102nd Legislature, Week 10: The House Talks Transit, WDET Interviews Senator McMorrow
Note that this article was previously listed incorrectly as Week 9. Tuesday, March 14th though Thursday, March 16th, 2023 was the 10th week of the 102nd Legislature.
WDET Interviews Senator McMorrow
On Thursday, March 16th, Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson interviewed Sen. McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) on upcoming legislative priorities. At the end of the program, a listener asked McMorrow to expand upon plans surrounding the RTA .
McMorrow highlighted that “Metro Detroit is one of the only major metropolitan regions in the country that does not have a robust transit system.” She referenced NJ Transit’s enabling legislation from 1979 which allows New Jersey to identify and invest in potential transit corridors at the state level rather than rely on a county-level millage.
Listen to the full interview (Transit discussion starts at ~34:20)
The House Talks Transit
I attended this meeting in person.
This entire subcommittee meeting dealt with transit operations. I’ve embedded clips of specific discussions throughout this writeup, which are edited for time. The full recording is available on House TV .
On Wednesday, March 15th, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation held a meeting dedicated to discussing public transit funding in Michigan. The distribution of state funds across our 77 transit agencies is tied to each agency’s local funding, which shifted significantly last year.
Adrian’s dial-a-ride merged with Lenawee Transportation in October 2022 to form the Lenawee Public Transportation Authority. This is the answer to the 77 vs. 78 debate as far as I’m able to tell.
In attendance alongside MDOT was Clark Harder, the director of the Michigan Public Transportation Association . He outlined the decline in Local Bus Operating (LBO) reimbursement since it peaked in 1997 and 1998. The MPTA is pushing for an increase in the LBO budget. Also present was Dwight Ferrell, General Manager of SMART , who described how SMART is “reinventing itself” and invited legislators to visit their facilities.
Following up on Ferrell’s comments, Chair Puri (D-Canton) highlighted that Amazon HQ2 is being built in Arlington, Virginia, but the project has been delayed indefinitely. He also brings up the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Denton and Arlington, Texas gutted their bus systems in favor of service from Via , a private microtransit company which relies on contracted non-union labor to operate.
Amazon also delayed the State Fair distribution center here in Detroit. There is a reason transit advocates and Detroit residents loudly decried the demolition of the Fairgrounds. As for Denton, what happened there is a textbook case of privately operated microtransit destroying an established fixed-route system . I am of the opinion that SMART absolutely should not entertain the idea of following a similar path.
Ferrell made the case for introducing different sizes of vehicles into SMART’s fleet, as he feels only running service on one type of vehicle is an old model.
You could make a case for both sides of this argument. As a transit rider, I am personally in favor of a homogeneous fleet on fixed-route services (articulated buses on high-ridership corridors notwithstanding), or at least a fleet where amenities are standardized.
Running with the Southwest example: Because the airline only flies 737s, every pilot they hire can provide coverage for any flight without the added complexity of ensuring they’re type-rated. Running a bus system with a homogeneous fixed-route fleet means drivers get trained faster, extra board operations are smoother, mechanical repairs are standardized, and riders know what to expect.
A critical quality-of-life problem I’ve experienced on many transit systems is uncertainty as to which features are installed on a given bus. Will my bus have a bike rack? Will it have power outlets? I have no way to know unless the fleet is standardized or if I keep my own running spreadsheet of vehicle numbers and adjust my travel planning on the fly, which is something no transit rider should ever have to do. More importantly, if accessibility features differ between bus models such as the securement system, kneel height, or ramp angle — and this is the case at multiple agencies in Michigan — it can prevent users from riding entirely. Disabled riders and mobility device users have repeatedly raised this issue at public meetings.
Ferrell also gave an overview of paratransit in Southeast Michigan and emphasized the difference between SMART Connector and ADA service. The Connector branding will ultimately be phased out in favor of Flex.
At the SMART Board of Directors meeting on March 23rd, Ferrell clarified that SMART ultimately intends to bring Flex services in house rather than rely on Via.
Vice Chair Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) commented on the importance of realtime data. Ferrell shared SMART’s plan to create an in-house app similar to App in the Air and further described SMART’s efforts to bolster ridership.
Note that the Transit App is a widely adopted third-party app which already provides this functionality. I use it daily.
Regarding BRT and designing service for ridership, Ferrell hit the nail on the head. This is the conversation I want to hear from SMART: More in-house operators, iterative improvements on service we already have. Not reinventing the wheel.
Rep. Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids) touched on labor costs, indicating his belief that they matter more than vehicle size.
Representative Skaggs is right about labor costs, but I would offer a rebuttal to his argument that vehicle size doesn’t matter: Running the largest buses possible on fixed routes is the most economical choice a transit agency can make . Same operations cost with the benefits of accessibility and accommodating variable demand.
Say I were to get a group of friends together and head to a game, a concert, or some other function. All of us could head to our nearest bus stop along Woodward whenever we wanted and catch the next bus downtown without planning anything in advance whatsoever. Buses can handle spontaneous spikes in ridership; on-demand services cannot. Federal grant money caters to traditional bus service for this reason.
As far as rental scooters and e-bikes as a last mile solution: Sure, and I’ve used them, but they only work if you’re abled and you’re not traveling with anything. You can’t carry a suitcase or a bag of groceries while you’re balancing on a scooter (at least not safely). Transit needs to accommodate everyone, not just certain use cases that cater to a younger demographic.
To close the meeting, Glenn Steffens, Executive Director of STARS in Saginaw , echoed the MPTA’s ask for increased LBO funding and emphasized the growing gap between state funding and agency expenses.
Future Corey here (March 2024): The story of how STARS was able to turn itself around is an incredible one. Planning intern Jaxen Pashak recently published a documentary about the history of the system and brought the admin team on camera. It’s a fantastic watch if you have half an hour to spare – it’s always great to see transit leaders who don’t shy away from discussing their agency’s past struggles.
The Senate Also Talks Transit
Clark Harder of MPTA also presented to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation on Thursday, March 16th. Chair Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe) expressed concern regarding SMART’s weak millage renewal education efforts in Macomb.
Future Corey again: In 2023, SMART brought a new administrative leadership team onboard. I have also had conversations with them regarding areas where they can improve marketing and service rollout. I agree with Senator Klinefelt: SMART would benefit from being more assertive in the face of political opposition , to the extent they are legally able.
I was biting my nails along with every other SMART rider in mid-2022 thinking we were about to lose FAST Gratiot along with all local SMART service in Macomb County , but the Board of Commissioners corrected its procedural error and pro-transit Macomb County voters pulled through in a show of support that stunned all of us. We cannot assume that will happen again when the millage is next up for renewal without an intentional campaign effort.
Transportation Riders United is working alongside SMART to assist with educational efforts across Metro Detroit.