From Mlive:

DETROIT, MI -- A broad group of local government officials, business leaders and activists testified in Lansing today to try and spur lawmakers to create a regional transit authority.

A number of major mass transit proposals depend on the legislation, and officials from Wayne, Macomb, Oakland and Washtenaw counties spoke before the House Transportation Committee on the issue.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said he won't sign off on federal funding for the Woodward Avenue Streetcar Project until such an authority is created to ensure long-term management.

Other potential mass transit projects including one that would run from Detroit to Pontiac are also awaiting the stalled legislation.

"The legislation really has the broad support of everyone in the region's local governments," said Joel Batterman, transportation programs coordinator for nonprofit group Michigan Suburbs Alliance, who was in Lansing for the hearing today.

He said that while some asked to tweaks to the legislation, the groups that addressed the committee had a unified message that establishing a regional authority is long overdue.

"Transit is essential to a prosperous region," Batterman said. "It's something that every successful region of the country and in the world has."

He said he hopes the testimony will translate into action in Sentate, but that's up to [[Republican leader Randy) Richardville to bring it to the floor."

John Hertel, general manager of the SMART transit system, told Michigan Radio that he's never seen the level of agreement between Detroit and its suburbs that was shown in Lansing today.

"I’ve never seen anything like this," he said. It’s wonderful to see. But while it’s there, we need to strike and move forward. This kind of thing obviously doesn’t come along very often."
Follow Khalil AlHajal on Twitter @DetroitKhalil or on Facebook at Khalil MLive. He can be reached at kalhajal@mlive.com or 313-643-0527.



Pinch me...

PaulieG