Washtenaw Partners for Transit

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/03/house-ditches-rta-bill-notes-could-have-tax-impacts-elsewhere/4940988002/

House ditches mass transit bill amid concerns from Oakland lawmakers The Michigan House will set aside a proposal that would have allowed Metro Detroit communities to move forward with a plan to pursue regional transit

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/25/michigan-speaker-chatfield-common-ground-regional-mass-transit/4869898002/

Michigan House speaker: 'Common ground' found on regional transit Macomb County would have the ability to opt out of a Metro Detroit regional transit effort under a bill introduced in the Michigan House

It’s official - start date still TBD

Coming Soon! Detroit – Ann Arbor Express – RTA of Southeast Michigan The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA) in partnership with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is offering a new pilot express bus service connecting Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The service will provide hourly trips between the two communities for 16 hours....

https://www.modeldmedia.com/features/annarbordetroitbus0532.aspx

Here's how the new Ann Arbor-to-Detroit bus service will work, and how it came to be The recently announced route will run hourly between downtown Ann Arbor and downtown Detroit with limited stops. Organizers are currently considering public feedback on the route before rolling it out.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/01/21/hackel-duggan-detroit-regional-transit-free-press-breakfast/4531244002/

Duggan calls out Hackel on regional transit at packed event Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Warren Evans and Dave Coulter, the county executives of Wayne and Oakland counties, are pushing for regional transit.

PUBLIC COMMENTS NEEDED AT AAATA MEETING JANUARY 16

For great transit, southeast Michigan needs dedicated funding. Since the 2016 effort was narrowly defeated, Macomb County won't let RTA back on the ballot.

Leaders of Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties have another way to give voters a chance to invest in great transit. They just need the legislature to pass House Bill 5229 first, which would tweak the Municipal Partnership Act to better address those three counties transit needs.

If HB 5229 passes, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties will move forward with creating an agreement for the governance and implementation of transit across the three counties. The Washtenaw County Commissioners have requested guidance from AAATA.

In their board packet, the AAATA staff has laid out a series of concerns (many of them legitimate) about the potential three county agreement, but those concerns are separate from the legislation.

Before any partnership agreement can be reached, HB 5229 must be adopted by the legislature. We understand that this is not the ideal solution for regional transit, but it is the only way forward as long as Macomb County continues to hold the region hostage. If there is any chance for Regional Transit to move forward in 2020, HB 5229 must be passed.

Please come to the AAATA board meeting and provide public comments telling the AAATA board to publicly support this critical legislation. The details of any three county agreement can be worked out, but only if the law allows it to be created.

Meeting Date/Time: January 16, 2020, 6:30-9:00pm
Location: Ann Arbor District Library, 343 South Fifth Avenue, Lower Level Multipurpose Room, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Each Board meeting has designated times at the beginning and end of the meeting for members of the public to address the Board. Sign up on the sheet provided at the meeting. The Board Chair will open the Public Comment times as designated on the agenda. You will have up to three minutes to address the board.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/nolan-finley/2019/12/07/finley-focus-transit-plan-todays-needs/2621153001/

Finley: Get new transit plan rolling Backers of a new regional transit plan for Metro Detroit face their first hurdle: Getting legislation approved to authorize a new taxing scheme

https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/nancy-kaffer/2019/11/19/regional-transit-southeast-michigan-smart-rta-ddot/4229908002/

Four things have changed about transit. Two haven't. Will a new plan lead to better regional transit in southeast Michigan? Here's hoping.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/new-regional-transit-initiative-proposed-for-metro-detroit-area?_amp=true

New regional transit initiative proposed for metro Detroit area Leaders from southeast Michigan announced new legislation to expand regional transit in the metro Detroit area.