Federal ARRA stimulus dollars intended for use in public transportation projects have begun to flow. ABC News reported recently on the significance of the dollars being invested in public transportation bus construction, including an interview from American Seating headquarters in Grand Rapids. Officials at the west Michigan seat manufacturer were interviewed on the importance of the stimulus investment in building new buses and their role in providing seating for those vehicles. Michigan has moved quickly to put the federal dollars in play not only on bus capital projects but also on the highway side with significant federal money being targeted to construction projects throughout the state.

Call it MPTAonline version 3.0, if you will.  It’s our new look that has rolled out for public viewing effective April 12, 2009.  With a completely refreshed home page look, this updated MPTA website promises to provide much more information to MPTA members and the public, with a greater ease of use.  And the best part is that we’re just getting started.  There are a number of new innovations coming in the next few months, as we ramp up our online presence and provide a more useful portal for navigating everything transit in Michigan.

For starters, take a look at our new Google map of transit members throughout Michigan.  Dig a little deeper and you’ll discover that our Associate Members, both businesses and specialized services transit operators, are listed too with easy Google links to their addresses and mapping directions.

For fun check out our new VuVox which shares our story in photos and will be updated from time to time to help tell our transit story.

If you are an MPTA member, you are entitled to access our Members Section for timely updates on meetings of the MPTA and, a new feature for our transit system technicians around the state will soon be unveiled in the Members Section. It will allow techs to share issues, common problems and solutions in an easy give-and-take posting area.  Meanwhile, you can find reports and presentations posted in this section to stay on top of developments in Michigan transit.

Another area that will soon be expanded will be our Advocacy section as we link up our own Let’s Get Moving Coalition with the Get Michigan Moving Coalition of the Michigan Municipal League and other supportive organizations.

There is a lot happening on the transit front in Michigan these days, and the MPTAonline.org website should be your first link to staying in touch!  Take us for a test drive and let us know what you think.  We’re always interested in member and public feedback and welcome your ideas and input for improving our website.

–Clark Harder, Executive Director, MPTA