Statement From City of Ferndale; Federal Public Hearings on Transportation System in June

June 4 in Ypsilanti June 9 in Southfield and Detroit

FERNDALE, Mich., June 2 -- For the past several years the City of Ferndale and a growing coalition of grass-roots groups have been working to improve the transportation system in metro Detroit by increasing citizen participation in the transportation decision making process. To inform metro Detroit residents of important federal hearings on metro Detroit's transportation system the City of Ferndale has released the following statement by Ferndale Mayor Robert Porter:

"In the past week, a reputable national report has confirmed what many of our citizens have known for quite some time. The conditions of the roads in southeast Michigan are about the worst in the country. Couple this with perhaps the most inadequate public transportation system of any major region in the country, it becomes easy to begin to understand why Michigan is suffering from a stagnant economy and ranks 47th of 50 states in retaining and attracting 24- to 35-year-olds. How and why has this situation occurred?

"A growing volume of research has concluded that southeast Michigan's practices and patterns of development, which pushes building new communities while abandoning old ones, has resulted in a strained and crumbling infrastructure. This practice has resulted in a region that is increasingly falling behind in the competition for retaining and recruiting the people and investments necessary for a vibrant region and a growing economy.

"What can the average citizen who is sick of bad roads, appalled over the lack of a mass transportation system, and frustrated over traffic congestion do? Well, once every three years, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) visit southeast Michigan to review how the region's transportation system is working. If you are tired of bad roads, the lack of transit options, build and abandon development policies, unnecessary traffic congestion, and ever-increasing taxes, area residents really need to speak out. Federal regulations which govern our transportation planning process and spending requires that the transportation system serves the entire region fairly, promotes sustainable development practices and keeps the current system in a state of good repair."

Three public hearings will be held by the federal government on the state of our transportation system and how the region's transportation planning organization (SEMCOG) is doing. The first will be in the Ann Arbor area on Wednesday, June 4th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Ypsilanti District Library, 5577 Whittaker Road, Ypsilanti. Two hearings will be held on Monday, June 9th, the first at the Oakland Community College Southfield Campus, 22322 Rutland Drive, Southfield, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The evening session on June 9th will be held at the Cobo Convention Center in downtown Detroit, Level 3, Room D-320, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. It is time that someone is held accountable for the state of our region's transportation system and development patterns in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, St. Clair and Monroe Counties. SEMCOG is and has for decades been the authority in charge.