Not to belabor the point but our transit system here in the metro area is a bit lacking - and that may be an understatement. There is room, so much room, for improvement. And now, finally, people are realizing not only the public benefit of public transportation, but also the economic benefit.
Excerpt:
"Because
of the Big Three and the hesitancy to put in place a transit system
that would be perceived as competitive with the reason that Michigan
has been such a wealthy state for the last hundred years, you've
ignored mass transit," he says.
Every county in Michigan has
some form of public transportation and plans for new public transit are
in the works in metro Detroit and Grand Rapids. But Michigan has mostly
ignored public transit, even though demand is rising.
Megan
Owens wants to see us jump to the front of the class. Owens is the
Executive Director of Transportation Riders United or TRU. Owens has a
vision of a comprehensive public transit system throughout the state.
She talks to everybody about public transit. There's one talking point
that she emphasizes, over and over.
She admits, "I probably
spend half my time talking about the economic return that transit can
provide because that's what's going to sell."
Read and listen to the entire piece
here.