One Comment

1. Roger Martin
   Posted September 21, 2008 at 11:42 am | Permalink

   Glad to see the T.C. area with a progessive vision for its future. The growth you all are experiencing makes this very necessary. Many cities in many states (but none in Michigan) are emracing public transit as a powerful economic development tool. In the past 15 years or so, Minneapolis, Dallas, St. Louis and Charlotte, N.C., for example, have generated thousands of good jobs and billions in new development and redevelopment of blighted areas as a direct result of their transit systems (light rail and buses, largely). New office buildings, apartments, condos, resataurants, cafes, retail stores, music and arts centers, and more are being built near the transit stations in these citie. Rapid transit expansion projects are now on the books, finally, in Grand Rapids, Detroit and Ann Arbor. The efforts are being supported by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Detroit Regional Chamber, individual key business leaders from southeast and west Michigan, the Michigan Municipal League and others. Yes, there are many challenges and obstacles ahead. For example, if major systems are going to be built, who will pay for them? How will they be managed? Who will lead the charge to secure federal funding for them (ALL successful systems in other cities/sates have signficant federal support)? Across the nation, ridership on existing public transit systems (light rail, commuter rail, buses and passenger rail) is booming. It can happen in Michigan too, and finally it just might make it this time!