Category Archives: News

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Sharing Woodward Avenue

From Metromode

Drive down Woodward Avenue and it’s pretty likely you’re utilizing the dominant form of transportation for that thoroughfare. At least for now.

The long-time car-dominant corridor makes its intentions known when you first hit McNichols Avenue heading north. The combination of small buildings and a big boulevard subconsciously speeds up traffic on the avenue at the expense of everything else. The thinking behind that paradigm is changing as local leaders work to turn Woodward into a transit-inclusive corridor.

That means making the thoroughfare friendly to all forms of transportation, like pedestrians, bicyclists, trains and automobiles. It also means building density and economic opportunity along Michigan’s Main Street. The belief is that by making Woodward less car-dominant it can grow into one of Metro Detroit’s primary economic engines.

“The time has come,” says Heather Carmona, executive director of the Woodward Avenue Action Association, a non-profit that advocates for the avenue. “The irony is decades ago Woodward was a transportation-inclusive corridor, but it lost that with the rise of the automotive industry. However, it’s coming back full circle.”

Read the complete article:
http://www.metromodemedia.com/features/multimodalwoodward0147.aspx

Ann Arbor-to-Detroit rail line delayed due to funding shortage

From AnnArbor.com

The scheduled date to start daily service of a commuter rail line between Ann Arbor and Detroit has been indefinitely delayed due to a shortage of funding.

Carmine Palombo, director of transportation programs for the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments, said the Ann Arbor to Detroit rail will run only for special events beginning in October. No new target date has been set as the agency searches for more money.

Jeff_Irwin_rail.jpg But Palombo said the process toward the original goal is still in motion.

“We’re still trying to develop this project, and we’re still working toward four trains a day,” he said. “We just weren’t as successful as we would have liked to be getting the money, so we came to the conclusion we weren’t going offer four round-trips.”

Read more:
http://www.annarbor.com/news/ann-arbor-to-detroit-rail-line-delayed/

Save 20% on Amtrak Travel in Michigan

Enjoy a Ride between the Great Lakes

See the great state of Michigan as it’s meant to be seen on the Blue Water, Pere Marquette and Wolverine and save 20% through April 29, 2010.

Getting there is half the fun — and on the train your time is your own. Catch up with friends or a good book. Or tune out and enjoy the view. There’s a lot to see in Michigan, such as more than twenty historically preserved cities like Lapeer, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. Or visit Detroit, the birthplace of Motown. Plus, the lively university town of Ann Arbor is a center for performing arts.

Get ready to see everything between the Lakes, and save 20% on a ticket when you click on the “Book It Now” button.

Terms and Conditions
  • Valid for 20% off the regular (full) adult rail fare.
  • Valid for sale January 1, 2009 – April 29, 2010.
  • Valid for travel January 2 – April 30, 2010.
  • Blackout dates:
     – January 3 – 4, 2010
     – February 12 and 15, 2010
     – April 2 and 4 – 5, 2010
  • Offer is valid for travel on the Blue Water, Pere Marquette and Wolverine only.
  • Reservations must be made at least three days prior to travel date.
  • Up to two children ages 2-15 may accompany each adult at half the regular (full) adult rail fare.
  • Seating is limited, seats may not be available on all trains at all times.
  • Valid for Coach seats only; upgrade to Business class is allowed upon payment of full applicable accommodation fee.
  • Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice.
  • Subject to any restrictions, blackouts and refund rules that apply to the type of fare purchased and upon which the discount is based.
  • Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted.
  • Not combinable with any other discount offer.
  • Other restrictions may apply.

Book your reservation on Amtrak’s website:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/AM_Content_C/1246042803253/1

Big ridership gains on Blue Water and Wolverine trains

The Blue Water and Wolverine services each posted impressive ridership
numbers during the month of February. 

The Wolverine experienced a 13.5% increase over the previous year’s performance.  The Blue Water also experienced an increase of 9.2% followed by the Pere Marquette that inched past last February’s ridership by 0.2%.

Ticket Revenue for each of the Michigan services was healthy with the Wolverine increasing revenue by 18.5% followed by the Blue Water and Pere Marquette with increases of 13.4% and 10.3%, respectively.

Therese G. Cody at the Michigan Department of Transportation said the recent inclement weather in the Midwest (Illinois and Michigan) travel market, coupled with higher fuel prices had a positive impact on corridor ridership and ticket revenue.

All 3 trains in Michigan were above Amtrak budget:
Train                  Budget$            Budget%    Actual$        Actual% 
Wolverine            $953,675           16.9%        $1,115,021   18.5%
Blue Water          $233,602           12.0%        $261,593      13.4%      
Pere Marquette    $172,205            6.4%         $183,239      10.3%
NBM 09 #’s were not taken into consideration in the above #’s

Englewood flyover work to begin this year

From Trains Magazine

Published: Friday, March 05, 2010
CHICAGO – Officials Friday gathered at Chicago’s busy junction at Englewood to announce that work will begin later this year on a 2,000-foot flyover. The bridge will carry Metra’s Rock Island District commuter route over the Norfolk Southern main line that is shared with Amtrak trains from Michigan and the East Coast.U.S. Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee; Chicago Mayor Richard Daley; U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin; U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois; and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn stood in front of the diamond as Amtrak train No. 365 from Port Huron, Mich., formed a moving backdrop for the announcement.

The $133 million project will begin late this year and will be completed by 2012, Lipinski said. He added that the project is the linchpin of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency program. CREATE is a project to alleviate congestion in Chicago by building new bridges, connections, and better signals at critical junctions.

Amtrak Board Chairman Tom Carper said at the announcement the project will eliminate the single biggest source of train delays for Amtrak in the Midwest. He said that the railroad’s number one driver of customer satisfaction is on-time performance.

The junction sees 78 Metra, 46 freight, and 14 Amtrak trains each week day. The project is expected to employ about 1,500 people and will eliminate about 7,500 hours of delay on the Metra Rock Island district.

TranSystems, the company that built Kansas City’s Argentine and Sheffield flyovers, has been selected to build the flyover.

The project has been planned since 2002. – Matt Van Hattem and Jim Wrinn

http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=6444