The Regional Transit Authority is on the ballot in November and here’s why we oppose it.
Unanimous approval moving the Regional Master Transit Plan on to voter decision this Nov! #RapidReliableRegional pic.twitter.com/VFum7DCu4p
— RTA of Southeast MI (@RTAmichigan) August 4, 2016
The Regional Master Transit Plan would be a system of buses and transportation that run to Detroit and the surrounding Metropolitan area.
The Detroit Transit System is not good for Michigan and it should be opposed as another big government program.
First, the transit system is not necessary. Proponents of the initiative claim that there is a market of people who want a bus system to Detroit but they fail to back up their arguments with any substantive facts. If people were in dire need of a bus system to and from Detroit, there would have been a transportation system in place years ago. Instead people decide to drive down to Detroit in their own cars because it is more efficient. It is easier for people to drive down for a Tigers game and leave afterwards instead of taking more time out of their day to wait for a bus that will inevitably be slower. Also, we understand that some people cannot afford transportation to get to work but we do not believe that Michigan taxpayers should be responsible for the livelihood and decisions of others.
Second, Detroit is equipped for commuters. People who support the transport system refuse to acknowledge the fact that other cities they cite as having successful commuter programs are better suited. An example is Washington D.C., D.C. has a relatively successful program (despite its shortfall in funding) where nearly all of its citizens and workers take the Metro and bus system, but that is because it needs to be taken into the city. D.C. doesn’t have easily accessible roads or parking, whereas Detroit has numerous and easy places to park.
Third, the transit system costs too much money. The Regional Transit Authority and other lobbyists argue that the system will only cost $95 to the taxpayer per year. The government wants you to feel like $95 is not a lot but it is when you add in all the other factors, “only $95 for a millage, only $50 for a road fix, etc.” Simply put, all the costs add up. The $95 is also only the baseline cost for the project. This does not include the cost to taxpayers when the buses inevitably break, or the road falls apart, or numerous other obstacles that will occur. No transportation system is perfectly efficient and we should not expect Detroit’s to be as well. If the system was affordable, a private company would have came in and completed the project themselves, yet that is not the case.
Fourth, safety needs to be a concern. Detroit is a city in comeback but it is still one of the most dangerous and economically challenged cities in the nation. Recently Detroit was ranked as the fifth most dangerous city in the nation. There is still the mindset that there are areas of Detroit that people should avoid for their own safety. It will be hard to convince people from the suburbs to take a bus to and from Detroit if they feel that their lives will be at harm. Opponents will argue that this is stereotypical, but there is no denying the fact that people will give up many things for their safety. If people do not take the system because of safety concerns it will be nearly impossible for the State to fund the transportation system without reaching into the wallets of taxpayers.
The transit system is not being developed because of bad intentions but rather incorrect assumptions. There are many things that would need to be fixed, and things that are impossible to overcome for a Detroit transit system to be successful.
Leave a Reply