Southeast Michigan Transportation Insecurity Summit

Transportation shapes whether people can reach healthcare, work, education, food, family, and the opportunities available in their communities.

On October 1–2, 2026, the Catch a Ride Network will convene leaders from across Southeast Michigan at Ford Motor Company World Headquarters in Dearborn to examine how communities can build transportation systems around the needs of people—not around any single transportation mode.

The Southeast Michigan Transportation Insecurity Summit will bring together community organizations, transportation providers, healthcare leaders, employers, educators, funders, policymakers, advocates, and people working directly with residents to share what is working, identify where gaps remain, and develop practical next steps for the region.

In Michigan, 37% of residents are considered transportation insecure, increasing to 42% in Metro Detroit.* But transportation insecurity is not simply about whether a bus, vehicle, or ride exists. It is about whether people can reliably reach the places and opportunities that matter in their lives.

This Summit is designed to move the conversation from understanding transportation insecurity toward building transportation security—connecting the resources Southeast Michigan already has, strengthening promising solutions, and identifying what we can build together.

Day One: Building Transportation Access Around People

Day One will look at transportation through the experiences and destinations that matter to people—not through any single mode of transportation.

Regional leaders and community partners will explore transportation access related to:

• Veterans reaching care, benefits, food, work, and community

• Maternal and infant health

• Workforce and educational opportunity

• Older adults, independence, and continuity of care

• Transportation infrastructure, data, and shared systems

• Regional collaboration and investment
  

The conversations will highlight existing community assets alongside persistent gaps and explore how public transit, community transportation, volunteer drivers, rideshare, technology, mobility assistance, and other solutions can work together.

Day Two: Building a Regional Vehicle Access Strategy

For many Southeast Michigan residents, having access to a reliable vehicle remains closely connected to economic mobility, employment, family stability, and independence.

Day Two continues the work of the Southeast Michigan Vehicle Access Coalition, bringing partners together to examine the full pathway from an immediate transportation crisis to sustainable vehicle access.

Working sessions will explore:

• How people find and access transportation resources

• Emergency stabilization, including repairs, rides, rentals, and short-term support

• Vehicle ownership, financing, insurance, and maintenance

• Opportunities to better coordinate resources across organizations

• A 90-day regional action plan for moving the work forward
  

From Conversation to Action

No single organization, transportation provider, technology, or funding source can address transportation insecurity alone.

Southeast Michigan already has significant transportation resources, innovative programs, committed community organizations, public agencies, healthcare institutions, employers, funders, and leaders working on these challenges.

The opportunity is to make those pieces work better together.

Each day will conclude by identifying practical priorities, partnership opportunities, and regional next steps that can help Southeast Michigan build a more connected transportation ecosystem—one that makes it easier for people to reach health, work, education, independence, and opportunity.

Thank You

We’re grateful to Ford Motor Company for welcoming the Southeast Michigan Transportation Insecurity Summit to its World Headquarters and for generously providing the event space and catering that make this gathering possible. We also deeply appreciate Ford Philanthropy’s continued investment in the Catch a Ride Network and our shared commitment to helping more people reach health, work, education, and opportunity.

*Source: 2025 Michigan Department of Transportation Attitudes and Perceptions Survey Report, p. 81.