Planning commission wants to improve Marquette’s public transportation

City departments are preparing a list of issues to add to Marquette’s strategic plan, and Tuesday night the planning commission discussed things it would like to see improved.

The Marquette City Planning Commission is submitting issue statements about public transportation, re-development of land used by Marquette General Hospital, the Heartwood Forestland Project, and winter city initiatives.

The commission feels public transportation is something that has not been addressed since the last strategic plan was done in 2004.

“There’s a study that’s been partially completed that we’d like to see finished as far as what the needs and routes are that best serve Marquette with intra-city transportation,” Marquette City Planning Commission Chair Steve Lawry said.  “Right now most of the routes are inter–city with other parts of the county, and we’d like to have more of an opportunity just to move around town with public transportation.”

Lawry hopes the city could work with MarqTran to create new routes, making Marquette more accessible.

“We’d like to work with MarqTran to get those (new routes) implemented, and once the study’s completed, we’ll follow through and make sure that if there’s any other role the city can play that we take advantage of that and make it happen,” he said.

“(Marquette) prides ourselves as being a walkable community, but don’t have much of an opportunity for those that don’t drive.”

The planning commission, along with other city departments, will present its issue statements to the Marquette City Commission in May.