Rep. Gary Peters Suggests Royal Oak for Transit Center

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 .

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."