The Mackinaw Center's Issues & Ideas Forum hosted a session entitled "Why Michigan Should Embrace Zoning Reform". The three guest panelists included Joshua Lunger of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Jessica Letaw who is an activist and organizer in Ann Arbor, and Emily Hamilton an urban economic and land-use policy scholar of George Mason University.
If you are not planning for your housing future as a community you are committing economic suicide.
On November 6th the community access show "City Connection" hosted Kyle Van Strien, current chair of the Grand Rapids Planning Commission, and City Commissioner Melinda Ysasi (2nd Ward). In the show's traditional format the host interviews the Commissioner Ysasis, then Planning Commissioner Van Strien, and then the two together.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) - or more correctly: The Michigan Department of Spending Money On Roads - would like to expand US-131. This would involve the seizure of property currently occupied by the Downtown Market, Heartside Park, and the Rapid Transit Center. For a lane of highway, through an urban area, in the year 2023, during a climate crisis, a water quality crisis, and rising economic inequality.
The Rapid's goal for on-time performance of fixed route service is 90%. "On-time" is defined by the industry standard of being less than five (5) minutes late, and less than one (1) minute early. All the vehicles in the Rapid's fixed route fleet are equipped with real-time vehicle location and information systems.
