- better transportation
- current situation
- what works for other cities
- what would work for Metro Detroit
- until we have light rail
- until we have an overhaul of the bus system
- make it a reality
- not a new idea
- (see part II - vision)
Better Transportation
The best plans begin with a thorough assessment of the current situation, as well as the history of the subject. All options should be examined. The option with the best cost/benefit ratio should be selected with consideration given to practicality.
Current Situation:
Metro Detroit was designed for driving due to its status as "the motor city." The area is quite spread out. There is no effective public transportation at this time. Example: there is no Groesbeck bus. How can a road like Groesbeck (with all those factories) have no bus service? The public bus system is sporadic, has weak coverage, and finished 2006 with a $106 MILLION OPERATING LOSS! (See their 2006 Annual Report p15--the tax payers are keeping the busses afloat.)
For years the public has been requesting some type of light rail or other mass transit. Politicians wrangle but in the end do little. Grass roots organizations like the Michigan local Transportation Riders United and MADD clamor for better transportation for their respective markets. In May 2008 at the Mackinac Policy Conference, John Hertel, CEO of Detroit Regional Mass Transit says (again) that mass transit is very important to Michigan's economic growth.
However, in the end, people do not invest the hard cash necessary to bring good concepts to the table. Now fuel prices have skyrocketed, unemployment has hit Michigan hard, and the cost of living has rapidly increased. Still the area has no real mass transportation system.
What works for other cities?
Residential, retail, and workplaces clustered together so less travel is required. Chicago uses elevated trains, NYC uses subways. Metro Detroit has none of those options available. If the politicians could get together on a plan for a light rail system, that would be great. The concept would cost millions to effectively connect Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties.
What would work for Metro Detroit?
Ideally, rail lines that ran the lengths of Gratiot, Van Dyke, Woodward, Grand River, and Michigan Ave would move N/S traffic while public busses concentrate on running the lengths of the mile roads. This would increase the efficiency of the bus system as well as increase ridership as more people are using the mass transit than before the new rail lines.
However the rail lines would (again) cost tens of millions of dollars and require massive amounts of people working TOGETHER. Even if that were somehow a realistic possibility, the concept would take years to implement and open to the public. While the cost is huge, possibly in the billions, the biggest obstacle to this option is in getting everyone to work together to secure government funding and designing the right-of-ways for the system. That's been the hold-up all along, because if you research you will find that both the State and Federal governments have offered MAJOR loans/grants in the past that have gone unused because of political bickering.
Until We Get Light Rail:
In absence of some type of light rail system, improving the public busses seems the next most obvious option. Why is the public bus system running with a 2006 loss of $106 million? Because the system has been ineffective so long that people only use busses as a last resort. Even with the rising fuel costs, people will use busses usually only as a last resort option. The public bus system would need to be completely overhauled. In order for a private company to purchase and revamp the current bus system, it also would cost easily $100 million and take at least a year of planning. The biggest obstacle on this option is cost.
Until We Get an Overhaul of the Bus System:
That brings us to our next option, taxicabs. When people here the word "taxicab" in Metro Detroit, they are often overtaken by a blank expression. Taxicabs? Around HERE? To be sure, there are some taxicabs in Metro Detroit. But with the exception of Checker Cab who services Detroit, there do not seem to be any companies with more than 10 taxicabs. This makes for very sporadic coverage and no economy of scale efficiency.
Taxicabs carry a higher cost to the consumer than a rail system fee or the public bus fare. Environmental concerns are not addressed unless a company with electric vehicles comes onto the market. However taxicabs can go anywhere in the area, at the convenience of the consumer. A new taxicab system covering Oakland and Macomb Counties could cost under $1 Million, even using all brand-new electric cars. A new taxicab system could be put in place within three months of funding. A new taxicab system could be very profitable as well, if certain new techniques are applied.
In looking at the current situation, the area's history with public transportation, and the options available, the best solution to Metro Detroit's public transportation dilemma is a combination of the options. But because the time and financial cost of both light rail and a takeover of the public bus system, the concept of a large new taxicab company seems the most viable option.
Make it a Reality:
While it is difficult to fathom a lone entrepreneur bringing in a light rail system or taking over the public bus system, we can work toward a similar goal.
This large-scale professional taxicab concept has been planned to service the majority of Oakland and Macomb counties, and includes carpool and handicap vans. The service would operate 24/7 and NOT COST THE TAXPAYERS A DIME. At the same time, 300-500 good jobs with benefits will be created.
Not a New Idea:
This idea is not new. Many people know the entrepreneur behind this concept already. She has been trumpeting the need for better taxicabs for over ten years. However, she does not possess the nearly $1 million it would take to commence such an operation. She has many years experience and is working on her MBA.
A business plan has been established, complete with best, worst, and most probable case scenarios for several years. Eventually, this entrepreneur would like to have a hand in bringing light rail transportation to the region but more so she would like, in the future, to take over the public bus system and revamp it. Sometimes a bus is the better way to go, such as for people going to and from work on a daily basis. But taxicabs are most favorable for the alcohol-drinking demographic and business travelers.
A large, successful, professional new taxicab company could build both the clout and credibility to eventually revamp the bus system while immediately take care of the region's transportation needs.
Please read about NYCabs’ Vision for Better Transportation.
