How do you convince a region to embrace public transit when it's been neglecting it for decades? That's what Freshwater Transit is hoping to do. The Detroit-based transit firm is looking to produce a series of seven videos that demonstrate just how easy, beneficial, and indispensable public transit is in other metropolitan regions across the country.
The educational series is called "15 Minutes or Better." The theory goes that since metro Detroit has no idea what a high-functioning public transit system actually looks like, how are we ever going to make the decisions necessary to putting one in place? Freshwater will be traveling to seven cities to show how key concepts of public transit actually work. They'll then examine how those concepts are being expressed in metro Detroit.
"There is an urgent need for improved transit in Southeast Michigan," says Tom Choske, Freshwater Transit president. "But there is also tremendous confusion. Because metro Detroit does not have a cultural tradition of transit usage, discussions about transit have overlooked many core issues. So far, the local transit conversation has focused mostly on policy. Our goal is to address transit at the ground level, the neighborhood level. Regardless of policy, what must a transit system provide so that all people can use it for everyday travel needs?"
The firm expresses a belief that through the Internet, the videos' shareability should make their message easy to spread, leading to the development of a better-informed populace throughout metro Detroit, one that would eventually vote in favor of installing an effective public transit system.
Freshwater Transit recently developed
a multi-modal transit plan for the Detroit Riverfront, utilizing a system of trolley buses and water taxis.
A crowdfunding campaign for the "15 Mintues or Better" video series is currently under way.
Writer: MJ Galbraith
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