Email to MDOT for their 2012 25-year plan Dear Bob Parsons and MDOT, I'm very proud

that Michigan has a statewide complete streets policy and is a leader in the nation in passing of local policies. As MDOT begins to plan for the next 25-yrs, now is the time to start planning for that future. Michigan can't wait another 25-yrs before it starts to tackle the very real and limiting quality of life issues that are a result of previous priorities of moving automobiles at high speeds. It is my view that this was done over the safety of people on foot, bicycle, or riding the bus. As a 40-year old starting to think about my senior years, I want to age in place and I want to age in a community where I have real transportation choices that are safe, efficient, and comfortable. Currently, where I live in Traverse City, there is a pharmacy less than a quarter mile away. Unfortunately, my elderly neighbors do not feel comfortable walking to it because of the unsafe intersection and corridor conditions that facilitate high automobile speeds as a priority. These, and the countless places like it, have to change as we begin to reconstruct these roads and streets. Please, as MDOT re-visits it's 25-yr plan, make it a high priority to design a Michigan future that prioritizes a more multi-modal, more land-use approach to planning of our transportation network. With an aging population and ever-increasing fuel costs, our communities need networks more inclusive to active transportation and more effective public transit. We have the money; it is about prioritization of people and community. Thank you for accepting my comments on MDOT's long-range plan. Sincerely, Gary L Howe