"Michigan will lead the 21st Century transportation revolution as it led innovation in the 20th Century. We will move people and goods with a safe, integrated and efficient transportation system that embraces all modes, is equitably and adequately funded, and socially and environmentally responsible. Michigan's transportation community will work together to ensure that resources are in place to deliver the system."

These words open Michigan's new transportation vision and herald an innovative approach to transportation planning at the state's highest level. For the first Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Transportation Summit, held December 3-4, 2003 in Lansing, MDOT Director Gloria Jeff designed an open-door process for stakeholder groups and citizens to help identify and prioritize significant improvements to the state's transportation system.

For six months, a small team, including MEC and allies like the Michigan Land Use Institute and the Rails to Trails Conservancy met in full-day sessions to plan the Summit. The planning team identified nine priority areas to address, including land use, public involvement, mobility options and funding. The Summit itself drew more than 600 participants who built off of the planning team's work to create a broad agenda that strongly reflects many of the core values of MEC members.

The Land Use breakout session, for example, prioritized the following concerns:

1) Transportation and land use are most definitely linked to one another, and yet the decision-making of each is made independently among multiple authorities, including the courts.

2) There is a lack of public awareness of the true societal, family and community cost of development and negative impacts of unplanned growth and the relationship between transportation and land use.

3) Regions won't achieve economic prosperity, environmental and cultural integrity and social equity until we find regional solutions that integrate transportation, land use planning and expenditures.

Working with MDOT, teams of citizens are developing action plans for each of the nine priority areas that will guide work through 2008. Interested groups can still join the process, and MEC encourages them to jump into this exciting effort.

For more information on the Summit, contact Conan Smith at MEC or visit the Summit web site at www. mdot.state.mi.us/summit2003.