A last minute deal means voters may just get the chance to decided on a new Regional Transit Plan.
Officials worked out the deal Tuesday during a meeting at the Detroit Athletic Club. The Regional Transit Authority will hold a final vote today to determine whether it will be on the November ballot.
The measure was in danger of not being put on the ballot after a meeting last week where the Regional Transit Authority's board members were unable to agree to the plan.
Ahead of the meeting a long list of prominent southeast Michigan business and civic leaders added their names to a letter urging Oakland County and Macomb County to drop their opposition to the RTA's regional transit plans.
The letter was addressed to Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.
The letter was signed by a list that includes Dan Gilbert of Quicken Loans, Wayne State president Roy Wilson, Henry Ford Health System CEO Nancy Schlichting, former U.S. Senator Carl Levin, and Detroit Regional Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah among others.
Announcing today's deal, Patterson released the following statement:
I am satisfied that the accord we reached today not only offers something for our 40 communities and over half a million residents previously left out of the transit plan, but also incorporates the necessary protections we were seeking for Oakland County taxpayers. I’m grateful to my regional counterparts who joined me in moving forward. In addition, I’d like to recognize the outstanding work of my negotiators, Chief Deputy County Executive Gerald Poisson and Deputy County Executive Robert Daddow. Their expertise helped us find a solution that is fair for everyone.
