  Detroitman Member Username: Detroitman Post Number: 1088 Registered: 06-2004 |
Last week state rep Marie Donigan introduced legislation to establish transit revitalization tax increment finance authorities(TIFA).If passed what impact on Detroit and other major cities in the state will this have. Here's a link to the press release: http://mml.org/thenews/5-08-08 _tifa-announcement.pdf | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 437 Registered: 10-2006 |
sounds good! I hope it passes to get Transit Moving! | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1791 Registered: 11-2003 |
And I missed it on Channel 7 this morning because I had the tv turned down not to wake up my daughter, but I know SMART had a good increase in ridership due to high gas prices. If we do not capitalize on this to get mass transit in Detroit, we are missing yet another opportunity. | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 523 Registered: 07-2007 |
Busiest month ever in April: http://crainsdetroit.com/apps/ pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513 /REG/281532307/-1 "SMART buses carried more than 44,000 riders daily in April, the highest number since the bus system was started in 1967, according to a news release." | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 6644 Registered: 10-2003 |
I have been watching the bus stops fill up over the past year or so around my area, and by my work. More people, and a larger VARIETY of people that seems to be including individuals from across the socio-economic spectrum. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 1288 Registered: 12-2006 |
Agreed. Buses on some routes are overcrowding to the point they have to bypass people waiting at the stops, but because of the cost of diesel and the money lost from the opt-out communities, they can't add service. In Plymouth, for instance, community leaders seem to believe that owning a senior citizen van removes the responsibility to participate in a regional transit system. So if you live in Plymouth, you have to drive to work; your community leaders have taken away from you the choice that many of us have. In Livonia, of course, the majority of citizens who do not use transit voted to take away that choice from those who wanted it. If you live in Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Rochester, Lathrup Village or any of the other opt-out communities, and you would like to be able to choose transit, let your community leaders know! SMART can't provide the service we need without you. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1797 Registered: 11-2003 |
The article in Crain's says due to demand on the Gratiot and Woodward routes, they added more service to those routes. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 1290 Registered: 12-2006 |
Gratiot: they added two more trips per day. Woodward: similar. They aren't significant additions. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1798 Registered: 11-2003 |
That still is better than taking service away. The more people that ride, the better. It takes away the argument that nobody rides transit in Metro Detroit. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 2283 Registered: 07-2004 |
We can't build light rail because nobody rides transit in ... um ... OK, give me a second. OK, we can't build light rail because the demand for bus service is too high. We need more buses! | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 1291 Registered: 12-2006 |
Bob, they did take service away; they eliminated trips on other routes in order to provide these additions. What we need is more transit, period, not "robbing Peter to pay Paul". I don't hear anybody in Lansing talking about this except Marie, and God bless her for it. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1799 Registered: 11-2003 |
Did not know they cut service from other routes to add to those two. Again, hopefully increased ridership will prove the need to improved/expanded transit. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 1292 Registered: 12-2006 |
Here's how the service bulletin put it: "Effective April 7, 2008: Due to low ridership a number of routes will have one (1) or two (2) trips eliminated. These routes include 160, 245, 250, 265, 275, 385, 420, 615 and 740. Trips have been added to 560 Gratiot and 450 Woodward to alleviate over crowding. Route 495 John R will no longer serve areas north of Oakland Mall. Service to these areas will be provided by Oakland Mall Shuttle, Troy Dial-a-Ride and revised routing on 780 15 Mile." Interestingly, DDOT did the same thing a few weeks later on a much larger scale. They improved peak hour service on several routes and reduced the number of nighttime trips on several others. Overall I think this is a good thing, it puts the service more closely in line with demand, but it is not a net increase. I think we have already proven the need for improved and expanded transit, but to whom are we proving it? Our political leadership does not seem to be listening. Have you heard your leaders in the counties, or in your city, or Lansing, planning to actually do anything to try to improve transit? I haven't. We talk about it here all day long, but we're not the power structure. It seems not to give half a shit. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 2506 Registered: 10-2006 |
"In Livonia, of course, the majority of citizens who do not use transit voted to take away that choice from those who wanted it." This is one of the biggest transit misconceptions. Decent transit SHOULD be offered not because it is in demand, but because it is important service to offer. A majority of people might not use the neighborhood park, but it is a service that is provided. | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 690 Registered: 04-2006 |
The vast majority of Livonia wanted to keep SMART. I'm sure Livonia will opt. back into SMART if all the posters support my petition. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 520 Registered: 06-2005 |
Does anyone know where the existing Tax Increment Finance districts are in Detroit? | ||
Sg9018 Member Username: Sg9018 Post Number: 201 Registered: 10-2006 |
Here is a article from the detroit news about the all-time high ridership on SMART and DDOT. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/M ETRO05/805150386 | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7350 Registered: 02-2004 |
Great ideal for public trasit. A tax to approve public service. Hopefully it doesn't reach in to conservative pockets. Also vote YES on the 2010 SMART Bus millage. Keep public transit running. (Message edited by danny on May 15, 2008) | ||
Russix Member Username: Russix Post Number: 74 Registered: 11-2006 |
predictions: May will beat April in ridership. Im on the 460, its full, the 450 just caught up with us at 8 mile heading south, its full as well. This summer we will see an increase in transit fatalities. Okay wait I just realized I'm in a convoy of 2 450s and 1 460 on southbound woodward. We will also see a higher break-down rate as this bus system was never actully meant to be used. And its not even rush hour yet. its 3:45. |
