From the Heritage Newspapers

The United States planned and built a national interstate highway system that transformed the nation’s social and economic structure. It took nearly 50 years to accomplish this task. Despite massive federal investments since that time, today segments of the highway system handle volumes of traffic that exceed capacity and are near the end of their useful life.

Our current transportation network suffers from increasing congestion, bottlenecks and poor structural conditions. Roads over capacity, bridges with restricted load capacity, backed up airport runways and missing non-motorized infrastructure. Clamoring for relief, the public is backing a push for high-speed and commuter rail as an alternative mode of transportation.

Improved regional, intercity, and interstate passenger rail service could provide an important boost to Michigan’s tattered economy by making the state a more attractive place to invest, live and do business. This effort is also able to reinvigorate the state’s manufacturing base to supply equipment for high-speed rail. The planned Midwest rail system improvements would provide businesspeople in Detroit, college students in Ann Arbor and Lansing, and residents in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek a direct and convenient connection with Chicago and each other.

According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan needs approximately $400 million in capital improvements to upgrade our rail infrastructure from the Detroit-Pontiac area to Kalamazoo. Further, this request is smaller than other states’ because the infrastructure exists. MDOT estimates they could complete the upgrades in fewer than 24 months.

Policy and transportation planners across the globe have ranked the Detroit-to-Chicago rail corridor as the most viable route outside of the East and West Coast. Michigan alone is in the position of doing high-speed rail faster more cost-effectively than any other region. This first-in-nation status would attract business investment and tourism.

This possibility has allowed the world of politics to be set aside. For the first time in recent memory, Republicans, Democrats, Realtors, unions and the chambers of commerce all understand the economic benefit of this opportunity. Workers see thousands of good paying green jobs, businesses tout the potential for vast economic growth, Realtors predict stabilized neighborhoods and increasing home values, and the public benefits from a faster, easier way to travel.

Politicians as diverse as Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Mike Rogers R-8th District, have championed the huge potential economic benefits of high-speed rail in Michigan. If the Michigan Legislature agrees to fund the 20 percent match necessary to complete this project, in 2012, Detroit to Chicago will be the first corridor in the nation to brag that we have achieved high-speed rail status from city to city.

The state needs to provide adequate funding for its entire infrastructure before it becomes too expensive to fix. Michigan must invest in maintaining its roads and bridges and invest in transit service and non-motorized infrastructure improvements. Transportation is the backbone of the economy, quality of life and the link to an improved future for Michigan.

Michigan has ranked near the bottom of nearly every economic indicator for too long. High-speed rail is a game changer for us — an opportunity to lead. If you are interested in new manufacturing jobs in Michigan, a more diverse economy, 21st century travel modes, I recommend you urge your local and congressional leaders to support the Michigan Department of Transportation to improve and expand passenger rail service across our state.

Source: http://www.heritage.com/articles/2010/10/02/opinion/doc4ca773c74ae67594588874.txt

From Ann Arbor.com

A massive national effort is underway to upgrade our transportation infrastructure. While the current federal administration is setting the nationwide vision for rail travel, Michigan is dangerously close to falling out of the equation.

Our state has routinely cut funding for Amtrak. Our rail service from Detroit to Chicago takes 5.5 hours, is unreliable and doesn’t run frequently enough. We can no longer dodge this critical investment. Unless we want to be left behind, Michigan must show Washington we’re truly committed to a comprehensive overhaul of our rail system. We must continue to modernize our rails now to attract federal dollars to make that happen.

A comprehensive effort for transit in our state would lay the ground work for Michigan to reap all the benefits high-speed rail travel has to offer: creating construction jobs, connecting businesses and helping them grow, cutting travel time to hubs like Chicago by a couple hours, reducing our dependency on foreign oil and helping new industries locate here.

The drawbacks of not upgrading our rail system should serve as even greater motivation to act. With all of Michigan’s economic struggles, we can’t afford to fall further behind. We’ve all seen the devastating effects of the auto industry’s delay in adjusting to the global economy and how it helped deepen our recession – we’re paying for it daily in lost jobs, home foreclosures and continued cuts to priorities like education and public safety.

High-speed rail will make Michigan a better place for businesses to succeed. We have top-notch research institutions, unparalleled manufacturing know-how and fine colleges and universities that continue to produce qualified graduates. It would be tragic to let this all fall by the wayside because we’re not connected to a modern regional transit system.

Naysayers will roll out the same old arguments about government spending. And I understand that, but we’re not isolated from global change. We can’t sit idle, because the world will leave us behind – and they’ll do it in part – on high-speed rails. We don’t have a choice. Yes, this will take investment, but innovation and progress always do. 

I’m not saying we need a 220-mph bullet train tomorrow – that’s not really feasible without smaller steps first – but we need to move Michigan forward. Letting our transportation fall even more behind is like putting a big “Closed For Business” sign up across Michigan. We can’t afford that. We need jobs, we need businesses and we need investment. Investors, entrepreneurs and federal transportation officials are looking decades down the road to determine how to use their resources today.
 We can’t let our short-term struggles force us into short-sighted policies that will hinder our recovery and haunt us for the next century. The stakes are just too high. 

The future of our state and our children will be dictated by the decisions we make today. If we choose not to develop high-speed rail we will lose more jobs, more employers and more investment. We need all those things to rebuild our economy, move Michigan forward and create a brighter tomorrow. We need to develop high-speed rail in Michigan and we need to do it quickly.

House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township, can be contacted by phone at (517) 373-0828 or toll-free at (800) 645-1581. Her e-mail address is pambyrnes@house.mi.gov and her website is byrnes.housedems.com.

Source: http://www.annarbor.com/news/opinion/michigan-cant-lag-behind-on-high-speed-rails/

From The Flint Journal

It wouldn’t be fair to say Michigan has been asleep at the switch when it comes to high speed rail to tie cities such as Flint to destinations in other places, but it hasn’t been moving as swiftly as other states.

It needs to start.

For years, Michigan and other Rust Belt states have been exploring a high-speed rail network to connect people and products in our major cities.

Imagine Flint being a couple-hours train ride away from Chicago, essentially becoming a suburb of that large Illinois city. Imagine a commute to the Detroit area or north to stops in the Great Lakes Bay Region being accomplished quickly, not to mention without the wear and tear on roads, vehicles and the environment.

The money to make such a system a reality is available. Eight billion dollars in economic stimulus funds have been earmarked for just this purpose, and the first round of grant money has already been doled out.

Yet Michigan secured only about $40 million to build train stations. Other states are much farther ahead.

In our automobile culture, where even car pooling can be a hard sell, the residents of Michigan as well as our leaders need to embrace high speed rail as vital component of future economic prosperity.

In addition to whisking passengers from place to place, such a system would be able to transport freight, making doing business here all the more attractive.

Around the state, including in Genesee County, public officials and average people have been meeting at forums to gather ideas and get people talking about public transportation.

Let’s hope these talks prove fruitful and that support for light rail continues to swell.

Source: http://www.mlive.com/opinion/flint/index.ssf/2010/10/calling_them_out_michigan_must.html

From The Grand Rapids Press

The Michigan By Rail traveling public forum made a whistle stop in Holland on Thursday to find out what kinds of statewide rail service people want.

High-speed rail transportation is a hot button issue with state and local officials these days because of a federal push being driven by stimulus money funneling out of Washington, D.C.

“The Michigan Department of Transportation has put in an application for a grant for around $400 million from the high speed stimulus money that could be used to purchase track for a dedicated high speed line,” said Tim Fischer, deputy policy director of the Michigan Environmental Council.

The forum, held at Holland East K-8 School, drew about three dozen people, mostly government officials, trying to find out where and when rail improvements might be coming.

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/09/michigan_high-speed_rail_plans.html

From the Burton View

Railroad lovers, transportation employees, curious residents and elected officials all turned out to give their take on the future path railroad transportation should take in Genesee County and regionwide.

Roughly 60 residents, including State Rep. Lee Gonzales, D-Flint Twp., Grand Blanc Township Supervisor Mikki Hoffman, and 51st House District candidate Art Reyes, showed up to the Michigan By Rail forum at the Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) headquarters.

The Sept. 30 event was hosted by the Michigan Environmental council and Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers meant to stimulate thought on what direction rail service should take in the future of Michigan.

Tim Fischer, deputy policy director for the Michigan Environmental Council, said 16 talks are being held statewide to get input from residents on how they would like to see rail service take place across the state. He said Gonzales was instrumental in bringing the discussion to the local area.

Gonzales, a member of the appropriations committee, said the state was behind on its initiative and focus for the future when it received just $40 million in stimulus funds for a possible high speed rail system. The federal government has set aside $8 billion to fund high speed rail service across the United States.

Fischer said the state is much better prepared for a second round, with awards to be announced in the near future. Award money was to have been announced last week, but no word has been given on the amount of funds to be received by the state.

Residents used the meeting to share their thoughts on where the money should be spent and tracks laid, outlining maps with paths to Chicago, Toledo, Ontario, as well as parts of Northern Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, Detroit and western Michigan areas.

Jim Slater, a member of the Blue Water Coalition and caretaker for the Lapeer Amtrack Station, said he hears a lot of discussion about travel from rail passengers. The most common thing he overhears about is the direction of travel, such as “Why do I have to go west to go east?,” with many passengers having to travel to Chicago before having the ability to venture to areas east and south.

“People want a more direct north/south train to travel,” he said. Other voices during the event said they would like service to more parts of northern Michigan, or even a trail line into the Upper Peninsula. Some argued a line stretching into areas that far north may not work, with population dense areas such as Grand Rapids, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and other areas more likely to be able to maintain enough passengers to be fiscally solvent.

Gonzales, who cannot run again for state representative due to terms limits in his current state position, said the whole decision comes down to money, and there may not be enough in the current or future budget to evoke much change.

“I have learned in this short six year period that it’s all about the money,” he told the crowd. “And, when it’s not about the money. It’s about the money.”

Source: http://burtonview.mihomepaper.com/news/2010-10-07/News/Talks_focus_on_railroad_possibilities_in_Michigan.html