Back in 2012 it took me more than two hours and a bus change to get to downtown Detroit from its Metro Airport–the 44th busiest airport in the world. But finally, after decades of trying to create a modern transit system in southeast Michigan, regional leaders have a plan to make getting around much easier.
The letters of support keep coming in. City after city, from Ann Arbor to Petoskey, is making it clear to state and federal officials that they support passenger trains.
Dallas is big and it’s getting bigger. It’s one of the fastest growing areas of the country. In order to meet the growing demand for travel, Dallas has been building a fairly robust train network, and that striking boom in rail activity made it the perfect place to host the 21st annual Railvolution, a national conference on how to build modern cities around rapid transit.
Ten years ago, if you showed up at Michigan’s top transportation agency and asked for someone in the passenger rail department, you’d be greeted with a strange look, and probably hear something like, “We don’t do that here. Try Amtrak.” But things have changed. These days, not only does MDOT have staff working on passenger rail, they have a whole office dedicated to improving train service. In fact, freight and passenger trains are one of the state’s top priorities.
Hans Voss and Jim Bruckbauer recently traveled to Mt. Pleasant for a meeting with city staff and community leaders about the Ann Arbor to Traverse City passenger rail project. During our visit, one thing was made clear: Mt. Pleasant is ready for trains.
Efficient, productive travel is something that’s missing from Michigan’s transportation conversation. Technology-based company owners in Ann Arbor want a more reliable, hassle-free rail connection to Grand Rapids and Traverse City-a connection that allows them work by themselves or work in teams as they travel to meeting in other parts of the state.