The importance of transit

One thing is becoming increasingly clear as I study the compenents that help to make cities and regions across our country attractive places... the availability of varying types of transportation opportunities. Why? Because studies show that an increasingly mobile workforce is demanding a variety of transportation opportunities wherever they live work and play They just don't want to be limited to their car. A 2007 survey by the National Association of Realtors found that a whopping 75% of Americans believe that improving public transportation is a better long-term solution that just building more roads. Now I know that people are gonna say, "but I like the freedom a car gives me" and I agree - -having the ability to go where you want, when you want is freeing. But the fact is that when you look at those cities and regions around the country that are prospering, they all have some network of public transit to move people around as well. And I'm not just talking the obvious like New York or Boston or San Francisco or Chicago, I'm also talking about communities like San Jose, Minneapolis and Denver and Dallas. So this past week's announcement of legislation by State Representative Marie Donigan to allow for the creation of transit zones to encourage transit oriented development is very encouraging. The bill is supported by the Michigan Municipal League, a statewide association that represents cities, villages and communities across the state and has made the advancement of transportation opportunities a top priority. The introduction of such legislation should be added to the discussion already occuring in Detroit and SE Michigan about creating transit corridors along Woodward, US-23 and other areas.