Snyder to propose high-speed bus network to knit Detroit, suburban systems

[begingri]

BY MATT HELMS

DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER


Gov. Rick Snyder will propose building a network of high-speed buses along major roads between Detroit and its suburbs to pave the way for a regional transit system, officials in his administration said this afternoon.

Snyder, in a speech that will lay out his transportation agenda Wednesday afternoon at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, will propose creating rapid-transit bus lines along Woodward and Gratiot avenues from downtown to suburbs, between downtown and Ann Arbor with a stop at Detroit Metro Airport, as well as along M-59 in Macomb and Oakland counties.

The high-speed bus lines would be operated by a new governing board made up of representatives of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties independently of existing transit providers, the Detroit Department of Transportation and SMART, the suburban bus system.

Snyder administration officials said the governor views the plan as way to jump-start a regional transit system in metro Detroit, a long-sought goal that has defied dozens of similar attempts since the 1960s. The rapid-transit system would be operated and funded independently – through a fee on vehicle registrations or similar method voters would be asked to approve – and would provide a road map for the city and suburban bus systems to ultimately work better together if not merge outright.

Continued at: http://www.freep.com/article/20111025/NEWS05/111025053/Snyder-propose-high-speed-bus-network-knit-Detroit-suburban-systems?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[DetroitPlanner]

I wonder how we're going to afford this, DDOT, SMART, the People Mover, AATA, and the Woodward/Detroit Ann Arbor trains without a tax increase?

[canuck]

I wonder how we're going to afford this, DDOT, SMART, the People Mover, AATA, and the Woodward/Detroit Ann Arbor trains without a tax increase?

Quoted from the last line of the article mentioned;

Metro Detroit is the only big-city region in the United States without a regional tax for transit operations. Other areas fund buses and rail through options such as regional taxes on sales and property.

[DetroitPlanner]

[QUOTE=canuck;280223]Quoted from the last line of the article mentioned;

Metro Detroit is the only big-city region in the United States without a regional tax for transit operations. Other areas fund buses and rail through options such as regional taxes on sales and property.[/QUOTE

He will need to get the region to vote themselves a tax increase to pay for this. Here is the Obama Plan for High Speed Buses. http://www.theonion.com/video/obama-...ith-hig,18473/.... I got it off the internet so it must be true!

[canuck]

[QUOTE=DetroitPlanner;280245]

Quoted from the last line of the article mentioned;

Metro Detroit is the only big-city region in the United States without a regional tax for transit operations. Other areas fund buses and rail through options such as regional taxes on sales and property.[/QUOTE

He will need to get the region to vote themselves a tax increase to pay for this. Here is the Obama Plan for High Speed Buses. http://www.theonion.com/video/obama-...ith-hig,18473/.... I got it off the internet so it must be true!

That's the way to go DetroitPlanner, Detroit High Speed Bussed or bust.

[R8RBOB]

[QUOTE=DetroitPlanner;280245]

Quoted from the last line of the article mentioned;

Metro Detroit is the only big-city region in the United States without a regional tax for transit operations. Other areas fund buses and rail through options such as regional taxes on sales and property.[/QUOTE

He will need to get the region to vote themselves a tax increase to pay for this. Here is the Obama Plan for High Speed Buses. http://www.theonion.com/video/obama-...ith-hig,18473/.... I got it off the internet so it must be true!

I remember the Onion's story on Obama's high-speed bus plan. Who would have thought a satirical story would become real? Look like Rick Snyder is a fan.

[Dexlin]

I wonder how we're going to afford this, DDOT, SMART, the People Mover, AATA, and the Woodward/Detroit Ann Arbor trains without a tax increase?

Did you even try to read the article, the part of which that answers your question is actually posted in the excerpt, here?

The rapid-transit system would be operated and funded independently – through a fee on vehicle registrations or similar method voters would be asked to approve

That said, I also have questions about how this relates to the RTCC plan? Does it do away with it, or is it part of it?

[DetroitPlanner]

Did you even try to read the article, the part of which that answers your question is actually posted in the excerpt, here?

That said, I also have questions about how this relates to the RTCC plan? Does it do away with it, or is it part of it?

Its going to take a lot more than a up to $40 per vehicle tax to pay for all of this. Light rail on Woodward is going to cost Billions to build and tens of millions a year in taxes to operate. In today's climate where DDOT can;t even get its busses fixes, SMART is cutting service by almost 25%, and the People Mover is closing down, anything that will compete for those scarce dollars needs to be carefully examined.

[Magnatomicflux]

Who the hell wants to be on a speeding bus?!?!?!

[Richard]

Who the hell wants to be on a speeding bus?!?!?!

Sandra Bullock?

[Jimaz]

Sandra Bullock?

LOL! Speed

[Zacha341]

You want it to 'speed' after you've been waiting two hours! ROTFL ------ !

Sandra Bullock?

[Zacha341]

ROTFL! Take the famous DDOT Hamilton from Northland to downtown. It tends to be one of the speedier runs, especially seeing as how there are few lights and bus stops along Hamilton [[tumble-weed-and-broken-bottle) Rd. It hauls fast down Seven mile too before getting to Hamilton. Talk about fast....

I took it lately and we got downtown from Southfield [[Northland) in about 20 minutes, the driver weaving in and out of traffic, barely slowing to pick up passengers... The Imperial Express hauls but too having the advantage of using the Lodge for part of its run... Will more buses be using the freeways? LOL!

Who the hell wants to be on a speeding bus?!?!?!

[animatedmartian]

Is this the type of plan he's proposing? This is from a PDF file from SEMCOG that was made in 2004.

Attachment 10990
[[PDF file)

I don't see how Synder's plan is new...

I found some other "regional plans" with an already dedicated Regional Council.

http://www.semcog.org/RTCC.aspx

Same maps and information, just updated.

I found that information after going through some Detroit Works pages.

http://detroitworksproject.com/polic...ustainability/

So I'm confused. What is the purpose of SEMCOG if it's not a regional authority? What is all this information for? Are these plans actually being implemented or are these dead plans? Would Snyder's proposal replace all of this? If these are recommendations, what would make Snyder's proposal any different? What the hell, man?

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

What is the purpose of SEMCOG if it's not a regional authority?

As for purpose, you'd have to ask them. But SEMCOG is a just a private advisory group that SE Michigan localities send representatives to. It is not a government and has no authority to create any public policy or program. It is designed, I think, to study and propose things, which it hopes the local governments will enact. It is nothing like a Port Authority in New York or any number of regional transit agencies. I don't even know how many local governments have representation at SEMCOG.

[cramerro]

As for purpose, you'd have to ask them. But SEMCOG is a just a private advisory group that SE Michigan localities send representatives to. It is not a government and has no authority to create any public policy or program. It is designed, I think, to study and propose things, which it hopes the local governments will enact. It is nothing like a Port Authority in New York or any number of regional transit agencies. I don't even know how many local governments have representation at SEMCOG.

This is flatly incorrect. SEMCOG is not a private entity, nor is it an advisory "group." It is true that SEMCOG isn't a transit agency, but they do have authority to create policies and programs. They are also the official Metropolitan Planning Organization for the 7-county region, regardless of whether local communities within those counties elect to be official paying members of the council.

As the MPO, SEMCOG ultimately is the decision maker on how millions in highway funds get spent each year across the region, through the Transportation Improvement Plan [[TIP) and Long Range Plan [[LRP) process. With few exceptions, nobody can spend a dollar of Federal transportation funds [[including MDOT) on a project unless it is included in the financially-constrained TIP. This includes the transit agencies and thier funding.

They are responsible for maintaining accurate travel demand modeling, socio-econiomic statistics [[not just for officials of local communities to use in tv interviews), and managing the area's status as a attainment/non-attainment area for the EPA emissions and air quality standards. They also control the distribution of Federal Congestion Management Air Quality [[CMAQ) funding for the region, more millions to road, transit, and other transportation agencies. They are also the lead agency on the [[slowly) progressing Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail project [[latest updates).

No, I don't work at SEMCOG, but I have frequent interaction with them and know all of the things that they are in charge of. They are not the transit agency that many other regions have in thier council of governments, but then again we don't have a regional transit agency at all. The serve the needs of the communities in the region, which have historically been very focused on suburban growth and road projects.

Room for improvement, yes. Some 'good old boys' club sitting in a smoky room shooting the breeze and 'advising' communities to do stuff, no.

[ghettopalmetto]

This "plan" is just a re-warming of SEMCOG's "Speedlink" plan from a ways back.

There is No. Such. Thing. as a "rapid transit bus". What hokum.

[R8RBOB]

This "plan" is just a re-warming of SEMCOG's "Speedlink" plan from a ways back.

There is No. Such. Thing. as a "rapid transit bus". What hokum.

I think it is safe to say that high-speed bus falls in the same word group as "clean coal"

[iheartthed]

This "plan" is just a re-warming of SEMCOG's "Speedlink" plan from a ways back.

There is No. Such. Thing. as a "rapid transit bus". What hokum.

Yeah, it is: http://www.michigandaily.com/content...irport-detroit

Look at the date on that. There is no more of a transit system in place today than the day that article was written. And they wonder why so many people have fled Michigan...

[Danny]

This "plan" is just a re-warming of SEMCOG's "Speedlink" plan from a ways back.

There is No. Such. Thing. as a "rapid transit bus". What hokum.

When you have a public transit bus that goes non stop, going over 90 miles a hour until it reaches it destination. That thing would be called rapid transit bus.

[Danny]

Since D-DOT and SMART busses are going Ka'put! Snyder, the Nerd wants new high speed busses. 'Not going to work' sez.... The Republicans in the Michigan Legislature.

[Hypestyles]

SEMCOG payed lip-service to regionalism but concentrated too much energy/resources in advocating for highway/road building/rebuilding, and little on light rail developments.. they certainly hadn't put together a real, formal transit authority.. so i'm not sure what good they've been in that regard.. meetings, meetings, meetings, but what action?

--So will Snyder's proposal have some real teeth? Is he willing to "get tough" regarding the main combatants in regionalizing [[Oakland/Detroit) in putting together an authority? I can see that becoming a snafu.. I can see Patterson and his confederates stumping for antitax absolutism.. from the Detroit side, I can see certain officials and 'activists' decrying it as a Lansing plot to kill the city bus service..

Hopefully the lines will eventually include grand river, michigan ave., all the Mile roads..

[corktownyuppie]

I'm, too, frustrated with SEMCOG...but we have to remember that they are limited in their authority since they don't actually control any money nor do they control any legislation. At best, they're an "advisory body" that the politicians should be listening to when they need expert opinion.

They don't have the power to create a formal transit authority, though I'm sure it would be one of their first objectives if they were actually players in the process rather than outsiders.

[Gistok]

Unless something is implemented... a plan is just a plan...

Anyone can come with a plan... it requires some level of skill to implement it!

[corktownyuppie]

Unless something is implemented... a plan is just a plan...

Anyone can come with a plan... it requires some level of skill to implement it!

Yeah, the political skill you need to create change right now is at a pretty high bar in this climate. It's like you're on the tv show Survivor and you're asking everyone to go against their individual interests in exchange for a greater good they may never see.

Good times.