From The Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING – The city of East Lansing will not receive a $27 million federal stimulus grant officials wanted to build a transit center.

But the project isn’t dead.

The city, along with Michigan State University and the Capital Area Transportation Authority, will forge ahead with plans to redevelop the 35-year-old Amtrak station at 1240 S. Harrison Road.

Now, though, they’ll have to implement the project in phases – and they still plan to reach out to the federal government.

The city has requested $7 million in federal appropriations for the first phase, said Lori Mullins, the city’s community and economic development administrator. Any appropriations that are being considered now would be for next fiscal year.

It would include a new train station, improved parking and circulation on the site and a new platform. Later phases call for a parking structure, relocating MSU facilities from the site to campus and improved CATA facilities, Mullins said.

Read more:
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100218/NEWS01/2180342/1001/NEWS/East-Lansing-transit-center-plan-to-go-forward

From The State News

The city of East Lansing will not receive the $25 million it requested from a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant to renovate the Amtrak station on Harrison Road.

The grant would have upgraded the Amtrak facility and created a public parking structure, a project which city officials view as essential to redeveloping the Trowbridge corridor.

“(It) would have been great not only for the region but also for the Trowbridge corridor,” Councilmember Roger Peters said.

Read more:
http://statenews.com/index.php/article/2010/02/el_denied_25m_grant_to_improve_rail_station

From The Ann Arbor Chronicle

Chris Leinberger was blunt in his assessment of the proposed Fuller Road Station: If the parking structure is built as proposed, in 20 years it will be torn down.

Speaking at a forum on transit-oriented development, Leinberger – a University of Michigan professor of practice in urban planning – said current plans for the joint UM/city of Ann Arbor project do a good job of incorporating different kinds of transit, from bikes and buses to perhaps, eventually, commuter rail.

But Leinberger criticized the project for taking some of Ann Arbor’s most valuable land and turning it into something that won’t generate revenue for the city. He told Eli Cooper, the city’s transportation program manager, that “whoever’s in your position 20 years from now will tear it down.”

Monday’s forum, held at the UM Art & Architecture building on north campus, was organized by members of the WALLY Coalition and the 208 Group, among others, to focus on local transit-oriented development efforts. Moderated by local developer Peter Allen, the event included presentations by Cooper, Richard Murphy of the city of Ypsilanti and Shea Charles, Howell’s city manager.

Read more:
http://annarborchronicle.com/2010/02/17/transit-forum-critiques-fuller-road-station/

From the Detroit Free Press

The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press are both reporting Detroit is expected to receive a $25 million grant on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010 for the proposed M-1 light rail project along Woodward Avenue within the city limits. The grant is intended for environmental studies needed to begin the project.

Detroit Free Press article:
http://www.freep.com/article/20100216/NEWS01/100216045/1320/25M-grant-for-Woodward-rail-plan

The Detroit News article:
http://detnews.com/article/20100217/METRO01/2170363#ixzz0foDUN9Mq

From the Traverse City Record-Eagle

Lake State Railway may have operated unsafe train engine 

BY ART BUKOWSKI and LINDSAY VANHULLE
Record-Eagle staff writers

GRAYLING — A downstate rail company faces felony charges for allegedly sparking a massive 2008 blaze that torched about 1,300 acres of forest and several buildings in Crawford County. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox on Monday announced charges against Saginaw-based Lake State Railway, Inc. Cox contends the company started the April 24, 2008, wildfire in Crawford and another fire in Arenac County six days later by operating an unsafe train engine.

 The engine threw sparks from its exhaust system because it was missing standard safety equipment called spark arresters, officials said.

 LSR faces two felony counts of setting fire to a forest land and two misdemeanor counts of operating an engine without spark arresters.

 Of the four charges, one felony and one misdemeanor count apply to fires in each county, and company officials will face hearings in separate courts in those counties, Cox spokesman Nick De Leeuw said.

 LSR officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

 Prison time won’t be possible because a corporation is being charged, De Leeuw said, but the judge could order LSR to repay damage and rescue costs.

 Estimated costs of the Grayling fire total roughly $934,000 for damage and suppression efforts, Cox’s office said.

 The charges bring a measure of relief for local residents.

 “I think for the citizens of Crawford County, it’s a good thing … I think it will ease their minds a bit, that they know what the source was,” said David Stephenson, chairman of the Crawford County board of commissioners.

 The fire crept close to Grayling, and some residents at the time feared it would engulf the city.

 “That was way too close a call for the city of Grayling,” Stephenson said.

 Bob DeVries, a Grayling resident, said the fire was powerful enough that the wind carried it onto his property across Interstate 75.

 Today, “it looks like it’s been clear-cut,” DeVries said, adding he was glad to hear charges were filed. “They have to be responsible for their actions. They have to be responsible for the areas that they cover.”

 Read more:
http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_047003517.html