opinion

Metro Detroit CEOs: Transit plan can't wait

Over the last decade, our region has made incredible progress. We have strengthened and diversified our economy, and we have experienced investment in our region at a pace that has caused the nation to sit up and take notice. This, in turn, has improved employment and increased the vibrancy of our communities. And the flow of young people out of our region has reversed in recent years – they are returning home to their roots in large numbers.

And yet there is an important piece missing in our region’s success story: we lack a workable regional transit system. Of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in our nation, the Detroit region ranks 24th in per capita transit spending, 24th in the percentage of our citizens using public transportation to get to work, and dead last in the number of public transit trips the average citizen takes. This state of affairs is badly complicating daily life for so many of our citizens; it also is badly out of step with the exciting recovery underway in our region.

The poor quality of our public transit is not lost on potential investors in our region. When Amazon passed on naming Detroit as a finalist for its second headquarters site, the lack of a workable regional transit system was one of a few key factors cited. How important a factor it was can be debated; what cannot be debated is that Amazon didn’t like what it saw.

Recently, at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual “State of the State” event, Governor Snyder added his voice to those urging our region to move to improve its public transportation. And he offered the region’s leaders some sound advice: “At this point, don’t aim for perfect. Find what you can agree upon and get going!”

This is not a new challenge in our region – it is decades old. But the governor is right – it is past time to get going.

As leaders of corporations and foundations in Southeast Michigan, we are proud of the long list of things moving in the right direction in our region. Public transit is not on that list, and that needs to change soon.

Gerry Anderson, DTE Energy Mary Barra, General Motors

Matt Cullen, Quicken Loans/Rock Ventures David Dauch, American Axle

Dave Egner, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Nate Forbes, The Forbes Company

John Fox, Beaumont Health Dan Gilbert, Quicken Loans/Rock Ventures

Jim Hackett, Ford Motor Company Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Company

Christopher Ilitch, Ilitch Holdings Wright Lassiter, Henry Ford Health System

Dan Loepp, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Richard Manoogian, Masco

Chip McClure, Michigan Capital Partners Jim Nicholson, PVS Chemicals

Cindy Pasky, Strategic Staffing Solutions Roger Penske, Penske Corporation

Rip Rapson, Kresge Foundation Mark Reuss, General Motors

Ray Scott, Lear Robert Taubman, The Taubman Company

Tony Tedeschi, Detroit Medical Center