an effort to create a grassroots coalition of public transportation users

I’ve just been made aware that there’s “Wayne/Washtenaw Transit Forum” taking place this Tuesday evening at the Ekklesia Fellowship Ministries (123 North Adams Street, Ypsilanti). I’m told that the meeting, which is set to begin at 7:00, will be attended by Terri Blackmore of WATS, Dawn Gabay of the AATA, and Hayes Jones of SMART. The organization behind the event is apparently a group called MOSES (Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength). The following blurb comes from the flyer for the event that I was just given.

The current state of our community, economy and environment leaves us no choice but to take a serious look at an effective mass transportation system that allows access and options for all of Southeast Michigan’s residents. Join local congregations and others as we promote better transit options for our community.

From what I can tell, this is an early-stage grassroots movement designed to raise awareness on transportation-related issues, and organize community action when necessary. Of course, I may be misreading things, but it sounds to me like a bigger, broader version of what Laura Bien and others here in Ypsilanti created a few years ago with their now defunct group Keep Ypsi Rolling. For what it’s worth, I think it’s a great idea… Hopefully our friends at either the Ypsi Citizen, or the Ann Arbor Chronicle will be there to cover it for those of us who cannot attend due to the life-sucking entity known as the December 6th Shadow Art Fair.