Campus 2050 Transit Plan: Bus Rapid Transit in Name Only? The University's Misleading Plan
by Hunter Heyman
This post is in a collection of op-eds from Urbanism Club members about the University of Michigan’s 2050 Campus Plan. The plan was released in September 2024 after years of community engagement and planning from the Provosts Office and many others. The document outlines the university’s vision for the campus through 4 areas of development: Landscape, Climate Action, Transit, and Campus Arts. We encourage you to check out the materials yourself.
Preliminary Map of 2050 Transit System Plan (From UofM 2050 Campus Plan)
Labeling something as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) doesn’t automatically make it so. The University of Michigan’s maps make claims of BRT service from the Athletic Campus to North Campus. However, after attending the open house and reading the Campus Plan 2050, it has become clear that much of this proposed route, particularly through Central Campus—the very area where buses are often stuck in traffic—won’t feature key elements that align with true BRT. There will be no bus-only lanes, no dedicated boarding infrastructure, and none of the essential features that make BRT efficient and reliable.
This disconnect raises concerns about the University's transparency and goals in the planning process. It’s disingenuous to label something as BRT in official documents and maps when there’s no real intention of implementing the components required to make it functional. Students, faculty, staff, and the public are being misled by these empty promises.
Additionally, the University's plans to expand North Campus facilities—from athletics to housing to research spaces—seem out of touch with the realities students face. Many of these new resources will be less accessible for students living south of Central Campus, particularly those by the Intramural Sports Building, where much of the student population resides. It’s nearly impossible to reach North Campus without a car in under 45 minutes during peak times when State Street and the area near the Central Campus Transit Center become traffic bottlenecks for buses.
While some of this congestion can be attributed to students crossing streets at these pinch points, it’s important to acknowledge a key observation: Students are often willing to wait for buses but tend to walk through when personal vehicles are blocking the way. The new Automated Transit System (ATS) is a step forward, but what it bypasses, Fuller Road, is not the bottleneck for buses which cause delays in students commutes. The real time sink is getting to the CCTC efficiently on State Street and Huron Road, and the ATS alone won’t solve that.
The plan’s focus should shift to creating a 15-minute city and improving access for students, making it possible to reach key resources, like class and social spaces, within less than 15 minutes without a car. This could be achieved by developing student housing closer to new facilities, converting existing parking spaces into additional University resources, and improving transportation through bus-only lanes, faster public transit, automated rail, or a combination of these options. The specifics are less pressing than the overarching goal: Stop planning with the assumption that students can rely on personal cars. It’s expensive, inefficient, and unsustainable.
If the University truly wants students to be “the leaders and the best,” we need a campus that supports that vision. Let’s create a space where students can thrive without the burden of car ownership, where transportation infrastructure is built to meet the demands of today and tomorrow.
Hunter Heyman
Bachelors in Business Administration 25’ * linkedIn
Edited by Neeka Mehran