Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The five-bill package calls for the creation of a Metro Detroit regional transit authority and would give that authority the power to seek voter approval for a vehicle registration fee or millage to fund a modern public transportation system.

The multimodal transit facility in Troy will utilize an existing rail line and is part of a comprehensive plan to connect Metro Detroit and Chicago.

Mayor Dave Bing, Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that a regional transit authority is needed in Detroit to finalize $25 million in federal funding for a series of rapid buses and another $25 million for a light rail streetcar project.

May be just weeks away. Lawmakers are still debating the creation of a regional transit authority, which would also operate a light rail line in Detroit.

TheRide, Michigan Flyer, the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, and the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau work together to launch AirRide.

Representatives from transit agencies in other major cities shared how rapid transit buses helped them improve service, increase ridership and attract redevelopment. Creating a regional agency to operate the system would force coordination and efficiency on overlapping city and suburban bus providers.

Despite Mayor Bing’s recent decision to end the proposed rail plan in favor of BRT, many investors are still supporting a scaled-back version of the project.

While much of the two-day meeting's focus will be on Detroit's planned Woodward Avenue light rail system, the panel will also share insights on how area leaders can work together to develop a larger vision for future public transportation development.

When completed, the linked trails will provide eight miles of continuous greenways, enabling people to walk from Wayne State University through the Eastern Market to the Detroit Riverfront.

As with past grants of similar magnitude, the trustees conditioned payments, which will be made over four years, on meeting a series of project benchmarks.