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Protecting Land, Air, and Water via Mass Transit

Rachel Hood, Bill Kirk, Andrea Faber, and Kendra Wills, speak about public transportation's role in helping to protect West Michigan's land, air and water. They touch on the general benefits of transit in dense urban centers, managing land u

Rachel Hood, Bill Kirk, Andrea Faber, and Kendra Wills, speak about public transportation's role in helping to protect West Michigan's land, air and water.

They touch on the general benefits of transit in dense urban centers, managing land use and development, and it's work in reduction of ozone buildup.

Hood's childhood experiences in Southeast Michigan have helped shape her views about how West Michigan can do it differently. As a member of The Rapid's long-range planning task force, Hood is able to bring her experience and mission to help this side of the state achieve different results.

"It is hard for me to see mass transit first as an environmental issue," says Hood. "I see mass transit first from an economic and social perspective," she said. "The gains we get from using a shared or public resource are huge," she said. Urban sprawl requires investments in new roads and unnecessary infrastructure, plus "we're not using land for its best and highest use. Sprawl creates a lot of waste and it takes a lot of money out of the pockets of the families that don't live close to the things they need.

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