The issue of WALLY -- the Howell to Ann Arbor commuter train -- seems to have disappeared from the Livingston County Board of Commissioners' agendas in recent months after the all-Republican panel consistently dissed backers of the proposal.
Apparently, finding a cheaper way for Livingston County residents to get to work now that oil costs more than $100 a barrel is not something the commissioners like Jack LaBelle and Bill Rogers want to worry about. People should be independent, and all that.
But Democrats in Lansing haven't given up on mass transit. A report written by the House Public Transit Subcommittee includes steps to move WALLY forward. It says that this spring, WALLY will be incorporated into SEMCOG's Regional Transportation Plan. That, says the report, "is an essential step to receiving federal funding."
The report, dated January 2008, makes a good case that mass transit is important for economic development, calling mass transit "a common denominator that defines America's most successful regions." In a passage especially relevant to WALLY, the report notes that universities need mass transit because of the cost of building and maintaining parking lots and structures. The lack of mass transit also can hinder student recruitment, the report notes.
And it says that mass transit is growing across the state, despite tepid financial support. Ridership increased 8.5 percent in 2006 compared to 2005, the report said.
So whether Rogers and LaBelle like it or not, WALLY will be back. Let's hope Livingston County can finally get on board. After all, if Bill Ford Jr. can support mass transit, can't Livingston County?
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