MichiganRadio

Vote Expected Soon On $1.3 M for Transit Center DETROIT, MI (Michigan Radio) - Congress is expected to vote soon on a budget bill that would provide money for a transit center in southern Oakland County.

The transit center will sit on the border of Birmingham and Troy.

Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker says the transit center will have rail, cab and bus service. She says it will also serve as one of several new regional bus hubs - which should cut travel times considerably.

"The only people really that would take a trip that takes you three hours by bus are the people that have no choice," said Ecker. "So we hope to pick up some choice riders, obviously, and sort of start to get the public transit mentality inbred, so to speak, more so in this area."

The federal transportation budget includes $1.3 million dollars for the project. Birmingham, Troy, and the state have kicked in close to $2 million.

Construction is expected to start next year.

Contact Sarah Hulett at sarahhu@umich.edu
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