State of Wayne County speech: Evans plans to pitch new regional transit plan this week

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said Tuesday during his annual State of the County address that he's planning to put forward a new regional transit plan.

"If we are going to rebuild Wayne County and position this region for prosperity," he said, "it’s going to take a fully coordinated regional transit system on good roads. ..."

"We need transit and we can’t wait. I’m all in, and I’m going to be all in on transit."

Evans didn't go into detail about the plan during a wide-ranging speech at the Detroit Film Theatre, other that to say it is a "full, four-county plan," is focused on increasing bus rapid transit service and is "bigger, better and more flexible than what was created in 2016."

Evans intends to present the plan Thursday to the board of the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan. He said the public should get a chance to weigh in.

"I believe that there is enough support for transit in the region to pass the right plan," he said. "If they vote it down, they vote it down. But I do think voters deserve a chance to let their voices be heard."

Evans also touched on new development, infrastructure challenges, the sale of county properties, a spike in opioid-related deaths, parks and retiree pensions.

He touted the recently announced plan for a new criminal justice center, which involves a $380-million investment from the county and about $150 million by Rock Ventures. The project will create jobs and benefit the entire region, he said.

"While it has taken longer than I wanted to negotiate to negotiate this deal, it is very good for Wayne County," he said.

Evans highlighted new and planned investment in Wayne County. He also said the county is exploring ways to stretch its dollars to fix more roads and bridges every year — but funding will still fall short in meeting all of the county's infrastructure needs.

"No matter what we do on the local level, we need the state and federal government to have a candid conversation about this important issue," he said.

Evans also said: "The past three years have been focused on recovery; the years ahead will be about rebuilding. This will be rebuilding in every sense of the word. Rebuilding facilities, talent, and infrastructure."

Evans noted that the county has launched a new diversity initiative called Wayne United and will continue efforts to connect parks with open corridors to support an integrated trail system.

He said retiree pension funding has increased from 45% to 54%.

"I’m committed to working with the (County) Commission to push that over 60% this year with a long-term goal of at least 80%," he said.

Evans said he wants to see Wayne County become a premier transportation, distribution and logistics hub — and a key component of that is regional transit.

Regional officials have been meeting for months about transit behind closed doors. In January, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said: "Right now, we don't have a plan."

Interest in regional transit has grown recently as the Detroit area's transit deficiencies were seen as one of the factors harming the region's bid to be Amazon's second headquarters.

But the regional talks predate the bid, prompted in part by the inability of the Regional Transit Authority to foster agreement on how to move forward after its failed millage attempt in 2016. That plan would have placed bus rapid transit lines on several corridors, added commuter rail between Detroit and Ann Arbor and improved and expanded bus service.

Evans said the current patchwork system of transportation options is ineffective.

He said metro Detroit is at a "watershed moment" when it comes to regional transit, and not taking action in the wake of what happened with Amazon "would be a colossal failure of leadership."

"We have a moral obligation to ensure that people have access to education, jobs and getting to their doctor," he said. "And we should want to create a vibrant region, which includes a well-functioning transit system, so our children can choose to pursue their dreams right here, at home."

Contact staff writer Ann Zaniewski at 313-222-6594 or azaniewski@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AnnZaniewski.Staff writer Eric Lawrence contributed to this report.