FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 18 2015
Media contact: David Holtz 313-300-4454
Sierra Club Endorses Proposal 1
$115 Million
in Transit Funding Addresses Critical Michigan Need
LANSING—The Michigan Chapter of
Sierra Club today announced its endorsement of Proposal 1 on the May election
ballot, citing a key component of the measure that increases funding for public
transit.
“Proposal 1 provides essential
funding for Michigan’s public transportation needs that have long been
neglected,” said David Holtz, Chair
of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter
Executive Committee. “This complex
proposal may not be ideal, but it is a bipartisan compromise that will increase
financial support for transportation while not harming schools, cities and other
important environmental priorities. If
it fails, all of these will be put at risk.”
Proposal 1 will provide $115 million
a year in increased funding for public transportation throughout Michigan. This
will likely allow expanded bus service for seniors, low-income workers and
others while reducing the use of cars and greenhouse gas emissions. Proposal 1 will also provide $10 million a
year to the Department of Natural Resource’s Recreation Improvement Fund which
provides grants for the operation, maintenance and development of
recreation trails and restoration of lands damaged by off-road vehicles and
inland lake cleanup.
The decision to endorse Proposal 1
was made by Sierra Club’s 18-member Michigan Chapter Executive Committee and
its Political Committee and will be communicated to the group’s 60,000 members
and supporters in Michigan.
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