Sustainable, Transit-Oriented Development

for Washtenaw County,
Michigan

Wake Up, Washtenaw!

News

What you saved if you used transit in October/November, 2009:
$766, or $9,190 annually.

This is the national average caluculated by APTA based on gasoline prices 2009-11-09. The cost for Southeast Michigan isn't listed, but other Great Lakes metros are: Pittsburgh $677; Cleveland $795; Minneapolis $818; Chicago $943.

Builders of roads and transit see a bleak future in 2010
Because of lower state and regional transportation spending, contractors have halted equipment orders and laid off workers in 2009. Because Congress has postponed overhauling Federal highway and transit legislation until late next year, and because of declining state revenues, contractors have had to tightened their belts in spite of $17B in stimulus funding for highways. Though helpful, Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) members felt ARRA's requirement for "shovel-ready" projects discouraged the long-term and large-scale projects on which they depend to hire permanent employees and purchase new equipment. See complete results of the survey released Nov. 13, 2009. In a separate study conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, TCC reports that 22,000 Americans die each year because of roadway deficiencies, apart from speeding or DUI. Another good reason to invest in both roads and rail transit.

Upcoming Events

We are...

A citizen organization with a vision and a plan for sustainable, transit-oriented development in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

The vision...

We seek to bring together people and enterprises to...

What is "transit-oriented development"?

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is an area of compact development, incorporating commercial, residential and professional uses, within walking distance of a major transit stop, that facilitates walking and transit use. The urban design focuses on the pedestrian over the automobile.

What is "sustainable development"?

The simplest, most forceful and practical definition of sustainable development is from the World Commission on Environment and Development (The Brundtland Commission report):

Development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

The reasons...

The plan...

What's here:

This site developed and maintained by
Laurence J. Krieg, PhD.