Regional transit authority outlines Gratiot Avenue bus rapid transit plan, seeks local input

Sarah Bukowski, the project manager with Parsons (as she identified herself), presented the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority(RTA) study for the Gratiot Avenue corridor, describing a proposed 23-mile BRT line between downtown Detroit and the M-59 area with roughly 19 stations and more frequent service than existing bus lines.

"Right now, between SMART and DDOT, we have about 14,000 people that ride along Gratiot Avenue a day," Bukowski said, noting the corridoralready has high ridership. She described BRT as "light rail on wheels," listing features such as preboarded ticketing, raised platforms, traffic-signal priority and enclosed stations intended to speed service and improve reliability.

Bukowski said the study examined four running-way alternatives — mixed traffic, curb-running, and two dedicated-lane options (median and center running) — and that the project team prefers a median-running alternative because it is less costly than center-running and preserves travel-time savings compared with curb-running. She said station spacing would be roughly a mile apart and that the team evaluated ridership, capital and operating costs, travel-time impacts and environmental constraints when comparing options.

In downtown Mount Clemens the study narrowed the local plan to two routing options: one that stays on Gratiot and provides two station locations on the east and west sides, and another that routes into downtown on Main Street and would use a shared station. Bukowski warned that dedicated lanes would remove most downtown parking in the initial design, estimating roughly 30 on-street spaces would be lost in the downtown option.

When commissioners and residents asked about funding, Bukowski said the plan will be placed on the November ballot but that the levy amount has not yet been finalized. "They're still determining the amount that will be on the ballot," she said, and the RTA will hold additional public meetings this spring with more details and a locally preferred alternative to take to the RTA board and then the Federal Transit Administration for environmental review.

Why it matters: Gratiot is one of the region's highest-ridership corridors for local buses. The RTA's decision about running way and station placement will shape downtown access, parking impacts and future development opportunities along Gratiot. The commission asked staff and the consultant to note Mount Clemens preferences during the next design phase.