As lawmakers in Lansing debate how to fix the state's roads, a casualty could be plans to expand public transit options in Washtenaw County.
The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority plans to increase service by 44 percent over the next five years, thanks largely to the transit millage approved by voters this year. Those plans could be in jeopardy if the road funding plan approved by the house goes forward. It would cost the AAATA nearly $2 million annually.
But as AAATA Board Chair Charles Griffith says, the House's plan isn't the only road funding option. "On the flip side, if the Senate version went through, that could mean some increase in transit funding over the next year. Which would allow us to perhaps exceed our plans," Griffith says.
Governor Rick Snyder supports the Senate plan, but Griffith thinks a compromise is more likely. He's hoping that public transportation isn't what's compromised.
