United States Department of Transportation
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Regional transit stew : consensus building and transit building in metro Detroit.
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2014-03-01
[PDF-832.12 KB]
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Alternative Title:A study of factors that inhibit and enable development of sustainable regional transit systems in Southeastern Michigan. Regional transit stew : consensus building and transit building in metro Detroit. One of seven final reports resulting from this project.
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Abstract:Over a period of 15 months during 2012 and 2013, an interdisciplinary team of six faculty members and six students at the
University of Detroit Mercy studied the factors that enable and inhibit the development of effective regional transit, focusing on
Metro Detroit and four peer regions: Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver and St. Louis. This report provides the key findings related to
transit leadership and politics, especially those related to the successful planning and funding of regional transit. The processes
described employ a metaphor of “transit stew” that emphasizes the broad variety of values and opinions (“ingredients” and
“flavors”) that exist in any major metropolitan area. This diversity must be blended in ways that respond to each stakeholder group,
allowing each group to remain faithful to their values and priorities (retain their flavor), but also compromising to accommodate the
values and priorities of other stakeholders (absorb and blend flavors). Such a process will create a system that provides value to
all, but may not be perfect for any. In fact, a guiding principle for the entire process is “don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress.”1
A three-phase process is presented that starts with sharing and recognition of all stakeholders’ perspectives on what they want
and need from regional transit. This leads to the creation of a consensus vision of regional transit in terms of characteristics,
but not a system design. The second phase, translation of that vision into a specific transit system design and plans to develop
it, must be done by transit professionals, always keeping the leaders of stakeholder groups aware and engaged and providing
feedback on options under consideration. Once an acceptable plan emerges, phase three involves the stakeholder leaders
actively advocating for the plan and its funding through “segmented advocacy”—emphasizing the values and impact of the
system that are most important to the specific segment of the population. Once each segment sees that the system will support
their values and objectives, funding and building of the system become far more likely.
The need for creation of a very diverse and active coalition in Metro Detroit is also discussed, along with examples of the
successes of coalitions in advancing transit in other regions including St. Louis and Los Angeles, or failing to do so by not coming
together in their transit stew (Atlanta).
Finally, the roles of stakeholder leaders, and the special roles of government, business and educational leaders, are discussed
and amplified by examples from other regions, including Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver and St. Louis.
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