THE Plan - Mass Transit for Southeast Michigan
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Funding and Costs Back to Data Base |
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THE Plan - Mass Transit for Southeast Michigan |
An on-demand, 24 hour 7 day a week people mover system. Sets of plans to merge the efforts of two transit systems without merging, to coordinate public and private transportation needs in Southeast Michigan using SMART and DDOT.Since the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) serves Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, it only makes sense to connect the three county seats and airport above along with the most traveled areas with frequent 24/7 bus service. Fully integrate SMART with all forms of transportation including park and ride. Provide community support that is fair with sound economics. |
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Public transit needs to be for everyone
Public transit operating costs need to be affordable Operating funds for the 24/7 routes to come from a large data base of workers to pay for monthly passes, state and local funds for the handicapped and low income and bus fares. Buses that are more then 70% full can pay the operating expenses with farebox revenue. Considering that hundreds of thousands of people live and work on the 24/7 routes not including park and ride, out of town riders and many others, it's not unreasonable for these routes to mostly support themselves. This will free up funding for other mass transit expenses. |
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Construction costs are fully recovered in increased efficiencies. To start with, 63 buses will be needed at a cost of about $17 Million *source MDOT. Computer data will determine how many buses and sizes are needed as system is built. The start up costs for the 7 routes are $50 Million and about $100 Million to acquire new land for an extensive park and ride system which will eliminate the need for many people to drive to downtown Detroit and many other places. Millions will be needed for security and lighting also. An investment paying for itself by moving trucks faster on our freeways. Compare the costs to widening I-75, I-94, others. = $ Billions Compare the quality of life to the social costs of tearing apart Detroit and creating a lonely car/truck only city. Compare the quality of life of having less traffic (40,000 to 70,000 fewer cars on Detroit freeways in a short time), lower air pollution, less noise. |
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No mass transit plan is complete without an operating budget The operating budget is up to 70,000 people paying $50. /month which is $42 Million/yr. (50 x 12 x 70,000 = 42 Million) This along with state fuel taxes are proposed to pay the operating costs for the seven (7) routes described under Operating and Capital Expenses on previous page. If these WebPages get as well known as McDonald's and Burger King, many riders will emerge because these routes are the most efficient possible based on statistics. This will free up more funds for other bus routes. This method is used successfully in many parts of the world. In addition, a set of agreements to protect existing funds to pay for replacement, capital and other costs are outlined. No mass transit plan is complete without a source of funds If only a small fraction of the plans to needlessly expand urban sprawl and destroy our environment were stopped, then $100 - 200 Million of state funds will be available to make existing mass transit work better. Much of this money will qualify for federal matching funds needed for technology used to improve mass transit. $200 Million is needed including federal grants. If this becomes true, then the public will certainly support the plans in these WebPages in conjunction with SMART and their plans with local funds. Michigan needs mass transit leadership. |
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From fantasy to reality to improving regional mass transit SEMCOG held several public meetings on public mass transit. All the ideas from these meetings were gathered and fully incorporated. Research from books and the internet was used to ensure that only proven methods are used to move people in the most economical ways possible. A realistic within reach budget and existing facilities are used to get this plan operational within three monthes, although in a very simple way that will require much work. Many public meetings to be held All transit plans including SEMCOG and SMART are fully integrated into these plans on purpose. A full cooperative effort is to be made to make proposal S, SMART and mass transit work in Southeast Michigan. At the meetings will be MDOT and SEMCOG planners, SMART/DDOT managers, transit engineers, industry and government officials and many others. All will take the bus by walking or driving a short distance as this plan is a regional system that fully connects county governments together. Those who fly or take the train to meetings will have bus service to all meetings. Imagine, going directly to downtown Detroit from a train or plane in a full bus, that is secure, safe and fast. These WebPages describe how this can be done using methods that are already being used and work in other cities around the world. Routes will be fine tuned, planned and made to work in the best ways possible. The outline is THE Plan presentation, which is detailed and truly what the public wants as it contains the works of hundreds of people in Southeast Michigan. |
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A solid return in investment The key is $200 Million in state/federal funds to be re-paid back because of making SMART/DDOT more efficient. These WebPages provide proof of this using statistics and facts from many sources along with calculations. Compare this to spending $500 Million on MDOT's plan of adding new freeway interchanges and service drives in downtown Detroit. Meetings every Tuesday and Thursday
evening for 4 hours with coffee, pop, donuts and food
with lots of movies. They will take place all over metro
Detroit, along the new 24/7 bus routes.
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