Respondents to our March 2007 Quality of Life survey told us in no uncertain terms that they were dissatisfied with public transportation. 85 percent of respondents stated that they were somewhat or very dissatisfied with public transportation in the region, while a somewhat smaller 75 percent were dissatisfied with public transportation in their own communities.
When asked "Which THREE of these items do you think should receive the most emphasis from community leaders over the next THREE Years?" public transportation was identified as one of the three by 81 percent of respondents, with 38 percent listing it as Number 1.
With gas prices inching toward $4 a gallon, and orange barrels wherever you look, metro Detroiters may begin seeking alternate ways to get around town. Whether that’s by carpooling or riding the bus, public transit options can save both money and energy. In fact, recent statistics show that both SMART and DDOT are experiencing ridership growth.
Local organizations are seeing the trend and investigating ways to bring more mass transit options to southeast Michigan. The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), SEMCOG and others are in the midst of completing a Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study that will complement SEMCOG’s Ann Arbor to Detroit study. Other local groups, such as Transportation Riders United (TRU) and Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength (MOSES) are advocating for increased transportation options.
United Way, Metromode and our OneD partners are interested in gauging current opinion and use of the region’s transit options. The results will form a baseline and help inform the public’s current use of transportation as well as its hope for future transportation options.
Please take a moment and fill out the survey by clicking on the link below:
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB226HS9DHLE8
Your answers will be confidential and no individual responses will be released to anyone.
One D: Transforming Regional Detroit consists of United Way for Southeastern Michigan, New Detroit, the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Renaissance, the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan.
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Photographs by Dave Krieger
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