It’s a trip from one end of Michigan to the other using passenger transportation – train, bus, and bike. The purpose of the trip is to demonstrate the opportunities and challenges of Michigan’s passenger transportation system.

Trans4Mers will celebrate groundbreaking transportation events of 2012 and 2013. You can virtually “travel” with Trans4m by following travelers on Facebook and Twitter, or come along for the ride. To read our first blog post on the event, click here.

Our Itinerary
This year’s Odyssey begins Thursday morning in Traverse City with a bike ride along a portion of the 10.5 mile TART trail which links to over 30 miles of regional trails.

Next, we’ll head to Grand Rapids by Indian Trails. We’ll review progress on the upcoming Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route, the first modern rapid transit project in Michigan.

Odyssey travelers will next head to Kalamazoo, again by Indian Trails motor coach. We’ll explore the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, a trail which runs through downtown Kalamazoo.

We’ll take Amtrak from the historic Kalamazoo inter-modal transportation center to Ann Arbor where we’ll discuss the recently approved bike sharing program. We’ll also learn about the relatively new public-private partnership service, AirRide.

We’ll see how the service operates by taking it from Ann Arbor to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. At the airport we’ll celebrate the formation of the Regional Transit Authority and highlight some of its immediate opportunities. We’ll leave the airport on a SMART bus to Detroit where we’ll conclude this year’s transportation Odyssey with a look at Detroit’s new streetcar project, M-1 Rail and a transportation forum.

Coalition members, supporting partners, community stakeholders, and MI residents are invited to join Trans4M at our city stops, or to come along for the ride. Beginning September 1 you will be able to register to attend one of the events, including events in Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor and Detroit. Click here for a complete itinerary (more details are added daily)! Join our Facebook Page to get the latest details and updates on the Odyssey.

Registration will begin September 1, 2013.

Planning a Saturday trip on Michigan Flyer-AirRide between Ann Arbor and East Lansing or Detroit Metro Airport this fall?

If so, you should know that on five University of Michigan home football game Saturdays, several of its scheduled runs will NOT be stopping at the Blake Transit Center (BTC.)

Instead, due to road closures and detours , these motorcoaches will bypass the BTC and go directly to the Kensington Court Hotel. This will affect many of our runs before, during, and after the following home games:

Aug. 31: U-M versus Central Michigan, 3:30 p.m
Sept. 7: U-M versus Notre Dame, 8 p.m.
Sept. 14: U-M versus Akron, noon
Oct. 5: U-M versus Minnesota, 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 19: U-M versus Indiana, 3:30 p.m.

However, some Michigan Flyer-AirRide runs will continue to stop at the BTC on these days. It’s easy to find out which ones: Just check the “Book a Trip” feature on the Michigan Flyer-AirRide website, which has already been programmed to show when the BTC is available as an arrival or departure point on football Saturdays. 

Finally, please note that the BTC ticket sales office will be closed on the same Saturdays during the periods when our coaches aren’t stopping there, and that for the homecoming game on Oct. 5 it will be closed until 7:30 p.m. or later. (Find BTC’s regular hours here.)

Amtrak will designate a Quiet Car® on weekday Wolverine Service trains between Chicago and Michigan starting August 19. The Michigan Department of Transportation supports this service enhancement in response to its popularity on other routes elsewhere in the Amtrak national network.

“In today’s business world, being connected and able to work from an Amtrak train is an advantage. Amtrak understands this, and so we welcome cell phone and computer use on-board our trains,” said Amtrak Central Division General Superintendent Tom Connolly. “But it is clear there is also a market for peace and quiet, so it is also an advantage for us to provide a railcar each weekday on Wolverine Service trains where travelers can unplug.”

The Wolverines are an increasingly popular way for travelers to shun high gasoline prices, tolls and parking charges between Michigan and Chicago. The Wolverine Service trains topped 421,000 passengers during the past 10 months (Oct. 2012-July 2013), an increase of nearly six percent.

There are three round-trips on the Chicago-Ann Arbor-Detroit-Pontiac corridor every day. Seats in the Quiet Cars do not require a special reservation – they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For the time being, Quiet Car service will not be provided on weekends.

“Many of our passengers are telling us they use their train trip to unwind, read or catch up on their sleep,” said Connolly. “They can’t do that as well when the rest of the car is buzzing and ringing with calls home and to the office.”

While riding in the Quiet Cars, passengers are asked to refrain from using cell phones, noisy computer programs or engaging in loud conversation. The Quiet Car on Wolverine trains will be at the opposite end of the train from the Café car, which will also reduce sound volumes.

Amtrak will place signs on the Quiet Cars and will put notices on the trains and at stations to help inform passengers. More information about Quiet Cars is under the “Plan” tab on Amtrak.com.

The only other corridor in the Amtrak Chicago Hub with Quiet Car service is the Hiawatha Service between Chicago and Milwaukee. Hiawatha ridership records have been routinely set, with more than 838,000 passengers last year: a 60 percent increase since Quiet Cars were introduced on the route in 2005.