Jack's Essay: Of Planes and Trains - 9/21/05

L. Brooks Patterson, the colorful Oakland County executive, doesn’t think much of mass transit. That is, as we normally think of it. But the fact is, Brooks uses mass transit all the time.
His preferred form of mass transit is called an airplane, which he frequently uses when going out of town. That’s a form of mass transit favored by even the rich, since few own private jets.
On the ground, of course, it is a different story. Patterson would prefer to spend money on widening I-75.
That’s easy enough to sneer at. How terrible – wider freeways   just encourage urban sprawl. But would all the good liberals who would prefer a light-rail line use it enough to make a difference?
Frankly, I doubt it. And here’s what I think the big problem is. The world of work is changing. Mass transit made a lot of sense when people went to work at one place at a regular time every day, and then stayed there till they came home.
Many people still do that. But a lot of us have to scoot around daily from place to place. Then we get home and drive the kids to hockey practice or drum lessons. Almost none of us really believe yet that we are going to have to change our lifestyle.
And yet, I think about all the people in Detroit who can’t drive or have no money for a car. There are jobs in Brooks Patterson’s suburbs they could fill, but there is often no practical way for them to get there. I don’t know what to do about that.
I am not sure who does. But I am sure that sooner or later, this is going to cost us all.                     

Comments

[William Hampton]

I am sorry I couldn't respond to your mass transit program and to specifically to Sen. Cropsey.
I think he missed one of the main arguments for mass transit: quality of life. It is much easier and cheaper for me to buy an Amtrak ticket for my sons-one lives in Chicago, the other in Detroit than to commute those distances from Jackson, Mi-my home. And I save time.
My son in Detroit, who studies urban planning, says that mass transit is vital to promote population density that in kind promotes city commercial growth which in turn promotes cultural and entertainment venues in which the cities become a viable place to live which in turn limits urban sprawl, helps prevent more erosion of conservation districts( i.e. water and soil pollution) which in turn protects the Great Lakes.
I have been in the heart of Sen. Cropsey district (DeWitt) on weekday mornings and there is gridlock there, and I doubt that more 4 lane highways are the answer.

Sincerely,

William C. Hampton
Jackson, Michigan

[Geoffrey Owen]

While there have been times Brooks patterson would have benefitted from mass transit, or at least a nearby taxi, the failure to recognise the need for a future system is neanderthal.

Oakland County sustains too many highways that were built for traffic in the 1940-1960 era, i.e. Haggerty Road, M-59 from Pontiac West, Union Lake-Williams Lake to Walton Blvd., and others.

With $3.00 plus gas prices, maybe soccer mom will tell Jr. to take the bus to practice. "Mom, there is no bus!" "Tell that to your father".

[Benjamin C. Comerzan]

I would like to respond to one point made by a call-in guest: that the sight of largely empty buses signifies that we do not want or need a mass transit system. It occurs to me that an alternative interpretation would be that people are frustrated and ill-served by the system and thus find other solutions. I have talked to people who live less than 20 miles from work and yet have a two hour or longer bus commute, due to infrequent buses and inefficient transfers. If I had to deal with such a system I would rather ride a bicycle, and could probably get to work faster anyway!

Another comment: I am irritated by all the discussion of how we will pay for light rail or subways. Lots of cities have done it. Can't we simply study how Chicago, Boston and other places have financed their systems, and do likewise? I've calculated how much I spend in order to own and maintain a car, (including insurance and parking and the occasional fines). I think I could live in Boston or Chicago and save money by selling my car and using the transit systems. (though I love the freedom of the car I'll admit, I think if I lived in one of those cities I'd use transit for daily commutes and use rentals for personal recreational travel...and be happy I don't have to worry about garaging and maintaining my own vehicle!).

I think much of what is wrong with metro Detroit can be alleviated if we had a more comprehensive transit system. I liked the comment of one of your panelists, that we can't focus strictly on one technology, for example just a bus system, or just a rail system. A useful and successful system needs to have multiple modes. I am willing to put my money where my mouth is and support a viable system.

[Michael Whims]

While we all sit and wonder what to do about mass transit (myself included), bus riders are deciding for us. Take a ride on a Woodward bus (SMART or DDOT), and experience standing-room-only crowds. The buses are full, folks. I know other major routes are just as busy, from other bus riders and SMART/DDOT route inspectors. My formerly half-full morning bus from Royal Oak to downtown on the SMART limited has now become the "in" thing, apparently.