In the News

Ann Arbor-Detroit rail line by 2010, potentially

Press & Guide Newspapers Thursday, July 17, 2008

After all that talk of a Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter line, it's on its way... potentially. SEMCOG is just waiting on estimates of cost before they progress. The line could get held up again but Carmine Palombo, director of transportation programs for SEMCOG, says it should be a go.

Excerpt:

SEMCOG has looked into the feasibility of a commuter rail between the two major cities for more than a year now. The concept would be to rely on existing infrastructure as much as possible as a system was developed to shuttle people between Detroit, Ann Arbor and Metro Airport.

Palombo said the question of where the stop that will service Detroit Metropolitan Airport will sit. So far, stations are already planned for Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, a Detroit Metro Airport stop, a stop at the Henry Ford in Dearborn and near the New Center Area in downtown Detroit.

Read the entire article here.

Dearborn Dem Dingell pushing for public transit

The Detroit Free Press Thursday, June 12, 2008

Gas, fuel, oil, and diesel are quickly becoming bad words. Gas prices are up, though "up" is a conservative word for it, so the bikes are coming out and the bus seats are filling up (quite unlike your tank). But, there is talk that there needs to be more options to the transit question. And it's a hot topic for this summer's hot weather. So, Dearborn Dem John Dingell went down to Washington to push the issue.

Excerpt:

Specifically, the Dearborn Democrat, who has served longer in the House than any other current member, joined a bill authorizing an additional $1.7 billion for public transit agencies so that they can reduce fares and expand services and increase the federal match for alternative fuel transit and bus facilities.

If enacted, Dingell says, the bill would provide Michigan with more than $35 million this year and next.

�We all have to do our part in this effort to protect our environment, and keeping the car in the garage for a few trips a week is one way Americans can help this cause,� Dingell said in a prepared statement.

Read the entire article here.

"Dump the pump!" on June 21

PublicTransportation.org Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Thursday, June 21 is the second annual "Dump the Pump" day that calls for the parking of cars and the riding of public transit as a way of calling attention to the environmental and economic benefits of using public transit.

A transit fact:

From 1995 through 2006, public transportation ridership increased by 30 percent, a growth rate higher than the 12 percent increase in US population and higher than the 24 percent growth in use of the nation's highways over the same period.

Find out more here.

"Moving Michigan: Advancing Transportation Through Technology" at NextEnergy on May 15

WWJ Monday, May 07, 2007

NextEnergy will host "Moving Michigan: Advancing Transportation Through Technology" on May 15 to mark National Transportation Week.

Excerpt:

This breakfast will spur conversation about the state of the transportation industry and the exciting changes we can expect to see in the near and distant future. A panel of leading transportation experts and local officials will discuss how technological advancements are reshaping all sectors of the transportation industry (air, water, roads and rail) as we know it. The panel also will detail how Michigan can capitalize on these advancements to improve safety and efficiency, as well as help create job opportunities and improve our economy.

Read more and register here.

MIT professor to speak on the future of transportation at UM

University of Michigan Monday, April 23, 2007

MIT professor Dr. Joseph Sussman will speak on the future of transportation based on his new methodology for regional strategic transportation planning.

Sussman's ground-breaking new research methodology is currently being employed in Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Portugal.

RSVP to rholden@umich.edu.

Ann Arbor to host transportation public workshop Apr. 23

City of Ann Arbor Thursday, April 19, 2007

Ann Arbor will host two workshops on the future of its transportation system on April 23 -- one at 4 p.m. and one at 7:30, both at Huron High School.

Excerpt from website:

Each workshop will include information about the current state of transportation in Ann Arbor and will begin with a short presentation to help participants make informed suggestions. The presentations will be followed by the project team receiving public comments from groups formed from attendees. Those attending can express their opinions about the direction of transportation in the city and talk about their priorities with other participants.

The workshops are intended to gather information that will help the city set priorities for the rest of the transportation planning effort. Officials expect the City�s transportation planning process to take approximately one year.

Find out more here.

Detroit People Mover publishes downtown guides

Detroit News Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Detroit Transportation corp., the owner and operator of the Detroit People Mover, has published a 20-page downtown Detroit guide entitled "Go! See! Shop! Eat!"

Excerpt:

"We wanted to show downtown visitors, workers and residents that there is a tremendous variety of businesses to discover in the central business district that we serve," said People Mover General Manager Barbara Hansen. "Downtown Detroit is growing very rapidly, and more new businesses have been started since Super Bowl XL than during the previous 10 years combined.

Read the entire article here.

Transit plans gain momentum

The Detroit News Monday, March 05, 2007

Mass transit initiatives gain speed, momentum as the public and local officials get behind efforts. The Establishment of a commuter rail line between Ann Arbor and Detroit and north of Ann Arbor is moving forward.

Excerpt:

From proposed commuter trains to regional bus service, the long-failed effort to establish mass transit in car-crazy Metro Detroit is building steam, officials say.

Bringing the issue to the forefront are increasingly congested roads, soaring gas prices and the fact that Democrats -- who historically have championed public transportation -- now control the state House, governor's office and Congress.

Advocates say city after city has benefited from building a transit system, creating jobs and economic development along the routes. With the possible exception of Los Angeles, Detroit is the only major U.S. city without effective mass transit, critics say.

"I think it's really important that we develop an effective and efficient public transportation system if we're going to move ahead with economic recovery in this state," State Rep. Marie Donigan told a standing-room-only crowd at a public transit meeting last week in Royal Oak.

"We think there's an urgency in our work. We know the status quo's not working."

Read the entire article here.

Michigan favors more fuel efficiency, poll finds

Detroit Free Press Monday, March 05, 2007

Released by the Civil Society Institute in Washington, the phone survey of 1,000 Michigan adults was taken Feb. 15 to Feb. 18 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Some highlights include:

• 60% cited the U.S. auto industry's biggest problem as lack of offering the best technology, including improved fuel efficiency.

• 84% agreed the U.S. auto industry is in major trouble and Michigan's economy will suffer if the situation for the Detroit automakers does not improve.

• 64% support federal incentives, such as lowering health care costs for the auto industry, in exchange for Detroit automakers investing in fuel-efficient technologies.

Read the complete article here.

Amtrak ridership increases statewide

Detroit News Monday, February 26, 2007

Increased gas prices and airfare have increased the number of people in Michigan riding Amtrak trains.

Excerpt:

Amtrak's popularity in Michigan is soaring. State ridership, which hit a record last year of nearly 665,000, has jumped 47 percent since 2002 -- far outpacing the nationwide increase of 12 percent.

read the entire article here.

Transit subcommittee formed by State House

Crain's Detroit Business Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The Michigan House of Representatives has convened a subcommittee devoted to public transit.

Excerpt:

The committee is designed to address transit issues including the improvement of bus systems, funding issues, accessibility and the development of public transit systems in communities around the state.

Read the entire article here.

F. Hills OCC to host discussion on walkability

Farmington Observer Friday, February 16, 2007

At noon on Feb. 21, The Farmington Hills campus of Oakland Community College will host a presentation and panel discussion on the area's walkability and transportation.

Excerpt:

Speaker will be Dan Burden, an authority on sustainable communities. Burden is the executive director of the nonprofit Walkable Communities Inc. and has 25 years experience developing, promoting and evaluating alternative transportation facilities, traffic "calming" processes and sustainable community design.

Read the entire article here.

Portland posied to enter streetcar market, why isn't Detroit?

Great Lakes Guy Monday, January 29, 2007

With Portland and Oregon Iron Works announcement of their intention to manufacture American-made streetcars, blogger Great Lakes Guy wonders why the Big 3 are not considering like-minded concepts.

Excerpt:

But, even as they forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in profits, lay off tens of thousands of workers, and cede their authority and stature as the world's leading transportation innovators to the competition, the American car companies seem to be oblivious to the rapidly emerging mass transit market because they see themselves as just that, car makers, rather than mobility providers who innovate, design, and manufacture a range of mobility options.

Read the entire blog post here.

Non-profits hold seminar on reducing global warming

metromode Thursday, January 25, 2007

Transportation Riders United and the Sierra Club will hold a seminar at 10 a.m. Saturday (1/27) in the Birmingham/Baldwin Public Library, 300 W. Merrill.

The lecture will cover the impacts of and solutions to global warming pollution, including the role of transit in preventing it. The event will also go over what other cities are doing to reduce their global warming impact and what citizens can do to encourage their local government to reduce it�s footprint on climate change.

For information, call Leigh at (248) 425-5277 or send an e-mail to leigh.fifelski@sierraclub.org.

Source: Transportation Riders United.

U-M to fund commuter line between AA & Howell

Ann Arbor News Friday, January 19, 2007

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje announced U-M's intentions to pay for its employees to ride a commuter rail line between Ann Arbor and Howell. Approximately 4,000 employees could benefit from the route.

Excerpt:

Hieftje said the offer from U-M came from Hank Baier, associate vice president for facilities and operations, in a conversation during the holidays. The mayor has been promoting a commuter rail service on an existing railway now operated by Great Lakes Central Railroad between Ann Arbor and Howell.

Read the entire article here.

Transit : In the News