Transportation Equity Project

Archdiocese of Detroit, Detroit, MI

When Cardinal Adam Maida of the Archdiocese of Detroit delivered his speech to a crowd of nearly 1,200 Catholics on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2001, he highlighted a number of the problems Detroit faces due to its inattention to mass transit issues:

* The lack of economic opportunities for inner-city residents (they cannot reach better jobs in the suburbs)

* A segregated city

* More traffic congestion

* Increased air pollution

* An inability to attract businesses to the city center

Through the leadership of the Archdiocese, with a coalition called the Transportation Equity Project, citizens of Detroit have begun to address the social, economic, and environmental consequences of sprawl in metropolitan Detroit.

As they proceeded, archdiocesan staff targeted three spheres of influence:

* The leadership of the Catholic Church in southeastern Michigan, including clergy, laity, and diocesan administration;

* Catholic leaders beyond metro Detroit, including the five other dioceses across the state and the Michigan Catholic Conference, in order to replicate Detroit’s experiences and develop an effective public policy voice in the state capitol; and

* All people of faith and other like-minded secular organizations — i.e., anyone who shares in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching on issues related to land use, the environment, transportation, and economic development.

In the first year, the Transportation Equity Project engaged over 25 religious and citizen groups joined together with the stated goal of creating the nation’s largest new mass transit system. The project connects an amazing array of partners, from the Sierra Club to the University of Detroit, and from the Farmland Trust to the Transit Riders Union — not to mention nearly a thousand citizens and pastors trained and united by the coalition.

With technical assistance from the Metropolitan Area Research Corporation, the Archdiocese of Detroit has developed a strategy for engaging Catholics in a statewide education and action initiative about the problems created by the absence of mass transit. They have worked together to release a report, “Michigan Metropatterns” (PDF), that provides the background information on social and environmental impacts of sprawl in Michigan. The report offers policy solutions to guide advocacy efforts of the Michigan Catholic Conference, which has desired to develop a unified platform for policy reform at state and local levels.

In addition to releasing the report, the Archdiocese of Detroit has developed and begun using a toolkit for educating and engaging citizens across the state. Furthermore, the Transportation Equity project also assists in preparing testimony and training leaders to attend public hearings around the state as an important vehicle for action.

As the movement has grown, it has expanded to include additional academic and advocacy groups, weaving the network between Catholic leaders and policy experts to insure that the most current information is available as Catholics become engaged in the public debate on issues related to social justice and metropolitan equity. The legislative network continues to grow, and Catholics have met with numerous members of the state legislature who represent southeastern Michigan.

Though the effort has faced obstacles (such as the outgoing Governor’s veto of a transportation bill) signs of success continue to show. The mayor of Detroit now talks about regional equity and the need for a top-rate regional public transit system. Further success can be seen in the establishment of a task force on land use and equity by Governor Jennifer Granholm soon after her election. Many of the members of the Land Use Leadership Council are key project allies, and have some leverage in influencing the recommendations of the Council.