The proposed Lansing to Detroit regional passenger rail service would not 

be just a commuter line, but a source for business and recreational travel by

local people to those destinations and points in between. 

"It would put rail transportation within walking distance of residential 

and business areas on both sides of the (Huron) River," said Richard Shackson,

the volunteer community facilitator for Washtenaw County on the project. 

The concept for the passenger rail service began as possible
commuter transportation for GM employees who were transferred
from Lansing to Detroit in 1996. It has evolved into a proposed
regional rail service that could transport commuter, business and
recreational travelers in both directions. 

The regional railway would extend from downtown Lansing over 98.5
miles to the New Center Area in Detroit. The proposed rail service
would include station stops in Howell and Ann Arbor, affecting
businesses and residents in both Livingston and Washtenaw
counties. 

The proposed regional rail project is making progress toward the end
of the research and study stages of its established timeline,
according to Debbie Alexander, who is serving as the project
director. She is Director of Strategic Management for the Capital
Area Transportation Authority in Lansing. 

CATA has been responsible for the management of the proposed
railway since the Ad Hoc Passenger Rail Task Force formed by the
Michigan House of Representatives completed its initial work in 1997.
CATA will continue to direct the project until the formation of a
permanent organization to implement it. 

Alexander said they are working with the local communities involved
to determine the organizational structure and make a final
recommendation on it. 

The resulting organization would likely contract with an outside
source to operate the system, she added. 

That organization, possibly a regional transportation authority, would
serve as the fiduciary agent responsible for ownership and operation
of the regional rail system, Shackson said. Member jurisdictions would
be represented on the board of directors that will provide policy,
financial and operating oversight for the authority, he added. 

Proposals for the next study of the regional rail project are currently
being evaluated. They expect to award the contract for that study
in early October, Alexander said. 

The key components of the study will include two potential new
stations ­ one east of Ypsilanti near Willow Run airport and another
at Merriman Road in Wayne County for a possible link with Detroit
Metropolitan Airport. 

Wayne County officials recently expressed an interest in providing rail
service to metro airport. The Merriman station would serve both the
new regional system and Amtrak, both of which would use the same
tracks between Ann Arbor and Detroit. A shuttle service would
transfer passengers from the station to the airport. 

That study will include a financial plan, community outreach and
alternative analysis required for the application with the Federal
Transportation Administration. The study would be completed late
this year or early in 2001, Alexander said. 

The organizers of the regional rail service plan to submit a NewStart
application to the FTA by the end of February 2001. The FTA must
approve the application for the project to qualify for further federal
funding, Alexander said. 

U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Stabenow secured $7.5 million in federal
funds through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century in
1997 to pay for 80 percent of the feasibility study. 

The required 20 percent local matching funds were obtained from the
Michigan Department of Transportation and CATA. The funds paid for
the long-term study for the project that began in March 1999 and
was completed late last year. 

State Representative Judy Scranton (R-Brighton) reported that funds
for the completion of the planning phase are included in M-DOT's
budget for the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Scranton said that
M-DOT has made a commitment for continued funding in 2002 and
2003. 

The proposed railway project would require $85 million in
expenditures before passenger service could begin, according to the
study. Approximately $5 million will be needed for federal compliance,
railroad negotiations, legal and other professional services, and
start-up costs. 

The remaining $80 million will be spent on capital costs for the
construction of stations, rolling stock, maintenance facilities and
railroad infrastructure. About 50 percent of the infrastructure costs
or $40 million would be used for the local connections in the Ann
Arbor area, Shackson said. 

The passenger service would enter the area on the Ann Arbor
Railroad tracks on the east side of the Huron River; cross the canal
and river on newly constructed overpasses; and require a connecting
line to the Norfolk and Southern tracks currently used for Amtrak
service from Ann Arbor to Detroit. 

The new railway also would share the existing Amtrak station,
according to the proposal. A new station would not need to be built
in Ann Arbor, Shackson said. 

The site for the rail connection involves property owned by
DTE/MichCon along the river. Shackson said they have already
discussed an easement for the railway connection with DTE officials. 

Paul Potter, President of Syndeco Realty, which is a DTE subsidiary
for real estate and development, said the company is considering an
easement for the regional rail system. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation gave special funding
consideration to the project due to the lack of commuter rail
transportation in southeast Michigan, Shackson said. 

No operating costs for the regional passenger rail system would come
from the state or federal governments. Shackson said the local
communities involved would be responsible for operating funds to
supplement the fares collected, he added. 

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has explored various
options of funding the local portion of a regional rail system. The
commissioners have discussed the use of property, gas or sales
taxes for it, said Commissioner Jeff Irwin. 

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments has discussed need
for alternative forms, other than property taxes, to pay for such
transportation infrastructure with the legislature. It could be in the
form of a transit subsidy or various other options, said Irwin who sits
on the executive committee for SEMCOG. 

The Lansing to Detroit rail service was identified among the options
in a three-tier plan for a proposed transit system in southeast
Michigan by SEMCOG. Carmine Palombo, Director of Transportation
Programs, represented SEMCOG on the committee for the regional rail
system. 

SEMCOG advised and reviewed the work of the consultant under
contract to CATA for the project. SEMCOG has not taken a position
on the regional rail proposal and will await the results of the study to
be conducted this fall, Palombo said. 

The latest study completed by the Parsons Transportation Group
determined that passenger rail service from Lansing to Detroit is
feasible. It also indicated that "a good route with solid ridership
potential exists." 

"Ridership estimates have been very conservative," Shackson said. In
addition to commuters, the train would offer alternative
transportation into Detroit for entertainment such as the theater and
sports events, he added. 

"Making access to the train is important to its success," he said.
"Once people arrive by train in Ann Arbor, you have to get them to
their local destinations." 

Shackson said they have been working closely with the Ann Arbor
Transportation Authority about planning bus routes from the depot to
other areas. Some hotels have indicated they would meet trains with
shuttle vehicles for incoming guests. 

Shackson said that they have also talked to some larger employers in
the area about use of the passenger rail service. Before it became
part of Pfizer, representatives of the former Warner-Lambert had
talked about providing transportation for employees of its Ann Arbor
facilities if the demand existed, he said. 

If the project stays on schedule, the regional rail service could be
available in 2005 or 2006, said Shackson, a retired transportation
professional who resides in Ann Arbor. 

Michael Benham, a veteran of 15 years of experience working for
Chicago's suburban rail system and a resident of Ann Arbor, is
working with Shackson on the local aspects of the project. 

By Duane Ramsey, IBJ