East Lansing Forum Promotes Statewide Rail Vision
A group of about 50 people attended a meeting in East Lansing last night to discuss their vision for the future of passenger rail in Michigan. This meeting was the second in a series of forums being sponsored by the MI Association of Railroad Passengers and the Michigan Environmental Council. Information on future forums scheduled around the state for the remainder of the summer and through the fall can be found at http://www.michiganbyrail.org/. Next week, a forum is scheduled in Battle Creek (7/15), with a stop in Traverse City scheduled for the following week (7/22).
The purpose of these forums is to build momentum and provide some advance feedback for a series of public hearings expected later this year being organized by the MI Department of Transportation. The department will be holding these later hearings as part of the process to develop a statewide rail plan as required by the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008.
The East Lansing forum was co-hosted by State Representative Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing) and East Lansing City Councilmember Nathan Triplett. Forum attendees participated in discussions about the status of rail infrastructure in Michigan, discussed local, state and federal rail projects and initiatives and even had a chance to create their own vision for where rail travel should exist in Michigan. Nearly universally, attendees felt that rail access from Grand Rapids to Detroit was critical, along with some sort of North-South axis, possibly even extending to the Upper Peninsula and connecting population and tourism centers. Connections based upon economic development were also at the forefront, with input concerning rail access to Metro Airport in Detroit and connections with Chicago, Canada and Toledo all being mentioned.
It was a great event and should help continue to drive the discussion about the importance of a statewide vision and committment to investment in rail travel in Michigan. If you have a chance to attend one of the upcoming forums, I would encourage you to do so and show your support for passenger rail in Michigan.
Chris Hackbarth is the transportation policy advisor for the Michigan Municipal League. Chris can be reached at 517-908-0303, or by email at chackbarth@mml.org.