Posted on 05/21/2016 7:40:43 AM PDT by Darren McCarty
Ann Arborites often talk about the possibility of commuter rail service between Ann Arbor and Detroit in wistful tones, as if envisioning a beautiful pipe dream. But this November's election will make that vision a very real possibility.
The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA) will put a millage proposal before voters in Washtenaw, Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties this fall to fund its transit master plan for the region. In Washtenaw County, along with bus rapid transit service from Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti, that plan includes Detroit-to-Ann Arbor commuter rail making eight round trips a day at speeds of up to 110 mph. The proposed service would run from Ann Arbor's Amtrak station to Detroit's New Center, making stops along the way in Depot Town, Dearborn and Westland (where BRT service would connect to Detroit Metropolitan Airport).
"That's not just out there," says Elisabeth Gerber, one of two Washtenaw County representatives on the RTA board. "That's happening if we get this millage funded, which we're very confident that we will. There's a lot of support from all levels of the public, political leadership and economic leadership in the region."
The project has become particularly feasible thanks to a political move that happened nearly four years ago, when the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) purchased 135 miles of Norfolk Southern's rail line running from Kalamazoo to Dearborn. Amtrak and several freight carriers currently use the line. Norfolk Southern drew ire in 2012 when it cut maximum speeds on the line from 79 to 30 mph, but that will change by September 2017, when MDOT is anticipated to complete a major overhaul of the line and assume dispatching responsibilities for it.
(Excerpt) Read more at semichiganstartup.com ...
Train stops are in Detroit, Dearborn, Wayne, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor. Dearborn isn't nearly the boogeyman some on FR think it is, but Detroit and most of Ypsi aren't exactly safe havens for people. Wayne is getting some Inkster spillover as well.
I have my retirement home in the northern part of the LP and am planning to retire there in about 2.5 years. We know that somehow the entire state will end up subsidizing this boondoggle.
Maybe I should just retire somewhere else even though I do not want to live anywhere else.
And there will probably be stops at or near every MLK Blvd.
I'm in Northfield Twp just north of A2 right now. I have to commute less and less often to the city, so I can probably move to a better area now that doesn't cost as much in taxes and is more reasonably politically. Northfield itself isn't that bad, but it is still Washtenaw County. I can go 10 miles north and be in one of the most conservative parts of the state.
Macomb county will have a ‘Train Tax’ to go with our ‘Art Tax’?
I will be building a house in Lapeer county in 2017. All I can say is SEE YA! and FU! to Macomb county. I’ll pay property taxes to a more responsible community.
What is it with leftists and trains? Sheesh
the American leftists are pretty much all Euro wannabe’s
Is there a passenger train anywhere in America that operates subsidy free?
I wouldn’t lump all of Ypsi together, especially Depot Town.
I’ll reserve judgement for now but one of Detroit’s problems is lack of good public transport. I don’t think it’ll “spread crime”, most likely it’ll help the economy. Every other prosperous city I know has some type of rail system.
A train line to Detoilet will make Ann Arbor a craphole just like the “D”.
It will serve the Yuppies in AA right!
Similar example: Bus Routes from Inner City to Suburben Malls. Soon after Malls are no longer safe, they become Gang Havens then they close.
Same plan but expect different outcome. Insanity!
suburben = Suburban
Little secret, They are not spending the money on roads and bridges but on "transportation" which include trains, bus lines that cost twice as much to run as they take in and put two lanes of traffic off limits at rush hours, bike lanes that take away parking from small businesses, walking trails that you never see anyone one and, of course, study after study.
Oh, I do not support this train proposal.
Keep in mind that this train will not just go from Ann Arbor to Detroit, but will also go from Detroit to Ann Arbor.
...something for the snowflakes there to think about.
Why would anyone want to go to that war zone known as Detroit?
What the market is heading towards, is more freedom with self driving vehicles taking you directly from departure to destination without having to be herded onto trains.
I could never figure out trains as a means of transportation. You have to take a car to the train station then when you reach the end of the line, you need another car to get you to where you’re going.
Johnny Cab
* Go back to the East Coast often ( Sr parent ) and their are places I see that are like or worse than Detwaa.
* In fact Detroit after the bankruptcy is seeing a bit of a Renaissance.
* Much of downtown is getting needed infrastructure repairs.
* While accompanying a student interested in a potential college located their, I got to see many a neighborhood.
* On some streets the millennial / first adopters moving back have fixed up their homes. The rest of the street, isn't done yet.
* A lot of small business and start ups are making a stake in the city. Many coming from the College of Creative Studies.
* Don't know about that school? Google it, one of the best design schools in the country if not the world, think auto design, your stove and the artist for Pixar movies.
* It is a mixed bag, Detroit is, and remember with getting it's chit together, it now can be the economic powerhouse it should be by being the gateway to Canada via the Bridge and the trade that goes on as the 2nd busiest border crossing we have.
* and remember, no guns laws like Chicago, you go too do something stooopid to an innocent citizen in Detroit, watch it, they might shoot back.
Gritty folks they are, it is becoming a bit of a food mecca too, not to mention the Lions, Tigers, and the Red-Wings all sporting new ( Cobo is still being done over for the Wings ) stadiums.
AlaskaErik ought to visit, you might be surprised...
Let to fix? the Public School system and it's debt are a Yuge issue now and it is a mess. The Water Dept? sort of spun off, don't go their....
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