Join the meeting on Zoom, link on their calendar: https://rtamichigan.org/public-events-calendar/

Check out today’s agenda: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v7LUZLXQNdWQSq41sCu03V0cNMLIsoTh/view

Meeting recording will be available here later: https://detroit.documenters.org/assignments/rta-citizens-advisory-committee-meeting-4141/ https://t.co/0YbF1JGwRL

🔍More about the Citizen’s Advisory Council on the RTA website: https://rtamichigan.org/about/committees/

This is a committee of the RTA with representatives from each jurisdiction - Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Macomb County - to represent the transit-user population’s needs.

⏪The last RTA meeting was covered on Nov 17 - Notes, live tweets, recordings, and more can be found on our site: https://detroit.documenters.org/assignments/rta-board-of-directors-5007/

‼️ IMPORTANT: If you believe anything in the coverage tonight is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@outliermedia.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

See you in a few! 👋

Eric Dryer starts the meeting off at 5:01pm with some off screen help from his daughter https://t.co/P0rc3VLKhf

Tonight will be the last CAC meeting of 2022 with 24 folks on the call.

🚨 Public Comment - 1. Robert Pawlowski, annual tri-county summit on Nov 18 at the Detroit Zoo, was able to represent regarding transit. Updates will be coming forward.

No more public comments. Next are updates from RTA: - Updates to necessary procedures are all completed and submitted, secures future federal funding.
- 3 Calls for projects where RTA funding will be available for transit providers in 2023.

In Q1 2023, focus on seniors and disabled people, community led programming for transit. Has received $11-12 mil grant for this.

In Fall-winter, a $2mil grant to look at funding bike and pedestrian improvement around major transit stops.

D2A2 has been increasing ridership by 1k every month steadily. https://d2a2.com/

Question for Ben: Any thoughts after the election for Oakland County?
A: We are there to help them what the mid and long term plans will be, not sure what it will look like from an RTA perspective yet. Have had some initial conversations with strategic consultants in Lansing.

Q: Will the public have any say in the distribution of the funding for the American Rescue Plan?

Ben Stupka: We want to work with this board on how to integrate public opinion, however it is technically complex funding source, so decisions happen in stages.

Q: Are board meetings open to the public?
A: Yes, they are every third Thursday. (Find meeting info on their site: https://rtamichigan.org/public-events-calendar/

Q: Are you receiving anything from the Infrastructure Bill? And what is the status on the State grants?

A: Carbon reduction grant was from the Infrastructure Bill. For the State grant, we should know in February.

For CAC to look out for: There will be conversations about some of the major transit corridors, such as Gratiot and Woodward. These are dependent on DDOT’s administration because these roads are in their jurisdiction.

Q: Bike and Pedestrian improvement studies, what does that encompass?

A: This will be an implementation/construction grant, not planning. Will look at the bike/pedestrian at intersection: bike/scooter parking, safer crosswalks.

Stupka jokes that he borrowed ideas this program from Chicago RTA: https://www.rtachicago.org/communities/access-to-transit-program

Q: Biggest ongoing problem for riders is driver shortage. SMART and DDOT have put a lot of effort into mitigating this. Has there been a discussion at an RTA level?
A: Part of the ARP funding was workforce development programs - bonus pools, marketing, recruiting.

Driver shortage continued: Wages matter. Ann Arbor drivers start at $28/hr and does not have a shortage, not a coincidence.

Also having shelters for the drivers to rest/use the bathroom is hugely important, from a former driver perspective.

No matter how much money you spend on the infrastructure, if you don’t have drivers, you can’t make it work. Start on improving drivers working conditions.

I think this was technically all public comment 👀 - moving on now to a presentation on Citizens Advisory Committee in 2023.

Khalil Davis will now speak on: How can CAC be more engaged in social media? New hashtags: #HeyRTA, #AskRTA and Newsletter Marketing https://t.co/q1pYkv0E8v

Q for Khalil: Are these AI/machine learning service bots responding to the hashtags?
A: This is more organic based, peer-to-peer, to get people more engaged with transit.

Q: Is there any targeted social media advertising around these hashtag campaigns?
A: Yes, especially around the D2A2 campaign.

Next agenda item: Executive Committee Succession. Eric Dryer will be stepping down, looking for anyone who is interested in stepping up - is looking for a couple new folks, and to have a new group together by the next CAC meeting.

Unfortunately a bit of an interruption - an account was hacked and some inappropriate video content on screen 🫥

Upcoming CAC meetings could be held in person. Possibly replacing 3-4 virtual meetings next year, as long as there is advanced notice.
- Doing the meetings later would make it easier for people to attend who are not in downtown Detroit.
- Could potentially rotate the location.

Accessibility is a concern for holding in person meetings - will we be able to ensure that individuals are able to get to these meetings and stay the whole time? They need to be technically equipped to be hybrid meetings.

Next meeting is February 28, 2023. Check the calendar for future meeting dates and times! https://rtamichigan.org/public-events-calendar/

Walk on comments: Connecting Washtenaw to Western Wayne County, A2D2 is really showing that there is a ridership for this. Possibly we could have a regular bus that runs through Canton with no stops. A regional solution.

There is a pilot program for Ypsi to Wayne (the city) that just started last week. Ben Stupka to provide more information at the next meeting.

For those CAC members who wish to be more involved, the entire executive committee is open, from chair on down.

Corri Wofford adjourns the meeting at 6:04pm.

Thanks for following along for my first time live tweeting for @DetDocumenters! Looking forward to doing more of these : ) For more meeting coverage check out http://documenters.org