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https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/7/15...-southeast-mic
"After failing to pass a regional transit millage in 2016, the Regional Transit Authority [[RTA) has unveiled its updated plan for Southeast Michigan. Though it’s still far away, many will already wonder if the plan will be on the 2020 ballot."
It's a step in the right direction. But no there yet in my eyes
There needs to be a fast track like what has been done in Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle. $4b over 20 years is far too little money for far too long a time span. This amount should be spent in 5 years. Aspirational goals are basically meaningless and will never happen without a concrete plan for how to fund. It's going to be 2040 and Detroit will still not have regional rail, which would be an utter embarrassment.
RTA vote in 2020 may happen. Four counties need approval.
Oakland.. NO
Wayne... Yes
Washtenaw...NO
Macomb...NO
Nice try back to the drawing board again!!!
It will likely pass in Oakland if the outlying townships get cut out. And it will likely pass in Washtenaw
The attitudes of those living in those counties have to change as well. The attitude of "I don't need to catch as train, I have a car" is prevelant in the Western or North western counties.
This RTA transit plan looks like the same old bs with an irrelevant twist. Why not throw some dogs a bone and include more light rail like they do in most major league [[World Class) cities? No way it passes w/o light rail or "street car" expansion...
I could see this passing actually. Wayne and Wastenaw said yes last time and Oakland only barely said no and it was mostly because of the outer portions of the county. Hopefully this time they won't market it as a charity like the last time instead they should focus on economic benefits.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JonWylie
Those ex-urbanites will so NO, NO, NO. I'm not playing high taxes on the regional bus service that will not come their areas. And many people drive cars out there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seven&wyo
But Oakland and Macomb county will vote NO!
Dude, stop, you don’t know what you’re talking about and no amount or bold or italics will help. If the RTA successfully lobbies Lansing to allow them to cut areas out of the voting area, then this will likely pass. It would probably pass Oakland county without that now anyway, given the results of the last few elections.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny
Not with the ex-urbanites approval. If there is no bus routes in their areas, there is no need for RTA. And those residents will not pay regional taxes for RTA. The RTA vote FAILED in Oakland and Macomb Counties because of high taxation and no RTA busses coming to their towns.Quote:
Originally Posted by JonWylie
HAH! Even Macomb County almost lost SMART busses by 10 percent of the millage vote. This because of the folks of northern Macomb ex-urbs don't want to pay regional taxes because SMART busses do not run farther to 34 Mile Rd. Other than Gratiot RTE. 567 and Van Dyke RTE. 510. I'm for regional transit, but Detroit and the suburbs is not Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles. It will be many many years until we get improve regional transit. At least Detroit has the Q-LINE to nowheresville, So you all enjoy playing with Dan Gilbert's giant toy trains.
All of the "cut areas out" and "get cut out" Who gets cut in with this plan?
Even with designated lanes, buses don't work. Rail does. Who wants to go to Cleveland to ride the bus when you can go to Portland or Vancouver to ride the rails where they get the job done. While we're bickering about something that won't work, we should think about what will work. Cheaper in the long haul
"The Michigan Legislature, which created the RTA, would have to approve changes to its taxing power. Webb says that would give the authority the flexibility it needs to create a system that meets each community’s needs. It would also answer a big complaint from RTA foes—that it would tax people who live in areas where transit is not readily available or practical.“Those communities that would reside within [[our) core service area where the service is provide, those are the ones that would be participating in the RTA,” Webb says.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bradley
That means communities not participating would not have to pay for it. "
https://wdet.org/posts/2019/01/11/87...s-in-2019-map/
Siiiigh, more buses...
When will RTA realize that they need the support of more than just the people who will absolutely depend on them every day. Transportation for poor folks and the disabled is not a winner and it never will be. Give the people something they WANT to utilize, something that will make them say "I have a perfectly good car in my driveway, but I would rather take transit!"
It's sort of unfair to blame the RTA for the laws that created it. When the MI legislature passed the enabling laws that allowed there to be an RTA at all, those laws were drafted so as to make it next to impossible for the RTA to do anything other than buses.Quote:
Originally Posted by K-slice
As much as this is a trite thing to say, it is exactly the situation here: write your legislator. Until and unless the law is changed, the RTA can only do what its enabling legislation allows it to do.
forget about 2020. Maybe 2022, but that is not a presidential election year, general turnout will likely be lower.