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Opinion | Funding crisis threatens essential public transit services in Michigan
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Public transit in Michigan is in crisis. Services that millions of Michiganders rely on every day are now at risk because state funding for local transportation has fallen to an all-time low, while transit providers face higher fuel, labor and maintenance costs. In the absence of significant state reinvestment, local transportation systems across Michigan will be forced to cut routes, reduce service hours and eliminate jobs.
Rising costs and declining state support are already causing local bus systems to cut critical staffing and transportation services. These cuts leave employees without rides to work, veterans and seniors without rides to medical or social services and students without rides to school programs.
Public transportation is a lifeline for Michigan residents, especially in rural and lower-income communities. Without reliable transit, these communities face isolation and decreased opportunities. Transit providers operate in all 83 Michigan counties, providing over 47 million rides per year. These are essential services — not luxuries — that support the basic needs of millions of Michiganders from all walks of life.
Our state’s senior population that uses public transportation is booming, and younger generations are driving less, due in part to the ever increasing costs of car ownership. Transportation expenses rank second only to housing costs for most household budgets. Investing in improved transportation options is a key solution to the human, economic and environmental challenges faced by Michiganders, who deserve a full range of transportation options that are affordable, accessible and well-maintained.
As executive directors of one of the largest public transit systems in Michigan and the statewide association for transit providers, we understand that our state government has to balance a myriad of funding priorities, including big-ticket items like schools, roads and health care. But we are deeply concerned that both Gov. Whitmer’s budget recommendation and the budgets recently adopted in the House and Senate fail to provide adequate state support for public transit.
Michigan’s public transportation system has long been underfunded, creating an obstacle to our economic competitiveness that limits the quality of life in our communities. Current state funding is already insufficient to maintain Michigan’s local bus systems, yet the governor’s FY26 budget proposes just $226 million for Local Bus Operating (LBO), a nearly 10% reduction from last year and an all-time low share of state support. This funding shortfall will lead to even more service cuts and a loss of essential rides for vulnerable populations, including veterans, seniors and students.
With the Oct.1 budget deadline looming, we’re sounding the alarm. If these proposed reductions are included in the final state budget, the impacts will be felt in every corner of our state. Seniors will miss doctor appointments; people with disabilities will be unable to travel for work, independence and care; workers will lose access to jobs; students will be unable to reach classes or after-school programs; and many businesses will lose both customers and employees.
We urge the Legislature and the governor to ensure that the state’s FY26 budget, including any road funding deal, restores funding to maintain and enhance public transportation services, including transit and services for seniors, as well as rail, ferry, pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure.
We know that voters support public transit: 90% of local transit ballot measures were passed in 2024. Michiganders are clear that they want reliable, accessible transportation, not service cuts.
We cannot afford another missed opportunity to invest in a sustainable, 21st-century public transportation system. Increased investment in public transportation will support economic growth and improve the quality of life for all state residents.
Michigan can and must do better. We can be more competitive, more livable, more forward looking and serve our communities better by investing in a full range of public transportation that serves everyone in our state, regardless of age, disability, region or income. We urge supporters of public transportation to contact their state lawmakers and ask them to support these vital investments in the upcoming budget.
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