arrived then the owners came out and driven the van away.

That kind of delay is absurd. How long could it take to get a tow truck from any point on the Q-line to any other point? Whatever caused this delay should be addressed.

But also, there should be very substantial penalties for parking on the track anyway--vehicle should be confiscated and not returned without the payment of a large fine, and the owner/operator should be given mandatory civics/ethics training. This is wildly antisocial behavior and it needs to be taken seriously.

[CassTechGrad]

Let's get old DSR coach #4826 out of storage and put it back in service. It helped me get to the Highland Park Sears store for many years without fail.

[stasu1213]

It’s disappointing the scenario of cars parking on the track next to the curb didn’t come up when the streets cape design of the Qline was in it’s planning stages. Planners should have had advisors from other major cities that have mass transit to sit on the planning board whom would had warned about running tracks along curbside on the wider section of Woodward.

[royce]

It’s disappointing the scenario of cars parking on the track next to the curb didn’t come up when the streets cape design of the Qline was in it’s planning stages. Planners should have had advisors from other major cities that have mass transit to sit on the planning board whom would had warned about running tracks along curbside on the wider section of Woodward.

The mistake was made in the Q-Line's initial design when Dan Gilbert insisted that the Q-Line be in the former parking lane on the west side of Woodward. The Q-Line runs in the second lane of Woodward on the east side of the street and there's not a reason for a vehicle to be parked along the tracks. Also, Q-Line operators had to put those barriers up by LCA to prevent people from parking to drop off or pick up people going or coming from events at LCA. Good design would have prevented this. In addition, if all of the Q-Line stations were in the center of the street like a few are, then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[stasu1213]

The mistake was made in the Q-Line's initial design when Dan Gilbert insisted that the Q-Line be in the former parking lane on the west side of Woodward. The Q-Line runs in the second lane of Woodward on the east side of the street and there's not a reason for a vehicle to be parked along the tracks. Also, Q-Line operators had to put those barriers up by LCA to prevent people from parking to drop off or pick up people going or coming from events at LCA. Good design would have prevented this. In addition, if all of the Q-Line stations were in the center of the street like a few are, then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

The vehicle was parked on the track on the Westside of Woodward somewhere near Mack

[mwilbert]

The mistake was made in the Q-Line's initial design when Dan Gilbert insisted that the Q-Line be in the former parking lane on the west side of Woodward.

Yep. There was a ton of discussion of this. There are many other systems in the world where LRVs run in lanes taken from an existing street, and it's not a mystery how to do it. I'm completely biased on this, but in my opinion it was quite clear that the trains going both directions should run in the center lanes of the road. As best I can tell, the main reason that they weren't is that Dan Gilbert has some weird ideas about people crossing roads. It's unfortunate.

[Henry Whalley]

...DSR

Before I owned a car, I used DSR for date nights and for riding to and from school. Which route did you take to Cass Tech?

[CassTechGrad]

6 Mile bus to 3rd in the morning and then the 2nd Ave. back to 6 Mile most of the time but I would also walk to Woodward and take the bus to the Manchester depot and then ride the Davison shuttle home...that very same bus you see in that photo.

[Henry Whalley]

6 Mile bus to 3rd in the morning and then the 2nd Ave. back to 6 Mile most of the time but I would also walk to Woodward and take the bus to the Manchester depot and then ride the Davison shuttle home...that very same bus you see in that photo.

So, you must have lived on the west side?