In his third State of the State address, Gov. Rick Snyder asked the Legislature to come up with a way to raise about $1.2 billion dollars that he says is needed to fix the state’s roads, bridges, buses, and trains. The state that brought modern transportation to the rest of the world is now fractured by crumbling roads, congestion, airport and train delays, and poor bus service. But questions remain, and local funding options should remain a high priority.
National experts are coming to the area to help make our regional transit system even better. Smart Growth America, a national nonprofit dedicated to thoughtful city development, will enlist a team of big-time consultants to work with local transportation officials on developing a list of ways the state can encourage more collaboration among the region’s transit agencies. Plus, Snyder’s state of the state address and the Wililamsburg Connector.
You can expect one topic to be high on the agenda when Gov. Rick Snyder delivers his annual State of the State address next week: How we’ll pay for transportation in Michigan. The Republican governor, who set out to change the way Michigan invests in its road and transit network, is expected to unveil more details of his long-term strategy for fixing Michigan’s broken transportation system.
Reliable, convenient, and efficient transit may soon make a much-needed comeback in the city that gave the world modern transportation. Last week, lawmakers in Lansing passed a series of bills that would create a regional transit authority (RTA) for Metro Detroit. It’s a big win for Michigan, for Detroit’s revitalization, and for the groups that have advocated for regional transit over the past few decades, including many members of the Transportation for Michigan coalition.
After almost 40 years of failed attempts, senators in Lansing last week finally passed a series of bills that would create a much-needed regional transit authority for Michigan’s largest metro region. Now it’s up to the House, where, on Wednesday, the Transportation Committee will discuss the bills.
In Lansing, the Michigan Senate passed a series of bills that would create a regional transit authority for Detroit and its surrounding counties. The authority would be responsible for coordinating and improving transit service in the Metro Detroit region. The House of Representatives could vote on the bill this month. This is a monumental step toward making transit service in Michigan more efficient and much more effective.