Since it was mentioned earlier, Metro Detroit's transit authority reached a last-minute deal today to salvage their master plan millage. I've still yet to see anything reported in the media about the rumored scrapping of our BRT project.
Yeah that's great news for Metro Detroit. I'm very happy to have been wrong in my previous posting. Hopefully the restructured deal still creates a strong mass transit program for the region.
I did not think it was the end of the project, just the end of the Meridian part of the line. It still may have some sort of BRT service in the traffic lanes from Hagadorn out. I think this will just delay the project and cost more money for new plans to make just a few anti-urban folks happy.
Seems that there will be a work session in Meridian Township on August 16th to address specific design issues of the line, presumably the Meridian Township portion. Then there will be two more open houses in January once they nail this part of the line down.
http://www.eastlansinginfo.org/content/documents-show-msu-president-critical-brt is reporting that MSU's President Simon is against the BRT saying that it would reduce pedestrian safety for those trying to cross Grand River by removing some of the places pedestrians can cross Grand River, also with the cost of the project and the fundraising plan. Simon instead asked for a direct route from downtown Lansing to the airport be constructed instead, and asked that buses just run express down Grand River.
lol, I can't even, anymore. This is ridiclous. This is about as perfect a BRT corridor you'll find anywhere in the country. Grand River needs to get more cars off the street in the worst way. This makes the corridor more walkable and pedestrian-friendly, not less.
Got to say that I was glad to see the CATA head on the news, tonight, not backing down. Yes, changes can be made to the plan, but we're not going to through this out, not with all of the work that has been put into it. There are legitimate criticisms of aspects of the line; you want more center lane saved in the plan? Okay. You want to rework some park-and-rides, okay? But, you want to throw out the plan whole cloth? Get out of here with that silliness, especially if you're doing it under the guise of something else.
I feel very misled. The MSU 20/20 Plan had ideas of parking lots on the edges of campus with no personal motor transportation on campus, only buses. It was very forward and multi-modal thinking. We are now four years from 2020 and a new parking garage has been built on Harrison but not a mention about bus-only roads or protected bike lanes.
I really can not understand how this plan is at this point is so controversial. I have only lived here for a year and a half and I knew all about this plan for years. Is this the time for the Pres. of MSU to speak up and say she does not like this plan and wants an airport express instead. What? When did she say this anyway? As for pedestrian crossings, it would seem like directed crosswalks, in other words you can only cross at certain points because there is some sort of barrier to crossing anywhere else, are safer than people jay walking anywhere along the street.
In other areas it would INCREASE the number of places peds could cross, like that delightful 1.4 mile stretch between Harrison and the interstate that currently has zero crosswalks.
Comments
Got to say that I was glad to see the CATA head on the news, tonight, not backing down. Yes, changes can be made to the plan, but we're not going to through this out, not with all of the work that has been put into it. There are legitimate criticisms of aspects of the line; you want more center lane saved in the plan? Okay. You want to rework some park-and-rides, okay? But, you want to throw out the plan whole cloth? Get out of here with that silliness, especially if you're doing it under the guise of something else.
https://www.cata.org/About/Bus-Rapid-Transit
Doesn't look like they are giving up on this, at all.