BACK TO... The protection of transit funds must be made publicHow we provide funding for mass transit in Michigan |
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"Basically" ~ The statistics show more money for mass transit is best raised from increased employment opportunities and not more tax increases. |
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The Property Tax for SMART - Proposal S
The People of Wayne and
Oakland and
Macomb Counties In 1995 and 1998, the voters passed this tax. In August 2002, a renewal and an increase were combined as a renewal alone would have required a cut in bus service due to a funding shortfall according to transit officials as stated in the Detroit News, July 31, 2002. From 1998 to 2002, State funding has not kept up with costs to support existing transportation needs. On August 8, 2006, this tax passed in all three counties for the fourth time. The November 27, 2006 Livonia bus service reductions resulted from the loss of State funding and not property tax losses as believed by many. Everyone in southeast Michigan now gets less for their limited transportation tax dollars then before the large public buses left the city of Livonia.
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Michigan Department
of Transportation (MDOT) The utilization of both federal and state money for public bus service have become virtual history and are no longer essential as local funds now prevail. Michigan still provides state transit funds but this can change if laws are changed. The timing of the well-known deficient DARTA agreement proved to be a contributing factor in the loss of the large SMART buses in Livonia. This loss is solid evidence that funding from MDOT under act 51 to use the state fuel tax for mass transit is not protected. This can be corrected by the use of written accords to validate the purposes of our limited transportation tax dollars.
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Southeast
Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) SEMCOG is the region's designated Metropolitan Planning Organization encompassing Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. They support local government planning in the areas of transportation, environment, land use, community and economic development, and education. SEMCOG is an excellent resource for data about Southeast Michigan A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a regional policy body, required in urbanized areas with populations over 50,000, and designated by local officials and the governor of the state. Responsible in cooperation with the state and other transportation providers for carrying out the metropolitan transportation planning requirements of federal highway and transit legislation. SEMCOG held several public meetings around 2000 to learn the needs of transit riders. The SpeedLink bus system was introduced. SEMCOG's plan to build a regional transit system Click Here |