Below are the answers to questions we have been asked.

Q: I have not attended any of the workshops. Am I still allowed to turn in a scorecard?

A: Yes! There is no prerequisite to filling out a scorecard. It's easy and it only takes about 30 minutes to read the material and let us know your thoughts on regional growth.

Q: Do I have to live in the region in order to turn in a scorecard?

A: No. We are asking anyone who loves northwest Lower Michigan to weigh in on the Grand Vision.

Q: How can I get a scorecard?

A: There are three ways to obtain a scorecard:

1. Use your favorite web browser and go online at thegrandvision.org/scorecard
2. Go to one of many scorecard distribution locations around the region and pick up a paper copy
3. Call toll free 866.441.5214 and ask us to mail you one.

Q: Where are the scorecard distribution locations?

A: You can find the full list right here.

Q: Is the online version of the scorecard the same as the paper version?

A: Yes. The two versions are identical. Just choose the format you are most comfortable with and fill it out. Your opinion counts the same either way.

Q: What will cause individual counties, townships, cities, and villages to follow through with implementing the Grand Vision?

A: The Grand Vision is designed to first find out how the citizens of the region wish to grow, and then design implementation techniques to allow that desire to become reality. By first asking the public their opinions about growth and how to handle it, the Grand Vision will become a widely supported strategy to follow for the local governments within the region. The Grand Vision will rely on this widespread public support to lead local agencies to adapt to the regional vision.

Q: Is it possible that more than one scenario could apply in different parts of the region?

A: Yes. The scenarios are virtual visions of possible futures for the region. Each scenario is plausible by itself, but it is very unlikely that the region will choose to develop exactly along the lines of one specific scenario. The final regional vision will likely be a hybrid, using the more popular aspects of several different land use and transportation options.

Q: 50,000 people coming to the region sounds like so many new people for a region our size. How did you estimate the anticipated population growth coming to the region?

A: The regional population growth numbers were developed based on a population projection prepared for the Michigan Department of Transportation by the Institute for Labor and Industrial Relations at the University of Michigan in December 2007.

Q: The Grand Vision is a great idea with all of the new transportation infrastructure and dynamic growth patterns. Where will the region get the money for implementation?

A: There is no doubt that government budgets will be very tight locally, in Lansing and in Washington, but that's all the more reason to have a cohesive, prioritized regional implementation plan that gets the most bang for our transportation investment. Nationally, regions that have developed a comprehensive strategy have been more successful in securing funding for infrastructure improvements. In Michigan, the Department of Transportation has pledged to follow through with the roadway and transit recommendations developed as part of the Grand Vision.

Q: Why don't you ask which scenario is best for preserving water quality?

A: We found, not surprisingly, that water quality is a very important value throughout the region. We did not explicitly ask about comparing impacts to water quality in the survey because there are ways to counteract water quality degradation that will be necessary no matter how the region grows. Therefore the importance, cost, and effort of preserving water quality is somewhat equally weighted among all of the scenarios, making a question concerning tradeoffs in water quality unnecessary.