WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. — A broad coalition of community organizations, labor unions, business leaders and advocacy groups today announced their official endorsement of the Wayne County Public Transportation Millage , underscoring the millage’s importance to regional mobility, economic opportunity and access to essential services, including for seniors and people with disabilities.
The millage is on the Tuesday, Aug. 4, ballot, and will renew and expand public transit across the entire county if passed.
“A world-class region requires a world-class transit system,” said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. “Expanding transit for all will build a stronger southeast Michigan for residents, employers and visitors across our great state.”
With rising inflation and higher gas prices, renewing and expanding public transit would provide more affordable transportation options for about 350,000 Wayne County residents who have little to no options to get around if they can’t drive. This millage would also expand DDOT bus service, connecting Detroit residents to more jobs and schools in the suburbs.
“Public transit is a life-or-death matter for many people with disabilities who cannot get to work or go to the grocery store without accessible and affordable public transportation,” said John Waterman, director of Programs to Educate all Cyclists (PEAC). “I strongly support the Wayne County public transit millage because transit allows thousands of people with disabilities to work, be productive and live meaningful and independent lives instead of being trapped in their homes due to the lack of transportation options.”
“An expanded public transit system would help workers maintain employment, access health care and move around the community more easily,” said Dennis Aguirre, president of Iron Workers Local 25. “We support the Wayne County Public Transportation Millage on the Tuesday, Aug. 4, ballot because improved transportation would connect more workers to job sites, especially in the suburbs, that for too long have been without reliable access to transportation.”
“The Detroit Regional Chamber fully supports the Wayne County transit initiative,” said Sandy Baruah, President and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber. “We believe that a prosperous region relies on providing our citizens the ability to move from point A to point B to make money and spend money. What Executive Evans is pressing for does exactly that. The Chamber is proud to support this effort, and we encourage citizens and businesses alike to join Executive Evans in this important effort.”
“For Wayne County, transit helps generate regional economic competitiveness at a time when affordability is a real concern for all Americans,” said Ronald Hinrichs, president and CEO of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber. “Efficient and reliable public transportation is often identified by workforce leaders as a resource to empower the affordable and effective movement of workers, which in turn attracts meaningful investment and good-paying jobs. That’s why employers of all sizes, local workers and residents are voicing their support for a proposal on the Tuesday, Aug. 4, ballot to renew and expand effective public transit across
Wayne County.”
The following organizations and individuals have officially endorsed the Wayne County Public Transportation Millage:
12 th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization
13 th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization
American Federation of Teachers Michigan
Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC)
The Black Slate
Brownstown Township Supervisor Sherry Berecz
Canton Democratic Club
City of Allen Park Mayor Gail McLeod
City of Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud
City of Ecorse Mayor Lamar Tidwell
City of Riverview Mayor Andrew Swift City of Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight
City of Taylor Mayor Tim Woolley
City of Wayne Mayor John Rhaesa
City of Westland Mayor Kevin Coleman
Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit
Detroit Action
Detroit Disability Power
Garden City Mayor Mark Jacobs
Iron Workers Local 25
League of Conservation Voters
Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America
Michigan League for Public Policy
Northern Midwest Council of Carpenters and Millwrights
Redford Charter Township Supervisor Pat McRae
Representative Jason Morgan
Representative Laurie Pohutsky
Senator Stephanie Chang
Senior Alliance Area Agency on Aging 1C
Sierra Club of Southeast Michigan
Transportation Riders United
United Way of Southeastern Michigan
Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun
Wayne County Commissioner Alisha Bell
Wayne County Commissioner Cara A. Clemente
Wayne County Commissioner Melissa Daub
Wayne County Commissioner Tim Killeen
Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch
Wayne County Commissioner David Knezek
Wayne County Commissioner Joseph Palamara
Wayne County Commissioner Angelique Peterson-Mayberry
Wayne County Commissioner Allen Wilson
To learn more about the Wayne County Public Transportation Millage, please visit waynecountytransit.com and follow Wayne County Transit for All on Facebook.
CONTACT: Dana Whyte, Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, dwhyte@byrumfisk.com
Paid for with regulated funds by Wayne County Transit for All. P.O. Box 10072, Lansing, MI 48901