Eric D. Lawrence

Detroit Free Press

More than 70 bus rapid transit stops on three corridors — Woodward, Gratiot and Michigan avenues.

A transit connection to Detroit Metro Airport.

Commuter rail connecting Detroit and Ann Arbor, with eight round trips per day.

All are part of the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan's vision for a massive regional transportation system; a vision that is coming into focus seven months before voters in four counties are expected to weigh a millage to pay for it. Initial cost estimates provided by the RTA say the three-route bus rapid transit, or BRT, lines would each cost about $20 million per year to operate and $4 million to $9 million per mile to build, depending on the final design. The rail line, which would use existing infrastructure but require some upgrades, would cost $8 million to $12 million per year to operate.

Recent open house meetings in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Mt. Clemens and Pontiac attracted an estimated 400 people and showcased transit possibilities for Gratiot and Michigan avenues (Woodward Avenue plans are further along), displayed a mock RTA transit station with sample ticket machine and gathered feedback from attendees.

The information provided a glimpse of what supporters say would be possible with a successful property tax millage vote in November.

“What we’ve heard from people over the past year is that they want to see a vision for what BRT would do for them and their community. Through these meetings we wanted to give them this experience, an ability to interact with bus rapid transit, and feel what it would be like to use this high quality new transit. This is a game changer for our region and is a key component of a larger regional transit system that we are excited to roll out in May," said RTA Chief Executive Officer Michael Ford.

Express bus service plan on Woodward, Gratiot gets boost

Bus rapid transit, which is at the heart of the RTA's rapid transit plans, can be designed as a bus line with attributes similar to light rail, offering a sense of permanence and speedier travel than standard buses. BRT lines can feature dedicated lanes so buses do not mix with traffic, permanent stations and traffic signal preference for buses.

Detroit resident and transit advocate Patty Fedewa called the RTA's proposals to date a good start.

"It’s the first time we started seeing some dollars and some numbers," she said, noting that "the Michigan and Gratiot proposals are definitely moving in the right direction."

Passing the millage should be doable, Fedewa said.

"There's no reason we can't. We deserve good things here. This is something that would really work and help the region," she said.

Fedewa did raise some concerns about the frequency of commuter rail service between Ann Arbor and Detroit, wondering if eight round trips per day would suffice.

Frequency on the rail line is key in part because bus rapid transit would not travel the entire distance between Ann Arbor and Detroit. Instead, the plan envisions two separate BRT lines on the Michigan corridor — one between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti and the other connecting the airport to downtown Detroit. That second line would run along Michigan Avenue, west to Merriman, and then to the airport.

Passengers traveling from Ann Arbor to the airport could take the rail to a station on Merriman, then transfer to a bus rapid transit line that would take them to the airport.

Several artist's renderings provided by the RTA show BRT lines in the Gratiot and Michigan avenue medians with enclosed stations. However, several slides also list various options — curb running mixed with traffic, curb running in dedicated lanes and creating lanes that would run in a median — and their potential impacts on traffic, parking and bicycles. BRT mixed with traffic — considered the slowest option — is the preliminary recommendation for the areas on the Michigan corridor between the John D. Dingell Transit Center in Dearborn and the airport and the portion connecting Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti. The preliminary recommendation is for the line to be median running — the fastest option — in dedicated lanes on the rest of the Michigan corridor from the John D. Dingell Transit Center to downtown Detroit as well as on Gratiot. The recommendations are based on what the RTA believes is feasible.

Questions linger, however, about the Woodward line, with some possibility that bus rapid transit would be pushed onto Cass or John R south of Grand River because of the QLINE, formerly known as the M-1 Rail streetcar, being built on Woodward. Fedewa is pushing for an all-Woodward BRT line with dedicated lanes to ensure speedier service and allow for easier connections to the rail system. The Woodward line would reach as far north as Pontiac.

Proposed legislation would cap public transit millage

One artist's rendering of the Michigan corridor includes protected bike lanes and extended sidewalks even though they would not be part of the RTA plan. However, bike lanes could be incorporated in future roadwork as exemplified by the Woodward Avenue Complete Streets proposal, which was unveiled last year. That proposal envisions a Parisian boulevard design on part of Woodward, bike lanes from Detroit to Pontiac and improvements to make the area more walkable.

Kyle DuBuc, a Royal Oak city commissioner with an interest in transit issues, called the RTA proposals "the most substantial movement we've seen in a generation" for regional transportation and the "complete opposite of the I-75 expansion," a reference to the 14-year, $1-billion reconstruction and widening project DuBuc opposes and which is slated to start this summer in Oakland County.

DuBuc said the RTA plan would address one of the major reasons southeast Michigan's young people cite when they leave the Detroit area for cities like Washington, D.C., and New York — lack of comprehensive regional public transportation here. DuBuc also noted the region's "subpar" spending on transit, estimated at $84 per capita annually compared with $184 in other major U.S. metropolitan areas.

The RTA is expected to formally unveil its proposed regional master plan on May 31. That plan would include cost projections, construction timelines and expected funding sources. RTA spokesman Travis Gonyou said that, in addition to the plans for rapid transit emphasized at the recent open house meetings, the master plan would include "so much more than that," addressing local bus service needs and the lack of centralized services for senior citizens and others. After additional community outreach on the plan, the 10-member RTA board could vote, possibly in July, on the details of the millage request.

Not everyone in the region, however, is ready to back the millage.

Bill Mullan, a spokesman for Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, said Patterson has been briefed on the RTA's plans and reiterated earlier comments from Patterson that it will be up to voters to decide. The RTA has not announced what millage it will seek, but the amount is expected to be in the range of 1 to 1.1 mills. Ford has said 1 mill should raise $130 million to $135 million per year. Legislation has been proposed that would cap the request at 2 mills, although Washtenaw County Commissioner Conan Smith, D-Ann Arbor, said the cap should be no lower than 4 mills.

"The RTA will need to convince Oakland County voters that what they get out of the RTA’s proposal justifies spending over $1 billion of Oakland County taxpayers’ money over 20 years," Mullan said in an e-mail.

The RTA's Gonyou called such projections premature, noting that the plan and the millage request have not been finalized. Fares for the BRT and commuter rail have also not been determined, he said.

However, Mullan also suggested that the commuter rail proposed between Ann Arbor and Detroit — the potential realization of a long-delayed plan to restart such service— would need an additional subsidy beyond the upcoming request.

"There is no commuter rail system in the world today without a subsidy. The former line between Pontiac and downtown Detroit saw a decline in ridership in the 1980s to below 500 riders a day. The line asked for a subsidy then but was turned down. Any future commuter line in our region — no matter its location — will most likely need a subsidy. If and when that time comes, the RTA once again will need to convince taxpayers that the value of the services they get out of the commuter rail is worth the subsidy," Mullan said.

5 things to know about Detroit transit

The Detroit-to-Pontiac commuter rail line Mullan was referencing, the Silver Streak, ceased operations in 1983. Commuter rail service also operated at the time between Ann Arbor and Detroit, but it stopped the following year. Those issues hint at the Detroit area's long struggle to maintain or develop a vibrant regional public transit system. DuBuc, however, said he is hopeful the RTA's plan will eventually demonstrate that there is enough demand to justify a light rail connection again between Detroit and Pontiac.

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel has also raised questions about the RTA millage, saying he wants to make certain it does not end up hurting the millage-supported Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. SMART, which is the Detroit area's suburban bus system, along with the Detroit Department of Transportation, Detroit People Mover and Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority fall under the RTA umbrella. M-1 Rail, the organization managing construction of the QLINE, is not part of the RTA currently but could be added in the future.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Staff writer Christina Hall contributed to this report.