Watch CBS News

Detroit-Area Voters Will Be Asked To Back Mass Transit Tax

DETROIT (AP) - Detroit-area homeowners will be asked to pay an average of $95 a year in property taxes to finance a regional mass transit system that would include a commuter rail line, a network of rapid buses and express service to Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

A master plan unveiled Tuesday by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan calls for assessing a tax of 1.2 mills in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties for 20 years. That equates to nearly $8 a month for a house with a taxable value of roughly $79,000 — or an assessed value of more than $158,000.

The proposed tax will appear on the November ballot. The proposal requires a majority of the combined votes in the four-county region to pass.

"Right now, one of the biggest problems we have is we can't get from one county to another by good public transportation," said Michael Ford, CEO of the RTA. "We'll really start connecting the region. It will be easier to use with more direct service, more reliable service and more regional service."

The majority of the transit system would be implemented within five years. A key component would be a rail line connecting downtown Ann Arbor and downtown Detroit, with stops in Ypsilanti, Wayne and Dearborn. There also would be bus rapid transit — including dedicated lanes, permanent stations, traffic signal preference and pre-board ticketing — from downtown Detroit to Pontiac, M-59 and Detroit Metro Airport and between downtown Ann Arbor and downtown Ypsilanti.

Other elements include seamless commuter bus routes across county lines, a universal fare card, new local services connecting communities with no existing public transportation into the regional network, and improved services for the disabled and seniors.

The M-1 RAIL streetcar, which plans to open in 2017, will be folded into the RTA in 2024. It will provide key connections to other local and regional transit services, and will also connect the Detroit-to-Ann Arbor commuter rail to downtown Detroit.

RTA Chairman Paul Hillegonds said southeast Michigan is the only major urban area in the U.S. without a viable, coordinated transit system. The plan would "connect people with jobs, connect communities with one another and encourage economic development as well as providing greater independence for seniors and people with disabilities."

The RTA was created under a 2012 state law.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.