Rep. Gary Peters Suggests Royal Oak for Transit Center
After Troy turned down the proposal, the congressman is urging state leaders to keep the federal funding in Metro Detroit.
Photos
Pdfs
U.S. Rep. Gary Peters has suggested Royal Oak as a transit center access point for the Bus Rapid Transit or Woodward Avenue Light Rail projects.
In letters to Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Peters urged them to try to keep the federal transportation money in southeast Michigan.
"Royal Oak is an enthusiastic partner in the goal to provide regional transit, and I believe a new transit center in Royal Oak’s vibrant downtown would be an ideal access point to the BRT or Woodward Avenue Light Rail," Peters wrote.
The Troy City Council on Monday voted down a subcontract in the amount of $8.4 million for the design of the Troy multi-modal transit center project.
Peters said in the letter he was "deeply disappointed" by the Troy City Council's decision, adding that he knows other cities in southeast Michigan support regional transit.
Royal Oak City Manager Don Johnson said that while Royal Oak is an ideal location for a transit center, city leaders would need to study the project before approving.
"It's an intriguing possibility," Johnson said. "If we did it, it would be in the heart of downtown Royal Oak. We'd need to see a layout for it, we’d need to figure out what kind of affect it would have."
In his letter to Snyder, Peters points out that Pontiac's new transit center and Royal Oak's enthusiasm for providing regional transit make both areas ideal cities in which to invest more transit funding.
"I know you have worked toward the creation of a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to connect communities across metro Detroit, a plan which has been supported by Mayor Bing and other regional leaders," Peters wrote. "I hope you will work with me to access the most sensible BRT routes in light of Troy’s decision."
Ferndale_1986
9:31 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
forget mass transit in the detroit area.
people don't want it.
stop trying to put the square peg in the round hole.
meabs
6:18 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
http://www.nationalreview.com/planet-gore/286311/troy-rejects-obama-trojan-horse-henry-payne
Mike Ripinski
2:09 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
We need to figure out how we can do this. The naysayers will always look at only the risks and not the rewards. Rapid transit WILL happen and Royal Oak should be a part of it.
Alan Stamm
8:29 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
"Bring this very worthwhile project to a community (Royal Oak) with the good sense to recognize the public utility of improving transit infrastructure," says a post today at MLive.com by staff blogger Jeff Wattrick of . . . yes . . . Royal Oak.
http://bit.ly/uigqhM
Audre Zembrzuski
2:27 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I am glad if Royal Oak wants it, let them have it. This is not the time and year to build
it. What jobs are they coming to or going to and don't tell me Summer Set, etch. If people are not working and using only charge cards, who will pay off this big debt.
I am glad Troy turned it down.
Mike Ripinski
3:18 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
It is always fun to hear from the "My glass is half empty " crowd. The transit center is not just about jobs - although there were 56,000 new jobs added in Michigan in 2010 - Many in Oakland County
This is about growth and expansion and access to our surrounding area. Of course the isolationists would prefer to stay inside their own homes and avoid contact with anyone who doesn't look like them or think like them.
It would be nice to be able to to hop on a train or rapid bus and head downtown to see the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings or anything at the Fox, Gem & Opera House. Then stay after for a visit to a downtown eatery or have the choice to return to Downtown RO and stop at one of our many fine establishments. Maybe this is too Optimistic for some people but the Art's Eat's and Beat's festival was considered a risk and that has worked out pretty good so far.