Massive Detroit Mass Transit Planning Process Launches Tuesday

(WWJ) Could mass transit finally, really arrive in Detroit?

After decades of back and forth discussion, plans scrapped and renewed and reimagined, the Regional Transportation Authority of Southeast Michigan will roll out what it's billing as the regional transit master planning process today.

Featuring speeches, interactive displays and giveaways, it starts at noon at Campus Martius Park in Detroit.

The RTA will start gathering information from residents in a series of community meetings and return in September with a regional master transit plan.

The RTA is expected to to request funding from voters in November 2016 for the plan they agree on.

And what do those voters want? Commuters tell WWJ 950's Ron Dewey they want a bus system that runs on time so they don't miss work or appointments.

They also want a system that's safe.

"The camera issue, the protection on the bus, if it was 24 hours, I would gladly appreciate it," one Detroiter said.

One of the ideas the RTA is considering includes a high-speed regional bus system with dedicated lanes and signaling.

"That would be a big, big change, I don't know how they're going to accomplish this, but where there's a will, there's a way," one Detroiter told Dewey.