A $4.6 billion transit plan proposed by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan received 49.5 percent of the vote on November 8. The millage tax would have funded bus rapid transit and regional rail within a four-county region.
Planetizen's Oct. 27 post by contributing editor Philip Rojc sounded optimistic on the outlook for passage of the regional transit plan:
All signs point to broad regional support for the measure. "Some opposition emerged from the northern suburbs, but key political actors who could have blocked it, like Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson (the 'Sprawl King') have opted not to."
In fact, the northern suburbs in Macomb County killed the measure. Only 40 percent of county voters supported the critical transit measure, ensuring its defeat, reports Ryan Stanton for The Ann Arbor News on Mlive.com on Nov. 9. Patterson had played an important role in killing an earlier version of the transit plan.
- In Wayne County, with all precincts reporting, it received 53% support.
- In Oakland County, with all precincts reporting, received 49.91% support.
- In Washtenaw County, with all precincts reporting, it received 56% support.
In an email on Wednesday evening, Stanton confirmed that the 'yes' votes from the four counties totaled 49.5 percent.
The RTA expressed its disappointment on its homepage with a statement by Paul Hillegonds, Chair of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and Michael Ford, CEO of the RTA:
It leaves southeast Michigan as the only large region in the nation (and one of a few in the world) without a functioning regional rapid transit system
According to RTA's Master Plan, the millage tax would have been "at a rate of 1.2 mills ($1.20 per $1,000 of taxable value) for 20 years beginning in 2016 and ending in 2035."
"The tax would have cost the owner of a home with a $200,000 market value and a $100,000 taxable value about $120 per year," writes Stanton. "It's estimated it would have generated more than $160 million in revenue for the RTA in the first year."
By law, transit advocates must wait two years before they can try again with the voters.
Rojc wrote earlier that the plan would have added:
[F]our bus rapid transit (BRT) lines connecting Detroit to regional employment centers outside the city proper (as far as Pontiac and Ann Arbor). On top of that, 'regional rail between Ann Arbor and Detroit's downtown.
Related in the media:
- Mlive.com: What's next for metro Detroit regional transit after voters reject tax?, November 09, 2016
- The Detroit News: RTA transit overhaul millage nears rejection, November 9, 2016
Related in Planetizen:
- Election Roundup: Planning's Big Day at the Ballot Box, November 9, 2016
- Detroit Ballot Measure Puts Regional Transit in Reach, October 27, 2016
- A Call to Action After Detroit Suburbs Kill Regional Transportation Plan, August 3, 2016
FULL STORY: 234 748 shares Regional transit tax proposal defeated in southeast Michigan
Detroit's Failed Regional Transit Plan Strikes a Blow to the City's Revival
Voters in the Detroit region had a chance to reverse 40 years of neglect for regional transit. Instead, they kicked the can down the road.
A Call to Action After Detroit Suburbs Kill Regional Transportation Plan
A $4.7 billion regional transportation plan died at the hands of suburban interests around Detroit last week. An op-ed describes the action as the same kind of racial disharmony that defined the mid- and late-20 century.
SMART Recount Called Off; Opponents Concede
The saga of the voter-approved Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation millage appears to have reached a conclusion that will allow bus service to continue in Macomb County, Michigan.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
