Study: Potential oil spill threatens 700 miles of Michigan coast

WZZM13.com: "If Canadian oil transport giant Enbridge's twin, 62-year-old underwater pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac were to burst, areas from Harbor Springs on the Lake Michigan side down to Saginaw Bay and the Thumb area on the Lake Huron side could be affected by the escaping oil, the latest computer modeling research shows."

Autosprawl trolls still blocking common-sense #publictransit in SE Michigan

OaklandPress: "“This is our best shot in generations,” he said. “A piecemeal approach to public transit doesn’t work.

“The Lansing and Grand Rapids areas, they cracked this nut long ago and it’s holding us back.”

Woodward and other county Democrats have criticized Patterson for touting the planned reconstruction and widening of I-75 beginning this summer, rather than working with the state to instead steer funds to public transportation."

Emmet County, Michigan -- people willing to pay more tax for more #publictransit, even if only others will use it

Petoskey News-Review: Opinion: "It is heartening to observe during this holiday season that there are many people in our community who really seem to care about the needs of others. A new opinion survey of public attitudes in Emmet County indicates strong support for a public transportation system among people who are not likely to use it themselves.
The survey asked this question: “Do you believe that the issue of funding an expanded public transportation system in Emmet County should be put to a vote of the public?”
Of those expressing an opinion, 78 percent responded either “definitely yes” or “probably yes.” Two-thirds of those with an opinion said they would be willing to see their property taxes go up by a small amount to fund the system, suggesting they would vote yes if given the chance."

World offers Detroit examples of good urban transit

freep.com : "“You could go from one end of the Ruhr to the other on public transport. You’re moving through different communities but you wouldn’t know it. And if you get off the train, it doesn’t matter, you can just get on another.”

Nor were bicycle and walking paths neglected.

“Everywhere you went the first thing you saw was a big map beside the bus station or the train station, where the pathways was as highly noticeable on the map as the roads, as clear, so you could work out how to walk everywhere you went. We could walk literally everywhere,” he said.

In Melbourne, he found much the same, including a downtown tram network that was free to ride. Like the systems in Germany, it provided a reliable, safe and inexpensive alternative to the automobile."

Voters in Kalamazoo, Saginaw back public transit taxes

seattlepi.com: "KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Voters in Kalamazoo and Saginaw backed taxes for public transportation.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports voters in communities served by Kalamazoo Metro Transit approved a tax Tuesday allowing more frequent runs and late-night service on some routes, plus expanded service from six days a week to seven. Unofficial results say the margin was almost 2-to-1.

The Saginaw News reports voters renewed a millage that helped support Saginaw's public transportation for the past 20 years. According to unofficial results, more than 75 percent backed the Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services tax."

Public transit advocates share ideas in Grand Rapids

MLive.com: "• Heartwell on the role of public transit: "Transit is about connecting people to jobs. A city lives or dies based on its ability to get people to work."

• Varga on holistic, multi-modal transportation planning: "The city and the society that only picks the car is going to choke to death."

• Heartwell on the city parking system's evolution to Mobile GR: "I have the authority to appoint people to the city's Parking Commission. So who did I put on the Parking Commission? This guy (pointing to Varga) and three other transit-oriented (people). We use those appointments to help break down some of those barriers."

• Heartwell on government's role in fostering public transit: "Risk taking must distinguish our work. What was preposterous last week could be the norm next week."

• Heartwell on obesity in Michigan: "We could all stand to pedal or walk to work, or even just walk to the bus stop.""

#freetransit employee pass a big hit in Ann Arbor

MLive.com: "In all, go!pass ridership totaled 678,103 during the last season, which ended in October.

That's up 7 percent from the year before, and up 30 percent from four years earlier, suggesting go!passes are becoming increasingly popular."