Michael G. Ford is CEO of the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA). RTA was created in 2012 to coordinate and plan the development of mass transit in the four-county region. He previously served as CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. He began his career with the Greyhound Bus 
Company and also was Director of Transportation Operations for TriMet, the Portland, 
Oregon area mass transit service.

Southeast Michigan is the only major metropolitan area in the country without a true regional transit system. This talk will describe a twenty-year plan developed by the Regional Transit Authority for a multi-modal transportation system covering Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, and Washtenaw counties. The system includes rapid transit bus (similar to light-rail, but on regular wheels), commuter rail, and airport express service. The talk will also cover future steps to seek voter millage approval (the plan was narrowly defeated in the 
November 2016 election) and other funding mechanisms.

This is the last of a six-lecture series. The subject is The Future of Transportation: Don’t Turn in Your Car Keys Yet! The next lecture series starts February 16, 2017. The title is The Library – Civilization’s Treasure House of Knowledge.