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E-M:/ Transportation lobbying efforts to benefit Detroit.

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Enviro-Mich message from "Karen D. Kendrick-Hands" <kdkhands@voyager.net>
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Sorry about cross postings!!!

Announcements from:
Transportation Riders United
A coalition to improve Public Transportation in Metro Detroit

1. Sunday August 15 on NBC's Datline, there will be a discussion of
Curitiba Brazil, a successful, and environmentally sound, first world city
in a mostly third world country, and its principal Archtitect Jamie
Learner. The express bus system there provides an intriguing model of a
subway on rubber tires, that could very readily be implementd in Detroit at
little cost and great benefit. IN Detroit it's Channel 4 at 7p.m.( that's
tonight) check your local listing.


2. MDOT planners have been busy revising Downtown's road map for I-375 GM
and Riverfront Casino Access. They have overlooked planning for public
transportation infrastructure - Private Casino Developers are planning to
take the last rail access into the Ren Cen and the Riverfront and convert
it to a 4 lane private Casino Expressway - only 0.4 of a mile from I-375's
8 lanes of pavement. St. Aubin will continue with 6 lanes of pavement and
no plans for traffic calming to benefit the Lafayette Park and Elmwood Park
neighborhoods.
 It's not too late to influence the plans so that pavement does continue to
carve up downtown as we strangle with cars and choke on the pollution. A
Southeast Michigan air quality monitor recorded the highest number of bad
air days (ozone/smog standard violations) of any monitor in the US so far
this summer. Vehicular congestion and lack of public transit contributed to
this. It's not too late to influence the CASINO/Riverfront plans. We need a
mass turnout on August 26, 1999.

August 26
MDOT Public Info Meeting on I-375 and E. Jefferson redesign. -  5 pm to
8:30: 4 different redesign scenarios on display. 6 - 7:30 pm Formal
presentation. Historic Trinity Lutheran Church of Detroit , 1345 Gratiot
Detroit, MI, info 1.877.360 .4375 (toll free) It appears no transit reps
from MDOT currently plan to attend.  We should lobby MDOT to change that. I
suggest calling Andrew Zeigler of MDOT, 517.373.3251, Ruth Hepfer of FHWA,
517.377.1844. and Stephanie Green of the City of Detroit. 

Other Transit Lobbying and organizing opportunities.
August 25:
a. SEMCOG's Transportation Advisory Committee - 9:30 am,
b. MDOT State funding study meeting, 9-11am in the Lansing Center, Michigan
Avenue - call Conan at 517.487.9539 same day 
c. Michigan Land Use Institute Transportation Coalition, Lansing Room 210
Farnham Building, noon to 5 pm - rm 210 (bundled with the morning meeting)

August 27
Act 51 Transit Funding Formula subcommittee - Aeronautics Auditorium
Lansing Airport MDOT office Lansing MI - 9am to ? call Conan for details at
517.487.9539

September 7
Act 51 Transit Funding Formula subcommittee - expected to be in Detroit
call Conan for details at 517.487.9539

September 29, SEMCOG's Transportation Visioning Workshop - Detroit Opera
Theatre 8am to noon.  For info call SEMCOG - 313.961.4266 - Carmine Palumbo

Transportation Riders United is a partner with M.O.S.E.S in convening a
Transportation Summit with Rodney Slater, US Secretary of Transportation,
and the "BIG 4" - Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, Macomb County Commissioner
John Hertel , Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Wayne County
Executive Edward H. McNamara.
 
For more information about TRU contact:Karen Kendrick-Hands  or Stephen
Hands at 313.885.7588. Emails Karen: kdkhands@voyager.net , Stephen:
slkhands@voyager.net Larry: lhands@voyager.net 
 Next TRU Meeting:
September 9, 1999, 7 pm,  4204 Woodward (N. W. Corner of Willis), Detroit



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