LeRoy Burcroff, Romulus. Dave Coulter, Ferndale. Jim Ellison, Royal Oak. Pro Tem Kelly Garrett, Lathrup. Village. Brian
A letter to Southeast Michigan Dear Friends, The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has been busy working to review and assess the outcome of the November election. Throughout 2017, the RTA will work to maintain and build upon the momentum and support that has been growing for improved public transportation in Southeast Michigan. 2016 was an historic year for transit ballot measures across the country. Of 77 measures nationwide—the highest number within any 12-month period—55 of those measures were successful. Ours was not one of them. The need to attract investment to our region, spur economic development, connect people to jobs and entertainment, satisfy demands of millennials and seniors, and reduce congestion on our major roads and highways still exists.
Regional Transit gained momentum in 2016 During 2016, Team RTA worked tirelessly to develop, adopt, and raise awareness on the first Regional Master Transit Plan (Master Plan) for the four-county region. The RTA region includes the member jurisdictions of the City of Detroit; and Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties. The full master plan and related documents may be found on our website, rtamichigan.org.
A RECORD-SETTING YEAR Transit on the ballot in 2016 Measures Approved
55
77
71%
Success Rate
Successful Transit Initiatives Los Angeles
Seattle
Atlanta
$74
$54
$2.8
BILLION 30-40 years
BILLION 30-40 years
BILLION 40 years
Working with its many regional partners, Team RTA developed and adopted a Regional Master Transit Plan in 2016. Here are RTA’s other major accomplishments... Advancing Rapid Transit: The RTA Board of Directors adopted Locally Preferred Alternatives for its major rapid transit corridor projects (Woodward, Gratiot, Michigan Avenues), taking a major step forward in the competitive federal funding process. Disbursing Federal Funds to Regional Partners: As designated recipient for most of Southeast Michigan’s federal transit funds, the RTA facilitated almost $170 million in improvements for the region’s transit agencies since 2014. This includes $158 million for necessary capital projects, and $11 million for senior/disabled services. Launching the Reflex Express Service: New service in partnership with SMART and DDOT on the Woodward and Gratiot corridors. This express service eliminates the need for mid-day and weekend transfers on two crucial transit corridors where Oakland and Macomb Counties meet Detroit. In November 2016, voters were asked to adopt a 1.2 mill property tax increase to finance the 20-year Master Plan. There was broad based support for the initiative. Dozens of regional institutions, organizations, and business leaders endorsed the effort. Transit advocates, senior groups, and members of the faith and disability communities backed the plan as well. The group Citizens for Connecting our Communities (C3) led the ballot campaign. The following page lists these endorsements.
THE RTA MASTER PLAN
$4.7 BILLION
20-year Investment
1.2 MILL
Revenue Source
Thank you to the over 200 groups, businesses, and community leaders who endorsed the regional transit effort. Here are all of the official campaign endorsements... Local Businesses A3C Collaborative Architecture ASPRA world Inc. BCD Construction LLC Brainwrap Web Design Brush Up Brush Park ByrnesPR and Media Services Clark Hill PLC Comfort and Care Transportation Cornish, Zack, Hill & Associates, Inc. Creative Detroit Placemakers, LLC Decode Detroit Donigan McLogan LLC DTE Energy DLZ Michigan, Inc. Ford Motor Company Foy Communications, LLC General Motors Hagenbuch Weikal Landscape Architecture Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP Lean & Green Michigan Lear Corporation livingLAB Mel's Salon & Associates Miller Canfield Penske Corporation Plunkett Cooney CEO Dennis Cowan Proper Group, Intl. Quicken Loans Rock Venture The Detroit Bus Company Velocity Rail Services Zingerman's Community of Businesses Healthcare Systems Beaumont Health Detroit Medical Center Blue Cross Blue Shield MI Henry Ford Health System St. John Providence Newspaper Endorsements Crain's Detroit Business Detroit News Detroit Free Press Michigan Chronicle Chambers of Commerce Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber American Arab Chamber of Commerce Detroit Regional Chamber Macomb County Chamber of Commerce Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce
Associations League of Women Voters of MI Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers Michigan Community Action Michigan Economic Center Michigan Environmental Council Michigan Fitness Foundation Michigan Health & Hospital Association Michigan League for Public Policy Michigan Licensed Beverage Association Michigan Municipal League Michigan Nonprofit Association Michigan Public Transit Association National Association of Social Workers (NASW), MI Chapter Scio Farms Estates Home Owners Association South Dearborn Environmental Improvement Association
Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strengths (MOSES) Motor City Freedom Riders NAACP Ypsilanti-Willow Run Branch Osborn Neighborhood Alliance Oakland County Democratic Party Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Society of St. Vincent de Paul The Center for Urban Youth & Family Development Transportation Riders United (TRU) Washtenaw Partners for Transit Washtenaw Regional Organizing Coalition (WEROC) Westside Slate Wish Upon a Teen
Labor Organizations AAUP - Wayne State AFGE Local 3907 American Federation of Teachers Michigan American Postal Workers Union, Senior Groups AFL-CIO Area Agency on Aging 1-B Detroit Police Lieutenants and Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Sergeants Association Detroit Huron Valley Area Labor Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Federation Detroit International Union of Operating Presbyterian Villages of Michigan Engineers Local 324 Senior Power Days at Belle Isle Metro Detroit AFL-CIO The Senior Alliance Michigan Building and Disability Groups Construction Trades Council Disability Network Oakland & Michigan Laborers' District Council Macomb Local 499 Programs to Educate All Cyclists Michigan Laborers' District Council (PEAC) Local 1076 Michigan Laborers' District Council Tourism and Culture Groups Local 1191 Detroit Experience Factory Michigan Nurses Association Michigan Science Center Michigan Regional Council of The Henry Ford Carpenters and Millrights SEIU Local 1 Community and Social Groups Arab Community Center for Economic Teamsters Joint Council 43 UAW Region 1 and Social Service (ACCESS) Bettye Harris Larynx Cancer Awareness UAW Region 1A UNITEHERE! Local 24 Center Black Slate Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan Coalition on Temporary Shelter Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) - Michigan Detroit Jews for Justice Eastside Slate Ecology Center Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid-Michigan Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit Groundcover News Healthy Pontiac, We Can! Metro Matters Metropolitan Affairs Coalition
Faith Leaders Apostle John C. Harvey, Serenity Christian Church, Hazel Park Bishop Edgar Vann, Second Ebenezer Church, Detroit Fr. Richard Leliaert, St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Redford Fr. Robert Scullin, S.J., GESU Catholic Church, Detroit Imam Radwan Mardini, American Muslim Center, Dearborn Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk, Islamic Organization of North America, Warren Rabbi Alana Alpert, Congregation T’chiyah, Oak Park
Faith Leaders (con’t.)
Mayors, Supervisors
Rabbi Jeffrey L. Falick, Birmingham Temple, Farmington Hills Rabbi Kim Blumenthal, Beth Israel Congregation, Ann Arbor Rabbi Rob Dobrusin, Beth Israel Congregation, Ann Arbor Rev. A. Richard Doss, Fews Memorial CME Church, River Rouge Rev. Aramis Hinds, Breakers Covenant Church International, Detroit Rev. Barton L. Beebe, Christ Lutheran Church, Sterling Heights Rev. Becky Bolander, American Lutheran Church, Clinton Township Rev. Carter M. Grimmett, Good Shepherd UMC, St. Clair Shores Rev. Charlotte Sommers, Northminster Presbyterian Church, Troy Rev. Claude A. May, Oasis of Hope Christian Church, Detroit Rev. Dr. Claude Bass, St. John’s CME Church, Detroit Rev. Dr. Jill Hardt Zundel, Central United Methodist Church, Detroit Rev. Gary Haller, Birmingham First United Methodist Church, Birmingham Rev. Greg Larsen, First Congregational Church, Rochester Rev. Jessie Gutgsell, Assistant Pastor, St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor Rev. Kevin Johnson, Calvary Presbyterian Church, Detroit Rev. Kevin Turman, Second Baptist Church, Detroit Rev. Louise R. Ott, Congregational Church of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills Rev. Beth Taylor, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Royal Oak Rev. Robert Cornwall, Central Woodward Christian, Troy Rev. Scott Steiner, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Royal Oak Rev. Susan Bock, Grace Episcopal Church, Mt. Clemens Rev. Theodore Turman, First Baptist Church, Southfield Rev. Tim Spannaus, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Royal Oak Rev. Tyson Kelley, Womack Temple CME, Inkster Sr. Valerie Knoche, IHM, St. Clement of Rome, Romeo
Pro Tem Steve Baker, Berkley LeRoy Burcroff, Romulus Dave Coulter, Ferndale Jim Ellison, Royal Oak Pro Tem Kelly Garrett, Lathrup Village Brian C. Hartwell, Madison Heights Penny Luebs, Clawson Karen Majewski, Hamtramck Marian McClellan, Oak Park Kurt Metzger, Pleasant Ridge Phil O'Dwyer, Berkley Jack O'Reilly, Dearborn Daniel Paletko, Dearborn Heights Joseph Peterson, Wyandotte Pro Tem Melanie Piana, Ferndale Kenneth Poynter, Harper Woods Deputy Mayor Michael Reddy, Westland Rick Sollars, Taylor Township Supervisor Donna Squalls, Royal Oak Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor Lamar Tidwell, Ecorse Deirdre Waterman, Pontiac William Wild, Westland Hubert Yopp, Highland Park City Councillmembers, Commissioners Saad Almasmari, Hamtramck Janee’ Ayers, Detroit Michael Bridges, Farmington Hills Raylon Leaks-May, Ferndale Gregory Pawlica, Ferndale Theresa Rich, Farmington Hills Andre Spivey, Detroit Samantha Steckloff, Farmington Hills Sharlan Douglas, Royal Oak Michael Fournier, Royal Oak Kyle DuBuc, Royal Oak Jeremy Mahrle, Royal Oak Patricia Paruch, Royal Oak Ann Perry, Pleasant Ridge County Commissioners Alisha Bell, Wayne County Marcia Gershen, Oakland County Jeff Jenks, Huntington Woods Yousef Rabhi, Washtenaw County Conan Smith, Washtenaw County Helaine Zack, Oakland County
State Elected Officials Representative Stephanie Chang Representative Fred Durhal III Representative Christine Greig Representative Tim Greimel Representative Jon Hoadley Representative Jeff Irwin Representative Jeremy Moss Representative David E. Rutledge Representative Jim Townsend Representative Robert Wittenberg Senator Steve Bieda Senator Vincent Gregory Senator Bert Johnson Senator Rebekah Warren Senator Coleman Young, Jr. Members of Congress Representative John Conyers, Jr. Representative Debbie Dingell Representative Brenda Lawrence Representative Sandy Levin Former Senator Carl Levin Senator Gary Peters Local Resolutions of Support Ann Arbor City Council Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority Berkley Democratic Club Birmingham Bloomfield Democratic Club City of Berkley City of Pleasant Ridge Greater Royal Oak Democratic Club Pontiac Downtown Business Association Progressives at EMU Roosevelt Institute @ Michigan State University Warren Area Democratic Club Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Ypsilanti City Council Ypsilanti District Library
Despite the broad base of support, the voters of the region rejected the proposal by a 1% margin (18,000 votes)—a sobering outcome for the coalition that worked so hard on this initiative.
A NARROW LOSS
What has the public told us? The RTA has been reviewing comments and soliciting feedback to develop a comprehensive understanding of how we can adjust our efforts moving forward to lead to a successful outcome. Here is what the RTA has learned so far: Limitations of revenue source: Property taxes proved problematic as the selected funding mechanism to support public transportation expansion. Many members of the public pointed to the other major transit expansion initiatives in the nation that fund transit via local option sales taxes. Many were disappointed upon learning that there were constitutional limitations on the RTA’s ability to pursue a sales tax as a funding option. More fully address outer edge and rural communities: 28% of the no vote came from communities receiving no proposed fixed-route transit investment in the RTA plan. These communities are frequently overlooked because they are not traditional transit market areas. The RTA recognizes that these areas would require specially designed services and should have focused more of its effort on defining how the plan’s general investment levels would translate into improved services here. Need to broaden outreach strategy: The RTA team did a tremendous amount of outreach and education throughout 2015 and 2016. Despite hundreds of meetings, public events, media stories, and extensive social media there was still a large portion of the public that felt uneducated about the Master Plan, the RTA, and transit in general. The RTA will strategically re-focus its outreach efforts to ensure that the messaging around the need for regional transit is clear, and that the RTA structure and Master Plan concepts address that need. Capitalize more on transportation innovations: In the ever-evolving mobility environment, voters were reluctant to support a 20- year plan that did not articulate a clear strategy for adapting to technological innovations. The Master Plan did include a high-level investment program focused on potential flexible services. The RTA must better describe how this program could meet basic transit service needs and be adaptable to technological innovations.
What is next for the RTA? Our goal in Southeast Michigan is to compete more successfully with other regions in attracting talent, growing our economy, and providing needed access to job opportunities, vital services and our rich cultural and recreational assets. To do so, we must build and operate a more comprehensive, connected, convenient, and a better funded public transit system. The RTA Board of Directors and staff remain absolutely committed to this goal and will enter in to a Board Retreat in May to tackle many key questions we’ve heard from the public.
What are some issues the RTA must confront as it moves forward? Determine timing for another RTA ballot initiative Decide whether to undertake minor adjustments to or a major overhaul of the Master Plan Weigh options for sustaining the RTA administratively until a longer-term funding solution can be identified Develop a new vision for community outreach and engagement to solicit public input The RTA Board and staff remain dedicated to working with regional elected leadership, transit providers, advocacy groups, and the public to build a regional consensus on the plan forward. Sincerely,
Tiffany J. Gunter Interim CEO
1.8 MILLION Votes Cast 1% Margin
RTA Community Bulletin Board Upcoming Events April 21 - Commuter Challenge Kick Off Event,10 am, Cadillac Square April 24 – RTA Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting, 4:30 pm, 1001 Woodward, Suite 1400 April 25 - Reimagining Transportation: Transforming SE Michigan Panel, Click here for info May 11 – Transit Riders United (TRU) Annual Awards Dinner, 5:30 pm, Greektown Casino May 12 - Q Line Launch! RTA Public Meeting: Corridor Studies
Career Opportunities in Transportation
There are many job opportunities in transportation/public transit that range from entry level to upper management. Have you considered working in this challenging and rewarding environment? Polish up your resume and click on the following links to each agency: Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA) Detroit Transportation Corporation Michigan Department of Transportation Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Public Transit Facts and Figures In 2014, Americans took 10.8 billion trips on public transportation -- the highest in 58 years. People board public transportation 35 million times each weekday. Since 1995, public transit ridership is up 39 percent, outpacing population growth, which is up 21 percent, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which is up 25 percent. Public transportation is a $61 billion industry that employs nearly 400,000 people. More than 7,200 organizations provide public transportation in the United States.
Contact Us Remember, if you have questions or an opinion to share, please do. There are a variety of ways to engage with Team RTA. Email:
[email protected] Twitter: @RTAmichigan Facebook Phone: (313) 402-1020 Mail: 1001 Woodward Avenue, Suite 1400, Detroit, MI 48226
Fort Street: Sarah and Tiffany waiting for the bus.
