Planning station locations … that makes it sound very real. Were people surprised to learn that passenger rail was as real a possibility as that suggests? That moment of transitioning from “big idea” to “this is happening” is occurring at the community level all along the corridor. The feasibility study says this is a viable project. It says, here’s a timeline and next steps for moving forward. The credibility of the consultants is very strong and they in fact are saying this can work. The communities along the corridor are seeing this is moving from vision to reality, and that is exciting. Describe the level of acceptance you found in the communities. We were met with incredibly supportive energy the whole way along the route: Owosso, Mt. Pleasant, Alma, Cadillac, Traverse City. People want to know about the next step. They want to know what can they do to incorporate this opportunity into their economic development plans for their downtowns. There is overwhelmingly broad support and enthusiasm. That matters. That matters a lot. When you are moving forward with new ideas, that gut-level of support is powerful. When there was skepticism, what was the focus of that? We really did not find skepticism. We found questions. Strong questions. But they were more focused on the service and details, like what kind of trains, the cost to ride, the station locations, which showed me they were tuned into the next steps of implementation. They weren’t saying things like, “You guys are crazy. This will never happen.” They were saying “When can we make it happen!” 
Media interest in the A2TC passenger rail is strong. Here Max Johnston (left), of Interlochen Public Radio, interviews Alex Metcalf at the Cadillac forum. Did that positive reception surprise you? Not really, but I will say that in 20 plus years of pushing new ideas in Michigan, it’s rare to receive this kind of support. One important reason, I think, is that our consultants are top-notch. They are industry experts with a track record of success. Their experience on similar projects showed people that reviving passenger rail service from southeast Michigan to northern Michigan is possible. They helped launch the Bright Line in Florida, the DownEaster in Portland, Maine. Those are both operational and successful. They also have the respect of the state and federal transportation agencies. That is also very important. This experience and the credibility of the consulting team strengthened the legitimacy of the report’s findings and helped people move beyond doubt to a vision of implementation and next steps. The broad agreement we are receiving from local people and state officials is like nothing I’ve seen. We are not the only ones excited about this. This is a true grassroots movement. The fact that the state allocated $2 million to fix the tracks near Traverse City shows we have legislative leadership and backing as well, which is important. | 
