1 in 5 SMART bus routes to be eliminated Dec. 12th!!!

[Russix]

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...es-20111013-ms

[Dexlin]

Doesn't it just seem like damn-near every institution in the metro area is either spinning out of control or in constant crisis mode? The solution to this is rather simple to put into words; the regional leaders need even more urgency than they are displaying for a regional authority, and Detroit has to actually start funding transit at levels expected of a region this size.

You get the transit system you pay for, or in this case, the one you don't pay for. As the article in today's Freep makes painfully clear, SMART has the third lowest millage rate in the state for a transit system despite having the third highest daily ridership in the state [[after DDOT and CATA in Lansing). As we also know, Metro Detroit spends less per capita on transit than any other major metropolitan area in the entire nation.

Metro Detroit can be content with taking a system that's a near joke of a system to being a total joke of a system, or they could actually adequately fund one. It is a crime in a metropolitan where in the central city you have a third of households that don't own an automobile that you then shortchange the mass transit system, and then wonder why the local economy is so sh%tty and the populace so impoverished.

I've yet to see a major American metropolitan area sabotage itself so often, for so long, and for what? Nothing. When does the insanity end?

[Scottathew]

There's three issues here:

1) A union that doesn't think it should feel the pain of the economy
2) Transit funding is too low
3) We need a regional transit authority to operate a combined DDOT\SMART.

[ddaydetroit]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20111...---lay-off-120

As someone who has traveled the world I am dumbfounded by this.
Every country I have visited I was amazed how easy it was for the locals to get around by mass transportation.
It seemed like in many places it was one of the things that made it so appealing you didn't need a car to get around and it was used by everyone kids, blue collar and white collar workers to get to work . Why cant metro Detroit see this is part of a thriving community?

The other thing that I see in many countries is privately owned buses and bus companies that do the same work the same way as the city buses but even cheaper to bad we do not have that here.

[313WX]

Cuts include eliminating routes from the suburbs to Detroit during non-peak hours and on weekends. Peak hours are 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. Those riders will have to transfer to a Detroit Department of Transportation bus to continue their travels

So fuck the people who have to travel from the suburbs to Detroit and vice-versa.

[Russix]

Thread already started: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...ated-Dec.-12th!!!

[ddaydetroit]

Hmmmm how do I delete this post ?

[bailey]

There's three issues here:

1) A union that doesn't think it should feel the pain of the economy
2) Transit funding is too low
3) We need a regional transit authority to operate a combined DDOT\SMART.

I'd add...
4) A regional electorate made up primarily of people that demand world class services for themselves, but also demand not a dime of their tax dollars to go to anything they don't personally use on a daily basis.
[[which is why #3 will never happen)

[ddaydetroit]

As someone who has traveled the world I am dumbfounded by this.
Every country I have visited I was amazed how easy it was for the locals to get around by mass transportation.

It seemed like in many places it was one of the things that made it so appealing you didn't need a car to get around and it was used by everyone kids, blue collar and white collar workers to get to work . Why cant metro Detroit see this is part of a thriving community?

The other thing that I see in many countries is privately owned buses and bus companies that do the same work the same way as the city buses but even cheaper to bad we do not have that here.

[Detroitej72]

I'd add...
4) A regional electorate made up primarily of people that demand world class services for themselves, but also demand not a dime of their tax dollars to go to anything they don't personally use on a daily basis.
[[which is why #3 will never happen)

It's this kind of selfish, I got mine, screw you thinking which has kept the region from maximizing it's full potential.

[aj3647]

SMART cited three reasons for the cut:

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/...-120-employees

1) Refusal on the part of the Unions to make concessions / rising employee health care costs
2) Cut in federal funding to SMART
3) Declining tax revenues

Now, I don't see how the local voters are to blame for any of those things. We can't force the Unions to take cuts. We have no control over how much money Washington decides to give out, especially not at a time when Congress is looking to slash and burn when it comes to the budget. And the declining tax revenues are due to the worst economy in nearly 80 years.

So for all of this talk about a regional authority, how exactly will that change any of those three reasons listed above?

[bailey]

It's this kind of selfish, I got mine, screw you thinking which has kept the region from maximizing it's full potential.

The problem is, the attitude is continually justified by the actions of the leaders of the state's largest city and most populous county....i.e. the ones that are begging the rest of the region to "dig deep" and help out.

[jackie5275]

Hmmmm how do I delete this post ?

Lowell can probably combine the two threads.

[ghettopalmetto]

There's three issues here:

1) A union that doesn't think it should feel the pain of the economy
2) Transit funding is too low
3) We need a regional transit authority to operate a combined DDOT\SMART.

There is also a #5, which is, SMART has one of the longest average trip lengths in the nation for a bus system, hovering around 11 miles. In other regions, trips of this length are handled by rail services that are much less expensive to operate and have higher farebox recovery.

[bailey]

There is also a #5, which is, SMART has one of the longest average trip lengths in the nation for a bus system, hovering around 11 miles. In other regions, trips of this length are handled by rail services that are much less expensive to operate and have higher farebox recovery.

Yes, but building more infrastructure in the form of new rail is just socialism. Its a wealth transfer from job creators to the poor who are too lazy to work hard enough to afford a car.

[kraig]

Any system that relies and services primarily lower income and poverty level income recipients is going to stay in trouble. Whether it's DDOT, Light Rail, SMART or a regional system, it's going to have to find a way to appeal to the Middle Class in order to survive. We can only hope that something [[good) will happen sooner rather than later.

[Danny]

SMART cited three reasons for the cut:

1) Refusal on the part of the Unions to make concessions / rising employee health care costs

Those rising health care costs comes from the refusal of the super rich; evil health insurance corporations who don't like our Socialist health care system [[Obamacare). Even the Republicans don't any tax increases. It's derogatory for them. I have to agree on the Unions they want a better way of American life, they worked very hard to earn their keep. If the Republicans budge for a 1% or more tax increases, then the Unions will agree on the tax increase.

2) Cut in federal funding to SMART

The Republicans refusal to raise taxes is effecting the American way of life, thus making them very powerful to destroy the proletarian communities. Their goal is to create the total separation of the rich and poor. While the rich stay richer and the poor stay poor in the caste system setting.

3) Declining tax revenues


Years of white flight [[ not just from Detroit to the suburbs) but also inner ring suburbs to ex-urbs, Synder the NERD!'s cut to film incentives and ecomonic outsourcing to foreign nations is a big contributor for declining tax revenues. If there is no job creation in the State of Michigan. People will leave to another state or foreign nation PERIOD!

My conrads! If you want to restore your American Dream and save our society. Join or support the 99 percenters. We are growing strong. The Ghettoman and our STREET PROPHETS are siding with them. Next election year. You have a right not to vote either Democrat or Republican. You have a right to be apathetic otherwise vote independent or Socialist. We are growing and spreading our cries across the United States. We the 99 percenters will end plutomony and other kleptocracies. One day, we the 99 percenters will have a new leader. A the one who end the greed of corporations, make greed a crime, everyone should have a decent education, home, free health care, better transit, more mom and pop jobs, a better military force to combat terrorism. Restore peace and tranquility all over the world. We must save this nation before too late God Bless America.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

To the 99% of the proletarians and the 1% of the super rich must pay.

Neda, I miss you so.

[bailey]

Any system that relies and services primarily lower income and poverty level income recipients is going to stay in trouble. Whether it's DDOT, Light Rail, SMART or a regional system, it's going to have to find a way to appeal to the Middle Class in order to survive. We can only hope that something [[good) will happen sooner rather than later.

That is, of course, the vicious circle that stops anything from changing around here. The only way to appeal to the "middle class" is if it's functional, regional, and multi faceted..in short it "works" just like it does in Chicago when they go there to visit their kids. The only way THAT gets built here is if we regionally invest in it. But, since everyone demands a Chicago-like mass transit system before they will ride it or even support efforts to fund it, AND thinks that it should only be built if it makes a profit...or costs nothing to tax payers, we'll never have coherent regional mass transit. We're going to have DDot and SMart...and when they collapse completely, we'll have nothing. Oh wait....we'll have a parking shuttle that stops on every corner on tiny part of Woodward sometime around 2020....so we'll have that going for us.

[kraig]

They're going to have to find a way to make this appeal to the same suburban kids and young adults that have been open minded and fearless about coming to Detroit neighborhoods.

[bailey]

They're going to have to find a way to make this appeal to the same suburban kids and young adults that have been open minded and fearless about coming to Detroit neighborhoods.

I agree... however, I think those groups are already sold. The problem being they are not the ones with any say on policy. In fact they [[myself included as I'm still squeeking into the 18-35 demo are probably the ones with the least amount of influence on policy makers. you need to convince the AARP generation.

[iheartthed]

SMART cited three reasons for the cut:

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/...-120-employees

1) Refusal on the part of the Unions to make concessions / rising employee health care costs
2) Cut in federal funding to SMART
3) Declining tax revenues

Now, I don't see how the local voters are to blame for any of those things. We can't force the Unions to take cuts. We have no control over how much money Washington decides to give out, especially not at a time when Congress is looking to slash and burn when it comes to the budget. And the declining tax revenues are due to the worst economy in nearly 80 years.

So for all of this talk about a regional authority, how exactly will that change any of those three reasons listed above?

The declining tax revenues is due to a not-so-SMART funding system that is tied to property values... Which was conceived of by voter will... Which also allows communities to opt in and out at will [[by voter mandate). Could you imagine what the roads would look like if every neighborhood had the option of opting in and out of the roads system?

[Danny]

Yes Bailey, We will have parking shuttles [[ with fare) instead of public transit busses in 2020. To me I don't think so! Public Transit is a necessity in ever major American Cities. It good are the those who can't drive their vehicles, those who are dissabled and those who lost their licenses from the law. The SMART Bus millage would call for a 2 to 5% tax increase. I would vote YES, YES,YES, for this proposal and rich folks who lived out in the ex-urbs, Grosse Pointes, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield TWP. would have to pay just like the 99% Percenters.

[Danny]

The declining tax revenues is due to a not-so-SMART funding system that is tied to property values... Which was conceived of by voter will... Which also allows communities to opt in and out at will [[by voter mandate). Could you imagine what the roads would look like if every neighborhood had the option of opting in and out of the roads system?

Pleasantville Livonia [[ With the long history of being the whitest suburb in Wayne County) has already opt out from SMART [[ execpt the community transit). This because of the Livonia City Council just don't have the revenue dollars being given to the Wayne County Transit Authority. The Evil Wal-Mart Supercenter build at the Old Wonderland Mall site cause African Americans [[ Mostly from Detroit Northwest Side ghettohoods and Redford TWP. neighborhoods) to work over there. This would bring concerns to Livonia residents who lived by the Evil Wal-Wart Supercenter that more black families middle and low-income to move their cookie cutter homes and cause property values to decline. Also bringing an increase of urban violent crime and rough schools resulting to white flight further to other suburban and ex-urban areas.

Your question is the opting in or out of the SMART bus system would affect major roads? NO! Our roads from public tax dollars [[ even some from SMART busses) Livonia along with Northville, Northville TWP, Canton, Novi may opt out, but those cities would get their roads fixed.

[JBMcB]

Could you imagine what the roads would look like if every neighborhood had the option of opting in and out of the roads system?

Yes - Some communities would use local maintenance crews and properly maintain their roads, and some wouldn't. Unlike the situation we have today - where none of the roads are properly maintained.

[iheartthed]

Yes - Some communities would use local maintenance crews and properly maintain their roads, and some wouldn't. Unlike the situation we have today - where none of the roads are properly maintained.

It'd probably be more like a network of roads thrown around haphazardly and completely inefficient...