Quote Originally Posted by Eric_c View Post
Romney will ax all these grants and transit funding programs the first day he's in office. Transit system construction and/or expansion will be eliminated.
This is all the more reason for an RTA.

First, LaHood will send the money to Detroit before the next term starts... likely will not be un-done.

Second, the transit funding levels are set for the next two years, and after that it will be up to the legislature to set them in our next transportation bill. Now if the Dems lose the prez and senate, you may be on to something...

Third, the RTA will be a vehicle to generate more local funding for transit. Most other major markets have an RTA, have more robust transit, AND have MORE FUNDING LOCALLY.

For example, SMART has a property tax [[for opt-in communities only of course) for .49 mils. Ann Arbor [[AATA) has a 2.0 mil tax for transit. That's over 4 times the local funding rate. As a Wayne County resident I also love to point out with a scowl on my face that our lovely County Jail millage is .98 mils... priorities are pretty clear to me.

The RTA would provide the management system, organization, and more importantly a regional vision for transit that will make building support for more funding from a larger geographic area more feasible. Until you have buy in from the region that investment and funding these projects is worth thier while, they will not happen. Simple as that.