The $4.6-billion-dollar proposal, if approved by voters, would bring bus rapid transit, a rail line between Ann Arbor and Detroit, an airport shuttle service, a regional fare card system and other service changes, and paves the way for the 20-year, 1.2-mill property tax increase to appear on the November ballot. Under the plan, Detroit to Metro Airport express service could begin next year; cross-county connectors, commuter express and expanded local service would launch between 2018 and 2021; Oakland and Macomb airport express would launch in 2021; the first BRT line (Woodward Avenue) as well as the commuter rail line would start in 2022.
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Q:How much would the plan cost me?
At its special meeting on Thursday, board members voted to amend its bylaws to create a funding allocation committee with a member from each of the counties represented in the RTA that include Oakland, Washtenaw, Macomb and Wayne. The owner of a $200,000 home would pay about $120 annually.
August 04-The deal that should allow voters to decide the fate of regional transit in southeast MI is expected to focus on three areas – the future operation of Detroit’s streetcar, voting consensus for major decisions and paratransit funding in Oakland County.
The voting results will be counted as one region.
The plan would include a Detroit-to-Ann Arbor passenger rail, buses with dedicated lanes along three major corridors, express bus services to major regional destinations, a universal fare card and several other improvements to the Metro Detroit’s now disjointed and dysfunctional transit system. This is an important decision for the citizens of this region. The proposal didn’t make it through an initial vote last week because of opposition from Oakland and Macomb counties.
“Today’s decision was a major step forward in moving our region towards a world-class regional transit system”, Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans said in a statement.
“Southeast Michigan is the only major urban area in the country without a viable, coordinated public transit system”, said RTA Board Chair Paul Hillegonds.
The deal reached Thursday resolves issues Patterson, Hackel and their counties’ representatives had with the governance structure.
We’ll update with more details and specifics as we get them.
In the compromise, Oakland County secured about $40 million more over two decades – from $79 million to $118 million – for its 40 communities, many in the north, that have opted out of the suburban SMART bus system. Now, we’ll have mass transit options for them. “It provides coordination and regional connections to provide a seamless network that connects people to jobs, to healthcare, to education and to opportunity”. Today’s vote also makes progress on an intractable problem that has dogged this region for 50 years.
The proposal will require a majority of the votes cast among all four counties in November to go into effect.
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