Southeast Michigan’s Regional Transit Authority Working on Master Plan
The Regional Transit Authority is looking for community input to guide ideas for SE Michigan’s next 20 years of transit.
Officials in Metro Detroit are envisioning a bus rapid transit line along Woodward Avenue from Detroit to Pontiac. It’s just one of many ideas being weighed by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan as the organization begins to craft a public transportation “Master Plan.”
Authority CEO Michael Ford says although current regional systems carry about 48 million people every year, it’s not enough.
“How many people can get where they need to go right now? There’s needs for frequency, late-night service, earlier morning service… So people can get to jobs and get home. People can get to shows and get home. People can get to sporting events and get home. So, right now, that’s an issue.”
-Michael Ford
Ford says the final plan will coordinate service among Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. He says the authority will work in each area over the next few months to determine precisely what kind of transit will best support the populations there.
