Michigan legislative action thread
Posted on 04/01/2015 8:03:34 AM PDT by Darren McCarty
The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority has wrapped up an initial round of public meetings as part of a feasibility study of north-south commuter rail between Ann Arbor and Howell, a project often referred to as WALLY.
But after meetings in Brighton and Ann Arbor, and another one Monday night in Howell, questions still remain about how the service would be funded.
Michael Benham, strategic planner for the AAATA, acknowledged it's possible that communities along the line could be asked to pay for the service through taxes, as fares alone wouldn't be enough to cover the costs.
He said that may or may not include a new millage solely dedicated to WALLY, and the feasibility study will look at different options.
"The study will set forth the options for further conversations among the communities," Benham said, adding it hasn't been decided that it would be a millage.
According to a report from the Livingston Daily, Monday's audience in Howell was heavy on governmental officials who expressed concerns about the project.
The concept for the proposed 27-mile route is that it would start in Howell, carrying commuters into Ann Arbor in the morning, with stops along the way in Genoa Township, Hamburg and Whitmore Lake, and return to Howell at the end of the day, taking cars off a congested U.S. 23 during rush hours.
The AAATA has established an $800,000 budget for the feasibility study. Benham notes about $715,000 is committed at this point.
Of the $800,000, $640,000 is a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, and $160,000 is coming from local sources in Washtenaw and Livingston counties.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlive.com ...
Now this project is talking about a millage tax. I don't think so. Northfield Township shouldn't pay a dime. From what I hear from friends of mine in Brighton which apparently is not on the train line, they think this project is a joke as well.
Oh My This Being APRIL FIRST....I misread the headline as L
Will commuter rail service between Ann Arbor and Hawaii.... require a new tax?, “
Thanks!
bump
If not, Howell they pay for it?
(Sorry)
The reason to build this is simple: The construction jobs will be union and the railroad workers will be union, too.
So people in Brighton and all points around will drive to the train station, get on then go through all the trouble of getting to where they want in A2 or simply jump on 23 and be there in 20 minutes.
Going to be a whole lot of empty cars. They are closing down the line between Indianapolis and Chicago next week because it is less than 750 miles and isn’t subsidized. How the hell is that train going to not be a boondoggle like the peoplemover was?
You could probably pave a new road instead of the rail and make it bus only and come way out ahead.
Rail is one of the least productive methods to transport people and the fools that keep on pushing for it are simply fools. I find it humorous that the “progressives” always want to revert to 1850’s technology!
We don’t need it. Ann Arbor-ites can drive and car pool like the rest of us. Waste of money and loss of goo dland.
I know, I couldn't think of two more divergent populaces than Howell and Ann Arbor.
Raise the city income and property taxes on all the Ann Arborites if they want the service so bad
Nobody from Brighton will be taking the train. They have to drive to that station west of town, to Hamburg, or Whitmore Lake. Why bother. 95% of everyone would have to drive to the station anyway.
I know, I couldn't think of two more divergent populaces than Howell and Ann Arbor.
LOL. That's the funniest part about the train. The only reason Ann Arborites go to Howell are for work or for visiting friends and family. Anything I need in Howell I can get in Ann Arbor, Whitmore Lake, or Brighton. The only reason people in Ann Arbor would go to Brighton for that matter outside of the Howell reasons is for Costco off of US-23. Many won't even do that, since there's very strong disdain towards both Brighton and Howell down in city limits.
I wish I could say this train was an April Fools Joke.
Next stop Flint and the other U of M campus.
That was my initial thought, too. And YES! I hate that traffic merging from NB 23 onto WB 96. I travel it frequently. I just hate 23 anyway and am glad I don't have to drive it.
I've done work in Flint. North Flint.
I grew up in Brighton, over on Kensington Rd and we had our family business on Grand River just east of town. Lived in AA for several years and drove against traffic to work but noticed not a whole lot of traffic was actually going to AA, but around 14 and then on to 94, Yes the exits got busy, but I really don’t think it is going to make a huge difference at all myself.
What it WILL do is let students get out away from the city and still get to school while saving a lot of money over AA prices, if I owned rental properties out that way I would be cheering the train idea.
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