Semscope Spring 2006

SCOPE SEMA quarterly publication of SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments Spring 2006 One day in Southeast Michigan Commentary The impact of SEMCOG’s work RTP Tracking progress General Assembly Highlights from the meeting Road construction Take the commuter challenge SEMscope 2005-2006 Officers John F. Jones Chairperson Southeast Michigan Council of Governments Supervisor, 535 Griswold Street, Suite 300 Ira Township Detroit, Michigan 48226-3602 313-961-4266 • Fax 313-961-4869 Mary Blackmon www.semcog.org Vice Chairperson Vice President, Wayne County Regional John F. Jones, Chairperson Education Service Agency Paul E. Tait, Executive Director Robert J. Cannon Publication Staff Vice Chairperson Susan L. Stetler, Communications Manager Supervisor, Glenda Marks, Graphics Coordinator Clinton Township Nick Friedrich, Graphic Designer Robert Hison Please direct any questions about this publication Vice Chairperson to Sue Stetler, 313-961-4266 or [email protected] Mayor, SEMscope is a quarterly publication of SEMCOG City of St. Clair Shores ISSN#03061-1310 Chuck Moss Vice Chairperson Cover photo: Much of this issue is devoted to the impact that SEMCOG has Commissioner, in the region. SEMCOG work affects the daily lives of everyone in Southeast Oakland County Michigan, which we try to explain in the photostory, “One day in Southeast Michigan.” This photo, taken from the bridge on Ferry Street looking onto William T. Roberts southbound I-75, is meant to depict the beginning of a typical day. It was Vice Chairperson taken in March 2006. Mayor, City of Walled Lake Preparation of this document was financed in part through Joan Flynn grants from and in cooperation with the Michigan Department Immediate Past Chair of Transportation with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Vice Chairperson, Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Macomb County Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Board of Commissioners Paul E. Tait Executive Director Printed on recycled paper. SEMscope – Spring ‘06 Contents Commentary The work of SEMCOG 2 impacts us all Paul E. Tait, Executive Director, SEMCOG SEMCOG Work One day in Southeast Michigan 3 RTP Tracking transportation 6 progress in Southeast Michigan Page 3 Transportation New approach to 10 transportation planning considers community values Meeting Highlights of SEMCOG’s 11 Page 11 Spring General Assembly Information Ours to Protect campaign . 12 Before you fertilize, test your soil Commuter Challenge 2006 is underway SEMscope – Spring ‘06 1 Commentary A commentary from Paul E. Tait Executive Director, SEMCOG The work of SEMCOG impacts us all A couple months ago, I was blessed with the birth of twin grandsons who, along with my granddaughter, bring me a wonderfully enhanced appreciation for every day joys and an even more intense personal interest in what the future will hold. This led me to reflect on my…our…work at SEMCOG. A whole lot of us — local elected officials, government and non-profit service providers, business people, activists, and a host of others — work hard at the business of regional- ism to ensure a strong future for our Southeast Michigan region. It is all too easy to get wrapped up in what seem to be critical regional issues of the moment — transportation plans, taxes, jobs, who gets what roads, what public transit do we want or don’t want to pay for, redevelopment, sprawl, clean air mandates, water quality standards, control over resources, my cause vs. your cause — the list goes on. It is very easy to forget the bigger picture. All of us in this regional business seek the absolute best quality of life for everyone, our children, and our grandchildren, now and in the future. This issue of SEMscope begins to close that “big picture” gap. What we do regionally at SEMCOG and beyond is not just some political or academic exercise. It affects each of us in our daily lives. What impressed me the most when we sat down to think about the impact of our regional actions on the daily lives of us, our children, and grandchildren is that, like it or not, we are bonded together across the region in how and where we live, work, and play. Beyond the “feel-good” of an All Star Game or a Super Bowl, we are routinely, in our everyday lives, pulled together as a region. Our eight trips a day carry us across governmental boundaries. The air we breathe in our communities is affected by our neighbors’ business and personal activities. The water we drink and use for recreation is increasingly affected by what we do across our region, not just at the shores of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Like it or not, our daily lives are intertwined as residents of the Detroit, Southeast Michigan region. While we clearly function together as a region, we all too often forget that we have to do a better job making decisions cooperatively as a region. This issue of SEMscope demonstrates the positive impact we have made when we work together. In the future, we must do an even better job of balancing very-localized needs with those of the entire 4.9 million people who live in Southeast Michigan. The quality of life for my grandchildren, all of our children and grandchildren, depends on how well we can work together, make common decisions together, as a region…as a Detroit, Southeast Michigan Region. 2 SEMscope – Spring ‘06 SEMCOG Work One day in Southeast Michigan SEMCOG’s work makes a difference in our daily lives now and in the future. The following pages take us through one day in Southeast Michigan, a typical day greatly affected by the work and decisions made at SEMCOG. SEMCOG data provide a context for the region. Of the 4.9 million of us in Southeast Michigan: Each day, we add an average of Each day, 25 people move out 25% of us are college graduates. 39 persons and 35 households. of the region. Most of us (39%) work in service- There are 1.2 million children More than 500,000 (12% of related jobs such as dentistry. under age 18 (26% of the total Southeast Michigan’s population) Manufacturing jobs continue to population). are age 65 and older. decline (17% in 2000, down from 35% in 1965). Our forecast helps us plan for More of us (43%) will have While we’ll see losses in the region of the future. In 30 service-related jobs such as manufacturing production jobs, years, the elderly population will accounting, while it’s important to note that a nearly double to 1.1 million or manufacturing jobs will core part of our economy will 21% of the total population. continue to decline to 14%. be based on the technology and “brain” side of the auto and other manufacturing industries. SEMscope – Spring ‘06 3 SEMCOG Work A typical day in Southeast Michigan Cleaner air Cleaner water Smoother trips Each day, the average person Each day, each of us uses 77 Each day, the average licensed takes 21,600 breaths. The gallons of water. It is cleaner driver in Southeast Michigan air we breathe is cleaner in as a result of the work drives 42 miles. A typical Southeast Michigan as a result SEMCOG does. Through household makes eight trips a of SEMCOG planning technical assistance and grant day to work, school, shop, and efforts. This includes the Ozone writing, storm water is cleaner. play. Those trips are smoother Action program; 91% of us are Through our work with officials because over 85% of the nearly aware of individual actions we from St. Clair and Macomb $1 billion that we annually can take to clean up our air, Counties, the St. Clair River program is invested in rebuild- avoiding mandates such as auto and Lake St. Clair are cleaner. ing, repairing, and maintaining emissions testing. Our air will Through the Ours to Protect our roads and bridges. be even cleaner in the future water quality public education through a SEMCOG-authored campaign, individual and fuels bill that helps us meet household actions help prevent stricter federal standards. water pollution, Keeping the economy moving Getting kids to school After-school fun Each day, 409,000 trucks Each weekday, nearly one After school, many children travel in Southeast Michigan, million children go to school in have fun at a local recreation bringing goods to meet our daily Southeast Michigan. That trip center. Through the use of needs and fueling our economy. is safer because of SEMCOG's Community Development Block By investing in our roads, the crash analysis and our continued Grants, which SEMCOG has 4,900 miles of state and county promotion of pedestrian and helped to preserve in the federal truck routes flow smoothly to bike safety. budget, and by educating local meet just-in-time delivery needs. governments on the advantages of partnerships, children have someplace to go for safe fun. 4 SEMscope – Spring ‘06 SEMCOG Work Safer roads Sharing a ride to work Congestion relief Each day, in a busy region like Each workday, nearly 1.9 1,000 miles of road in Southeast ours, there are, unfortunately, million commuters drive to work Michigan are currently con- 452 traffic crashes, resulting in alone, while 213,000 take the gested. Our average commute one death and 100 injuries. bus to work, and 200,713 share to work is 13 minutes longer The good news is that in recent a ride via carpool or vanpool. every day. In a year, that adds years all of these numbers have SEMCOG’s RideShare program up to 57 hours of delay for each declined, due in large part to continues to stress the benefits of us.

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