Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers
Member Meeting
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Ann Arbor Amtrak Station
325 Depot Street
Ann Arbor MI 48104

Please plan to join us at 10:00 am at the Ann Arbor Amtrak Station where we will be given an overview of WALLY: The Washtenaw-Livingston Commuter Train and be updated on progress toward the start of service between Howell and Ann Arbor. Michael Benham, Commuter Rail Coordinator for Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, will be the presenter.

Following the presentation, we will move across the street to Casey’s Tavern (304 Depot Street, phone 734-665-6775) for the MARP business meeting. Clark Charnetski will share information on the proposed new Amtrak station for Ann Arbor. Further discussion and socializing will take place over our usual no-host lunch.

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

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MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS
36th ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING
Saturday, September 12, 11 am – 3 pm
Kalamazoo Public Library
315 South Rose, Kalamazoo MI 49007
(4 blocks south of the Amtrak station)

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Don’t be left standing on the platform! Don’t miss the informative and interesting program we have planned for you. Invited speakers include Congressman Mark Schauer, Al Johnson, MDOT High Speed Rail, Tim Fischer, Transportation Policy Director, Michigan Environmental Council, and Railroad Historian Mark Tomlonson.

Chair John DeLora will review the year’s accomplishments and look ahead to the exciting prospects for expansion of passenger train service in Michigan as we contemplate tapping into new federal funding for the Midwest high speed rail network.

We need to hear from you by close of business on Saturday, September 5. Please send an email to: kay.chase@wmich.edu

Include your name, mailing address and phone number. If you plan to bring a guest, please include that name as well. $20/ person to cover the cost of materials and a delectable catered lunch will be collected at the door

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

MARP Meeting
August 22, 2009
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Macatawa Area Coordinating Council Office
301 Douglas Ave, Holland MI, 49424
(616) 395-2688

Our guest speaker will be Steve Bulthuis, Assistant Director of the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council. Steve will speak about the purpose, organization, and evolving role of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in developing and executing local transportation plans. Steve will also tell about the activities of the Westrain Collaborative, the marketing collaborative for the Pere Marquette, which he chairs.

Read the meeting’s agenda by clicking here.

Following the business meeting, the group will adjourn to Blazer’s for lunch. Blazer’s is at 977 Butternut Dr, Holland, MI 49424, phone (616) 399-8800.

Plan to spend the remainder of the day (weekend) exploring the many attractions Holland offers. For information on events and lodging visit:
http://holland.org/sections/31-events

For directions to the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council Office:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=s&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bk-gm&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=google%20maps

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

The June MARP meeting will be held 10 a.m. June 13, 2009 at Port Huron Museum’s Main Museum, which was a Carnegie Library, on Sixth Street between Court and Wall streets one block west of Military Street, Port Huron’s main drag. We will be in the South Gallery on the Main Floor. Exhibits will be open to members following the business meeting, including a fine railroad history exhibit created by TJ Gaffney, who is our main speaker. TJ, a Port Huron native who worked at the museum before taking over at the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, will be discussing the insititute’s TrainFestival 2009 July 23-26 in Owosso, which is where and when our July meeting will be held (July 25).

Port Huron is rich in rail, maritime and Michigan history as well as contemporary attractions. MARP members are urged to leave sufficient time for exploring numerous sites in addition to the Main Museum. Maps will be provided for convoys to the entrance of the St. Clair River railroad tunnel, the adjacent Amtrak station, the Thomas Edison depot museum, Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, the Huron Lightship Museum and the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble museum, all an easy drive. By the way, member and former officer Tim Backhurst is involved with some of these historical presentations and likely will be with us and enlighten us June 13.

Visitors also will want to check into Acheson Ventures Vantage Point, a special lake freighter viewing platform and building on the St. Clair River adjacent to the historic Pere Marquette depot and the isolated Pere Marquette RR drawbridge that has been up (open) over the Black River for decades. This was our initial meeting place but a major community flower show will be held there that morning. But it is worth visiting. So leave time!

We will pass the hat for contributions to the museum.

This is a meeting to bring your spouses or significant others to; they can attend the meeting or explore the museum or walk into downtown Port Huron to shop.

By the way, this a business meeting, too. Here’s the agenda.

The museum’s website:
http://www.phmuseum.org/

A map to the Carnegie Main Museum and other sites:
http://www.phmuseum.org/Map.html

The address for those who wish to GPS, Google or Mapquest for directions:
1115 6th St
Port Huron, MI 48060

For information on the Boat Landing:
http://www.achesonventures.com/