MINUTES

                           MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS

                                                Monthly Membership Meeting

                              Macatawa Area Coordinating Council Office, Holland

                                                          August 22, 2009

Those Signing In:  Steve T. Sobel, Clark Charnetski, Hugh Gurney, Kay Chase, Bob Tischbein, Ron Leatz, Jim Wallington, Archie Lhamon, Don Monteith, Rich Vavra-Musser, Larry Sobczak, June Troost, Dianne Patterson, Robert Patterson, Jim Hinkins, J. R. Valderas, John D. Langdon, John DeLora, David Williams, Dave Randall

Also Present:  Steve Bulthuis, Ed Hekman

Call to Order:  Secretary Gurney called the meeting to order at 10:48 a.m.

Treasurer’s Report:  Randall reported that, as of July 31, 2009, there was a total of $4,651.77 in the checking account and the Pratt Fund was valued at $11,882.20.  Two more issues of the newsletter must be paid for before the end of the year.  A membership renewal reminder will be mailed shortly to those who have not yet renewed for 2009.

Langdon moved acceptance of the Treasurer’s Report.  This was seconded by Vavra-Musser and approved by the membership present.

Randall passed out an article titled Maine’s Marvelous Trains.  He emphasized that this is what we want in Michigan – WiFi, on time operation, friendly service.

Guest Speaker:  Following introductions by all present, Chairman DeLora took the gavel and introduced Steve Bulthuis, Director of the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council.  Bulthuis passed out a briefing paper discussing what a metropolitan planning organization does.   The Macatawa Area Coordinating Council is the metropolitan planning organization for the Holland area and attempts to coordinate surface transportation planning in order that the various governments in the area can be eligible for federal funds.   Membership includes nine local units of government, two counties and their road commissions, the transit authority and MDOT.  The group develops and keeps current a 4-5 year transportation improvement plan and a long range transportation plan which looks ahead 35 years. 

One of the strengths of the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council is its five member executive committee representing local non governmental organizations.  This group has been extremely influential in supporting Amtrak’s Pere Marquette over the years and in helping to create Westrain, a collaboration of private, institutional and governmental

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entities functioning as an advocacy group for the train.  Westrain was organized in 1994-95 to restore daily service to the Pere Marquette after state budget cuts.  It was successful in getting daily service restored in 1995. In its early years, Westrain worked to develop awareness of the existence of the train.  It is now focusing on building ridership.  To accomplish its goal, Westrain uses a variety of strategies including billboards and radio.  In order to penetrate the Chicago market effectively and build more Chicago-West Michigan ridership, the organization has resorted to the internet as the most cost effective media.  The www.mitrain  website highlights the train and the stations that it serves.  The website is still in its infancy and could include much more data.  Bulthuis urged anyone with information to channel it through John Langdon.  As Westrain is not a legal entity, state promotional funding for the Pere Marquette is managed by the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council.

In response to questions about links, Bulthuis stated that one the most effective has been the Chicago Current Affairs link, a geographically driven face book.  Key words like “Michigan trains” will also direct one to the www.mitrain  website.  Michigan.org has also been very supportive.   While the group has worked to promote Holland State Park and local and county parks, Westrain has not yet developed a close working relationship with DNR and its multitude of resources.

So far, the push for a second daily Pere Marquette has fallen on deaf ears in the legislature.  The effort right now is to preserve current service.  Bulthuis  stressed that current efforts must be made by individual groups and entities as these members have differing positions.  His organization, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, believes that passenger rail may have to take a hit in the current state budget crisis and that less than daily service would be acceptable.

Vavra-Musser informed Bulthuis that MARP wants to see seven day service for as long as the funding lasts, rather than settle for 3-4 days a week service. 

Minutes of the July 25, 2009 meeting in Owosso were reviewed.  Charnetski moved acceptance with corrections.  The motion was seconded by Vavra-Musser and approved by the membership present.

Key Issues:

            Save Our Trains:  DeLora reported that about twenty people turned out for the Save Our Trains rally that morning in East Lansing.  He made signboards which were very effective.  Both Channels 10/47 and 6 covered the event.  DeLora talked to Matt, the director of Save Our Trains about additional rallies, and Matt was very supportive of working together.  After considerable discussion, it was decided to attempt two rallies, one in Flint and one in Grand Rapids, on the morning of Saturday, September 12.  Members were urged to participate in one of these rallies prior to attending the Annual Meeting in Kalamazoo.

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            Funding Status:  Langdon reported no new information since the last meeting, with transportation funding for 2010 still to be determined by a conference committee at the state level.  The $400,000 Amtrak supplemental for 2009 has passed both the house and the senate.

            Amtrak Caucus: Langdon noted that Tim Fischer of MARP and the Michigan Environmental Council now supports the idea of an Amtrak Caucus in the legislature, proposed recently by Senator Jason Allen.  In order to broaden its scope, an alternate title for such a group could be the “Intercity Passenger Caucus”. 

Charnetski pointed out that the Wisconsin State Highway map lists intercity bus stations and urged MARP to pursue similar information on the Michigan state map.  Robert Patterson declared that such information could easily be added in the area where Lake Michigan is shown.

            FRA Stimulus Funding Proposals – Michigan and Indiana:  Langdon passed around sheets describing the seven Pre-Applications that MDOT has submitted.  While covering the entire Pontiac-New Buffalo Wolverine route, they are very vague.  The deadline for final applications in October 7.  Indiana has submitted pre-applications for Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati, Chicago-Cleveland, and one titled “Indiana Gateway”, which proposes to uncork the freight bottlenecks between Porter and Chicago.  It appears that every state is submitting every possible proposal, so it is hard to determine what will be approved.  In response to a question from Charnetski, DeLora said that the proposals in their present form are too vague to determine whether they would cover an additional siding at Ann Arbor or not.

            High Speed Rail:  Langdon pointed out that the Midwest Regional High Speed Rail Plan still shows the Pere Marquette line rerouted to run Holland-Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Chicago.  DeLora stated that we must oppose an either-or situation, as he believes there will be sufficient ridership to support both the existing and the proposed routes.  The present Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids rail line is in bad shape and would have to be rebuilt to support high speed rail.. 

Turning to the hydrogen high speed rail proposal, Charnetski stated he believed it was more about distributing hydrogen to fuel automobiles and trucks, with the railroad an incidental.  The technology is still unproven.  Charnetski urged that we remain neutral.

After considerable discussion, DeLora moved that MARP send a letter of inquiry to State Representative Bill Rogers requesting detailed information about the Interstate Traveler Proposal.  The motion was seconded by Robert Patterson.  After assigning Charnetski as liaison and agreeing that the draft be distributed to the Executive Committee for review, the motion was passed.

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            Petition Drive:  Langdon informed the group that Fischer was in the process of setting up appointments with key legislators to deliver the petitions against cuts in Amtrak funding that we have gathered to date.

Coordinator Reports:

            Annual Meeting: Chase noted that the MARP Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, September 12, following the rallies in Grand Rapids and Flint.  She passed out registration forms and urged all the complete them and return them to her by the close of the meeting.  Congressman Fred Upton from St. Joseph will be given the Citizen of the Year Award for his continuing support of passenger rail and transit.  Unfortunately, he cannot be present.  DeLora will arrange for a presentation ceremony in Washington, DC.

Newly elected Congressman Mark Schauer has been invited, but we have not yet heard if he will be present.  Schauer is on the House Transportation Committee and has already proven to be very effective.  A railroad historian from Kalamazoo will be making a presentation.  Representatives from Indian Trails and MDOT have been invited. 

Chase will be alerting the media to this event.  A card will be mailed to all members urging attendance.  Chase asked that each person present attend and bring two guests.

            Future Meetings:  MARP will be meeting in Ann Arbor on October 10 and Bangor on November 14.  DeLora asked that December be held open for a possible meeting if necessary.

            Public/Government Affairs:  Langdon and Chase attended the Michigan Environmental Council’s regional meeting.  MEC has developed a list of key legislation dealing with environmental issues and is scoring individual legislators on their votes on each of these bills.  Results will be published in the next newsletter.

            Membership:  Randall will be sending a renewal reminder to those who have yet to renew in 2009.  Charnetski expressed hope that the commuter services coming on line will help MARP build membership.

            Communications:  As agreed at the last meeting, Chase sent out a news release announcing MARP’s position on proposed state cuts in Amtrak service.  She is aware that the Flint Journal picked up the story.  She asked members to alert her of other coverage.   The news release was posted on the MARP website.

            Newsletter:  Valderas was pleased that The Michigan Passenger  was well received by those participating in the Pere Marquette 25^th Anniversary celebration.  The newspaper remains an effective marketing tool as evidenced by people in Alma being told to use the coupon to join MARP.  The Steam Railroading Institute’s ad in the most recent issue is being treated as a donation to SRI. 

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Langdon complimented Valderas on his work.  He also announced that Ron Leatz is the new distributor for Niles and Dowagiac.  In response to Leatz’s question about the need

for a Quick Trak machine in Dowagiac, DeLora affirmed that Amtrak and MDOT truly appreciative of that community’s cooperation on closing grade crossings and would probably comply with such a request.  Leatz noted the absence of Amtrak signing at the station.

            Website:  Sobczak suggested that MARP use Twitter to involve more young people in MARP.  Chase and Vavra-Musser thought this would be helpful.  Sobczak was asked to investigate the matter further and report at the next meeting. 

In response to a question about why MARP’s vision statement was not posted on the website, Sobczak responded that the membership had voted not to post it after it was developed two years ago.  Wallington moved to post MARP’s Vision Statement on the MARP website after revision.  Langdon seconded the motion and it was approved by the members present.

            Outreach:  Langdon reported that 36,000 people had attended the Steam Festival in Owosso in late July. Unfortunately, Randall has noted no new members from this four day event.  Excess literature has been distributed to Amtrak stations throughout Michigan.  Langdon passed around a list of upcoming events and asked those wishing to volunteer to sign up.

Regional Chair Reports:

            East/Central:  No report.

            Northern:  Wallington reminded the group that Indian Trails is approaching MDOT on a proposal to serve Sault Ste. Marie.  If approved, the new service will be posted on the MARP website.

            Western: Langdon handed out statistics indicating that Amtrak ridership was down in June in Michigan, probably due to the drop in gas prices and the declining economy.  The Pere Marquette 25^th anniversary celebration created much interest and was covered in all the West Michigan papers.  MDOT participated in a big way with the MDOT director riding the train from Grand Rapids to Holland.  Mayors of all the cities served were present when the train pulled in to their respective communities.  According to Vavra-Musser, the mayor, a representative from Congressman Upton’s office and the local state representative were present at St. Joseph.  Valderas noted at least a dozen on the platform at New Buffalo although no observance was planned there.  Langdon added that many expressed support for a morning trains from Chicago on both the Pere Marquette and Blue Water routes.

            Metro:  According to Hinkins, the M-1 light rail proposal has been put on hold.  DDOT wants to use the private funding garnished for M-1 as a match for its proposed light rail system extending out Woodward Avenue to the State Fair Grounds.  TRU has found that curb operation will interfere with motor vehicles making right turns.

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Hinkins is still trying to get in touch with Preservation Wayne about the Michigan Central Depot in Detroit.  If Cobo Hall is renovated, the abandoned depot could serve as a stop a rail connection.  According to Charnetski, Amtrak still owns the platform, but not the building.

Indian Trails may begin serving Detroit, thus avoiding layovers in Flint.

The Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail proposal is still a go, with service scheduled to start in October, 2010.  However, a lot of work remains to be done, including the West Detroit crossover and layover sidings in Ann Arbor and Detroit.  The airport connector station will be in Wayne.  Ypsilanti is still debating on the location of the platform there.

In a recent discussion with a representative from Great Lakes Central, Valderas learned that G-35 freight locomotives with added generators will power the commuter trains.

Charnetski reported that SEMCOG would host public meetings on their long range transportation plan on September 10 at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor and on September at its headquarters in Detroit.

In response to a question from Vavra-Musser, Charnetski confirmed that there would be two commuter rail stations in Ann Arbor, one for the WALLY and one for the Ann Arbor-Detroit line.  Langdon suggested a field trip to the locations of the two stations when we meet in Ann Arbor in October.

Old Business:

            National Train Day:  Valderas is still hoping to develop an eight month planning schedule for 2010 which would allow us to approach Amtrak about having equipment on display.  He hopes to announce that schedule at the Annual Meeting. 

New Business:

            Route Guides:  Valderas reported that Amtrak was preparing route guides for all trains, including those serving Michigan.

            Winter Operations:  Langdon received an e-mail from Derrick James of Amtrak informing him that Amtrak would continue operating Superliner equipment on the Pere Marquette and begin operating Superliner equipment on the Blue Water during the winter months. 

Adjournment:  The meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted:                                      Accepted:

Hugh D. Gurney, Secretary                                           John DeLora, Chair

MINUTES

July 25, 2009

Those Signing In: Hugh Gurney, Clark Charnetski, Don Monteith, Kay Chase, Archie Lhamory, Jim Wallington, John Langdon, Dick Pekarek, Dan Matz, Ken Henry, Andrew Kent, Rich Vavra-Musser, David G. Common, Leonard D. Barry, Tom Carroll, John DeLora, Jim Hinkins, Michael Frezell, Dave Randall, Roger Webster

Also Present: Phil Randall, Tim Randall

Call to Order: Vice Chair Don Monteith called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Those present were asked to introduce themselves and state the community they resided in.

Treasurer’s Report: Dave Randall presented the Treasurer’s Report. As of June 30, 2009, the checking account amounted to $5,557.33 and the Pratt Fund was valued at $11,160.05. Langdon moved acceptance of the Treasurer’s report, seconded by Vavra-Musser. The Treasurer’s Report was approved by those present.

Secretary’s Report: Hugh Gurney distributed copies of the minutes of the June 13 meeting in Port Huron. Langdon moved acceptance with one correction. Vavra-Musser seconded. The minutes as corrected were approved by those present.

Annual Meeting: Kay Chase announced that the Annual Meeting will be held at the Public Library in Kalamazoo on Saturday, September 12 at 11:00 a.m. Rail history will be the speaker’s topic. An excellent catered lunch was promised.

October Meeting: Clark Charnetski informed the group that the October meeting would take place in Ann Arbor on Saturday, October 10. The meeting will start at the Amtrak station at 10:00 a.m., then move across the street to Casey’s Tavern at 11:00 a.m.

Indian Trails: MARP Chair John DeLora took the gavel at 10:20 a.m. and introduced our host, Ken Henry of Indian Trails. Henry noted that Indian Trails will have been in business for 100 years in 2010. He then shared a potential plan for Indian Trails to serve Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, without adding to the mileage that MDOT will support. To do that, the western UP route would be cut back to Iron Mountain or Iron River rather than running all the way to Ironwood on the state’s western border. Indian Trails might also cut service to Calumet, which accounts for one or two passengers a week. Henry

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projects that 2,000 passengers would board at Sault Ste. Marie, which is a terminal on the cross Canada Greyhound service. Canadian Greyhound would cross the bridge from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, for connecting passengers. Indian Trails has been encouraged to extend service to Sault Ste. Marie by Harry Gow of Transport 2000 and by Lake Superior State University. Henry plans to present his proposal to MDOT officials on August 17. The present limousine service between St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie is not a conflict because it runs infrequently. He asked for any support MARP could give.

Langdon asked if there was a possibility of extending Amtrak Thuway Service to Sault Ste. Marie. Henry responded that Brenda Cheney of Indian Trails was pursuing this with Amtrak.

Charnetski suggested that IT use the publicly owned Menominee airport rather than Marinette as a stop in that area. He also recommended that IT serve the Green Bay airport rather than the bus station and that IT drop the stop in Pestigo when the new highway opens.

Henry stated that with the change in Amtrak schedules, IT will hold the connecting bus in Battle Creek for up to 30 minutes for passengers from Amtrak train #350. The connection with Amtrak #354 cannot be tightened because IT needs to also make connections in Benton Harbor and Holland.

Michigan Flyer service is still not profitable, but growing. Currently, they are transporting 270-300 passengers on 8 daily round trips. Henry would like to see this number over 300 on a regular basis. They are seeing lots of students traveling between East Lansing and Ann Arbor and vice versa.

Detroit Metro Airport has made no recent moves against the service, but still will not permit signage. Their attitude has softened, but they still won’t offer a welcoming hand. Checker sedan, which had served Ann Arbor, has withdrawn from this service and Metrocars is in bankruptcy. Regional air carriers out of Lansing may adjust fares downward which could affect Michigan Flyer. Schedules will be modified on August 19. Indian Trails is adding new equipment with more luggage space.

In response to a question from DeLora, Henry responded that the stop in Mount Pleasant is at the Casino because staffing has been available there. To date, there has not been a lot of traffic from the students at Central Michigan, although two stops in Mount Pleasant are not out of the question. DeLora will contact city officials to see if they can be of assistance.

There have been 89 Amtrak Thruway passengers this year to date on the Calumet-Milwaukee line. To promote UP service, Indian Trails has purchased several billboards, plus 15 second TV commercials. For students, they are promoting the service on U-Tube.

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Indian Trails is no longer printing timetables. Their website is being redesigned so people can print off a schedule.

Regional Chair Reports

East/Central: Kent reported that Norma Ward was gathering petitions urging restoration of Amtrak funding at Durand during the period that Southern Pacific #4449 was passing through. The train was at Durand for several hours.

Northern: No charters have been scheduled so far this year according to Kent.

Western: Because of track work, Pere Marquette #371 inbound to Chicago will be operating one hour earlier on weekdays through mid September, according to Langdon. The train will adhere to its published schedule on August 5, its Silver Anniversary. A lounge car will be added on that day and the train will carry the MDOT Director and other officials including Ron Jelinek, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Ceremonies are planned at each station on the line. Congressman Vern Ehlers will be among those greeting the train at Grand Rapids.

Passengers and crew will be offered a piece of anniversary cake and passengers will be given a gift bag with West Michigan treats including pickles, blueberries and Dutch mints. Charnetski suggested that a copy of Michigan Passenger be added.

The new New Buffalo station on the Wolverine line is almost ready. They are currently looking for a good location for a QuickTrack machine. MDOT claims that each stop a train makes costs them money, so are resistant to maintaining the current stop on the Pere Marquette line. A former mayor is looking into the possibility of the casino foundation funding the stop. Westrain would like to see stops in Watervliet and Fennville as well.

An appropriations set aside in the 2009 federal budget provides $3 million of a projected $8 million needed for a new station in Grand Rapids. This will become a reality eventually.

Metro: Jim Hinkins reported that there was a good attendance at the recent dedication of the new Rosa Parks bus terminal in Detroit, which will serve DDOT buses and Megabus. The new terminal seems to work very well.

MDOT has hired a consultant for the planned track improvements at West Detroit, but no date has been set for bids going out.

The Woodward Avenue light rail plan has hit a snag. DDOT has been planning a line running down the middle of Woodward Avenue, while the privately funded line from New Center to downtown would run at curbside. Engineering studies have decided that the curbside alignment is not feasible because of drainage and conflict with parked cars. This issue must be resolved before further progress can be made.

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Hinkins has been trying to get in contact with Preservation Wayne for an update on the status of the Central Michigan Depot.

Charnetski reported that the Ann Arbor Transportation authority has hired a consultant to develop a public information program for WALLY. Unfortunately, the Ann Arbor Railroad recently removed an interchange switch with the Norfolk Southern to prevent interchange of commuter equipment between WALLY and the Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter system. A target date of October, 2010 is still projected. AATA has hired a new CEO who has past experience with Greyhound and Portland Metro.

Wallington reported that he was surprised to see a very long freight on the Conrail Shared Assets line from West Detroit to Shelby Township late on a weekend night.

Coordinator Reports:

Government Affairs: Langdon reported that at a recent meeting in Fort Wayne, it appeared Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels would be supportive of the South of the Lake project. Nobody has seen the actual application, but it has been reported that Indiana will be requesting $47 million for South of the Lake, which will include an extra route to Fort Wayne. How far the proposed South of the Lake route and the Fort Wayne route coalesce remains to be seen. We also don’t know what priority Indiana is giving to the South of the Lake route. Additional money for CREATE in Chicago has been allotted.

MDOT has made seven applications for funding from the stimulus packets covering upgrades on the various host railroads, Amtrak owned trackage and Amtrak stations.

Al Johnson heads a new MDOT section which will coordinate stimulus funding. He will report to Tim Hoeffner. The goal is to have trains operating Chicago-Detroit in three hours and forty five minutes. Reduction in travel time, not speed, is the goal.

On the state level, Amtrak funding is still in conference committee, with the House of Representatives calling for $5.7 million and the Senate $3.7. A total of $7.3 million is needed to maintain the current level of service. Bake sales have been held in Detroit, East Lansing and Kalamazoo to focus attention on the issue.

Rich Vavra-Musser moved that MARP support seven day a week service on both the Blue Water and Pere Marquette lines until the money runs out. The motion was seconded by Monteith and passed by those present. Langdon asked the Communications Coordinator to prepare a press release supporting MARP’s position.

State Senator Jason Allen of Traverse City is interested in putting together a passenger train caucus. Although Tim Fischer has some doubts as to whether such a caucus would have a positive effect, Langdon feels we should

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look into this. At one time we had an Amtrak caucus when Representative Hagen represented Port Huron. Randall shared that Livonia Senator Anderson’s son is a frequent Amtrak rider. Anderson serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and could be very effective.

MARP is urging individuals who visit our booth at Trainfest to sign a petition in favor of adequate Amtrak funding. We got a good start at a train event near Kalalmazoo.

Membership: Vavra-Musser passed out current membership statistics. He urged that another renewal reminder be mailed to last year’s members who have not renewed. He asked for help on the business/institution program.

DeLora discussed the need to raise funds to cover a MARP reception at the Amway Grand Plaza during the NARP meeting in Grand Rapids in October, 2010. Langdon suggested approaching the Grand Rapids CVB. A discussion ensued on whether the MARP sponsorship program and fundraising for the NARP meeting were getting confused. Vavra-Musser stated that the sponsorship program is a MARP activity, but that it could help with the NARP convention.

Communications: Langdon urged the Communications Coordinator to work with Valderas on the newsletter press run and distribution. Randall stated that he had approved the press run before the paper went to print.

Outreach: MARP will have a table at Crossroads Village next weekend. Langdon asked for help in moving outreach material out of Trainfest today and tomorrow.

Old Business:

E-Mail Phone Bank: DeLora has contacted both NARP and On Board Ohio and will continue to gather information. He suggests that on critical issues, we direct all calls to the committee chairpersons involved and really drown these individuals with our concerns. He would like to partner more with Ohio.

Other Business:

Pekarek suggested MARP take a look at what trains will be stopping at New Buffalo to assure that residents there are able to conveniently travel from New Buffalo to Chicago and back or from Chicago to New Buffalo and back in a single day.

Montieth will attend the dedication of the new transportation center in St. Ignace on Labor Day.

Gurney confirmed that the By-Laws call for election of officers in even numbered years.

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Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Hugh D. Gurney, Secretary

Accepted:

John DeLora, Chair

MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS

June 14, 2008

Those Signing In: Norma Ward, Michael Frezell, Dwight Phillips, Jim Hinkins, John Langdon, Stan Roth, Dan Myers, Dick Pekarek, Clark Charnetski, J. P. DesCamp, Andrew Kent, Kay Chase, Larry Sobczak, James Wallington, J. R. Valderas, Dave Bruins Slot, Barry Boyce, Dave Randall, T. J. Gaffney, Hugh Gurney

Also Present: Don Westcott, Durand Union Station, Inc.

Chairman DeLora called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.

T.J. Gaffney, Director of the Michigan Steam Institute, welcomed the group to the facility. He said he would soon be departing with a work party of volunteers to do work on nearby tracks. The weight of SRI’s Pere Marquette 1225 steam locomotive requires this.

Because of the economy and the cost of gas, traffic has been down so far in 2008. The Saturday excursion in May to Mount Pleasant was well patronized, but not the Sunday trip. Such statistics may affect scheduling for the remainder of the year. The condition of the tracks in the eastern part of the state is complicating collaboration with Blue Water. The cost of one trip with Blue Water would be around $30,000.00. The cost of coal is up from $105.00 per ton in 2007 to $150.00 in 2008. The Huckleberry Railroad in Flint and Greenfield Village are also feeling the crunch. Diesel fuel is also up. It takes 150 gallons of diesel fuel to run a locomotive to Mount Pleasant and back.

On the positive side, fall charters are looking good. David Rogers is bringing a group in September from the United Kingdom and over 1,100 tickets have been sold to date for a September 13 excursion. Caboose sales are especially popular. An article in the Chicago Sun Times plus a December, 2007, excursion with the 20th Century Railroad Club are resulting in more interest from out of state. SRI has been working with Blue Water to restore an Ann Arbor Railroad caboose, which may be ready for the fall trips. They may be able to add an additional coach by then also.

Despite a drop in attendance, the first quarter of 2008 has been more profitable because debt has been paid down.

The Steam Railroad Institute is best know for Pere Marquette 1225, recently used in the movie Polar Express. Built in 1941, the locomotive was the most powerful in Michigan. It was housed on the MSU campus until the 1980’s, when it was moved to Owosso and restored. It is the largest operating steam locomotive east of the Mississippi and has made numerous trips in the past two years.

SRI has an operational turntable to turn #1225 and quite a few cars. As they are put into service, passengers cars are named after long time volunteers. Freight equipment is generally used for storage.

Minutes of the May 10 meeting were reviewed. Langdon moved approval, which was seconded by Phillips and approved by the members present.

Treasurer’s Report was given by Treasurer Randall. As of May 31, 2008, the checking account had a balance of $1,195.33 and the Pratt Fund was valued at $14,826.32. Randall hopes to add a comparison to budget column by next month. A problem of sending renewal notices to some life members has been corrected. Approval was moved by Wallington, seconded by Monteith, and approved by the members present.

Regional Reports:

East/Central: Wallington reported that the Blue Water Connection, a promotional group like Westrain, has been busy. Five billboards have been placed at key locations along I-69. Durand Union Station, Incorporated, has been most active, along with Port Huron. Wallington thanked Pekarek and Chase for distributing promotional materials.

Northern: The excursion business remains murky as Lake States grapples with liability insurance issues. During the May visit of Pere Marquette 1225 to Mount Pleasant, Kent talked extensively with a woman doing a documentary on rail history in the Saginaw Valley. Kent has offered a link to the MARP website and may do some commentary. The woman has visuals of the Durand and Standish depots, but is in need of photos of streetcars.

Monteith made a presentation the past Monday, June 9, in Charlevoix in favor of extending Indian Trails bus service from Boyne City into Charlevoix. How much service depends on city support, but Monteith is optimistic. State Senator Allen and Phil Hoffman are very supportive. The bus service would get people to Charlevoix, where they could catch the Beaver Island ferry the following day. Wallington reported that he had taken an Indian Trails coach recently. He counted only 14 passengers north of Grand Rapids. He urged more publicity for this service and suggested the bus stop in Big Rapids be at the college.

West: Langdon reported that Michigan Day at Chicago Union Station was a huge success with 6,000 Travel Michigan guidebooks handed out by 8:30 a.m. Following up on Wallington’s concerns, Langdon agreed that MDOT should work more with Indian Trails on promotion. While at Union Station, he urged the CVB’s present to add links to showing how to get to their communities by bus, train and plane. Indian Trails schedules will change on July 1.

Westrain is focusing its resources on web site promotion. Fares on both state funded trains and the Wolverines are slated to go up by 5%. Because the trains are better patronized, revenue is going up faster than ridership. Michael Sak, Speaker Pro Tem of the Michigan House, was unable to book passage on the Pere Marquette on three successive weekends. On May 21, Langdon delivered the signatures gathered at the Michigan Municipal League Meeting in support of the second Pere Marquette to the governor’s office and key legislative people. Senator Allen of Traverse City specifically asked Langdon to keep in touch. He could be a key ally.

Langdon has also been working with representatives of the Environmental Law group in support of Senator Basham’s Resolution 200 urging Amtrak to provide greater frequencies and greater capacity in Michigan. The resolution has been sent to the appropriations committee. Langdon urged all members to speak in support of Resolution 200 to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He suggested that Chase send the signatures that she had obtained at the Ann Arbor Green Fair to the Appropriations Committee. Mayor Al McGeehan of Holland is urging all mayors in the state to sign the resolution.

In closing, Langdon informed the group that Amtrak now has a link to the on time performance of each train with the likely cause for the delay divided by the different railroads the train operates on.

Metro: Hinkins reported that a new report on the Vision for Transportation in Southeast Michigan is expected in the fall. Plans for a light rail system from New Center to downtown are proceeding. For the present, the line may stop at Comerica Park. Other alternatives are to go from 7 ½ Mile Road all the way to the Rosa Parks Bus Terminal. The idea is that it would link with the People Mover. A second route on Gratiot Avenue would likely be next.

Hinkins is working with Economic Development to assure that a planned Dequinder bikeway leaves room for a future rail line.

Hinkins has attended two meetings on the International Crossing. The best option would be a bridge some distance south of the Ambassador Bridge.

Charnetski reported on a recent conversation with Eli Cooper, Ann Arbor Transportation Planner. Cooper says a study of the WALLY will be coming out shortly. The consultant is saying that trackwork alone will cost $20 million. Charnetski handed out a flyer concerning the new Chelsea-Ann Arbor commuter bus service.

Introductions: At Langdon’s request, all present introduced themselves and where they were from.

COORDINATOR REPORTS:

Membership: Langdon reported no change in the membership count. The meeting on August 16 will be at the St. Joseph library with lunch at the depot.

Communications: Chase reported on the Ann Arbor Green Fair, where she saw a different audience than we see at train shows, people who are apprehensive about taking paper information. She felt the event was successful. In response to a query from Langdon, Chase agreed to see if there was a central clearing house for information on green fair events.

Chase urged those available to attend an Energy Seminar on Monday, June 16, at Oakland Community College. Hosted by Rep. Marie Donigan, the seminar will stress utility efficiency.

Chase handed out a survey form from SEMCOG and asked those present to fill it out and return it to SEMCOG. TRU is supporting this survey.

Because of rain prior to the Green Fair, Chase urged purchase of a canopy. DeLora suggested an open faced tent.

Chase called attention to a project in Minot, ND, where Boy Scouts rebuilt a section of track for the Magic City Express.

Outreach: Frezell thanked Chase for initiating MARP presence at the Ann Arbor Green Fair. Such events are just as important for outreach as train shows. Frezell urged purchase of a good shelter, one that is easy to put up. He has one that cost around $100.00. Patterson advised that sometimes we will need a full tent.

Frezell is looking into options for tabletop displays, something costing $100 – $200. Langdon suggested checking with NARP on their experience. Kent is putting together an 8”x12” exhibit for his shows. Both Frezell and Langdon suggested an easel for display of the state transportation map.

Upcoming shows include July 20 in Redford, the Northern Arrow excursion, Montcalm Community College and Crossroads Village.

As an aid to those staffing MARP exhibits, Patterson handed out an index he had created to the current Amtrak National Timetable indicating where specific information is located in that extensive document.

Newsletter: Valderas apologized that a storm that flooded his basement has set back publication of the summer Michigan Passenger. He now anticipates publication in August. He asked the group for help on a catchy caption for the first page.

Valderas stated that he has received photos of the Michigan Municipal League event and the visit of Pere Marquette 1225 to Mount Pleasant, but no captions or accompanying stories. He asked if someone could do an article on why the Battle Creek rail yard is empty.

A discussion ensued on the advisability of posting Michigan Passenger on the MARP website. Langdon moved that we post past issues, but for the current issue, potential readers would be directed to membership. The motion was seconded by Patterson and approved by the members present.

OLD BUSINESS:

REC: Gurney reported on a piece he had seen called Getting Around Wisconsin Without A Car, put out by 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. He thought the format could be used as a guideline for fulfilling one of REC’s mandates. Monteith urged that we link the Station Locator information for Indian Trails busses with our website. Information about all bus and train stations should be linked to the MARP webpage.

In response to a concern about lack of signage raised by Sobczak, Charnetski urged that we look to California for guidance.

DeLora reported he is checking with an attorney for the American Bus Association for guidance on what we can do about Metro Airport’s refusal to publicize the Michigan Flyer service to Ann Arbor, Jackson and Lansing. As to elected officials who appoint the Metro Airport Board, DeLora suggested contacting Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick and Wayne County Executive Ficano.

Change of Internet Provider: Sobczak reported that, because of constant problems with our internet provider. MARP has switched to Network Solutions. The new provider will cost half as much and offers 24 hour rather than 12 hour daily support. It also has more storage capacity and will be renewed on an annual rather than a monthly basis. At Sobczak’s request, Randall will send a cancellation notice to the old provider.

Detroit River International Crossing: DeLora reported that Dietrich Bergmann had done extensive research into the issue of a new international crossing at Detroit. The Senate Resolution supporting the crossing has been halted once senators were provided with accurate information. From Ontario Transport, Bergmann learned that the total cost of a new crossing would be $5 Billion and that based on recent figures, traffic has actually declined on the Ambassador Bridge since 2000. Running two round trips trains daily through the existing tunnel would alleviate auto tie ups. Through personal observation, DeLora has determined that tie-ups on the Ambassador Bridge are solely a function of how many customs booths are open, not the number of vehicles crossing.

Chicago-Porter: DeLora informed the group that the Amtrak Reauthorization Bill, HR 6003, cites Chicago-Porter as a key chokepoint that should be corrected and provides Federal/State matching grants to correct the problem. It is also on Amtrak’s priority list. Wallington added that an article in Reuters stated that Chicago-Detroit is specifically mentioned as a key high speed rail corridor to pursue in the Amtrak Reauthorization Bill.

In response to a question from Langdon, DeLora reminded the group that HR 6003 is an authorization bill, not an appropriations bill. Funding could start as early as October 1, 2008, if an appropriations bill was passed into law. An appropriations bill could provide funding for up to five years, subject to annual reauthorization. The 80/20 Federal/State match is for capital improvements only. It could give the state an incentive to refurbish coaches.

Cooperation with Freight Carriers: Monteith asked if we could put this issue on the agenda for the July meeting. Without the freight railroads, there will be no rails for future passenger service. MARP needs to work with these carriers to determine how we can help them best.

Annual Meeting: After some discussion, it was decided that the Annual MARP Meeting will take place on Saturday, September 20, 2008, at Durand Union Station. Norma Ward agreed to help locate a caterer. The registration fee will be $20.00. It was recommended that for 2009, we consider Lansing, Bangor and Niles.

Future Meetings: Future Meetings were confirmed or established as follows:
July 12, 2008 Lapeer
August 16, 2008 St. Joseph
September 20, 2008 Durand
October 18, 2008 Kalamazoo
November 15, 2008 Dearborn

Other: Patterson is seeking information about liability for charter trains. He also wonders if we have a DVD presentation we can use for outreach.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Hugh D. Gurney, Secretary

Approved:

John DeLora, Chair

MINUTES

Those Signing In: Hugh Gurney, J. R. Valderas, John Langdon, Dick Pekarek, Duke Van Til, Vi Van Till, Jim Hinkins, Dwight Phillips, Kay Chase, Dave Randall, Steve T. Sobel, John DeLora, Andrew Kent, T. J. Gaffney, Larry Sobczak, Dianne Patterson, Robert Patterson, Jim Wallington, Barry Boyce, Clark Charnetski

Call to Order: Chairman DeLora called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m. He turned the meeting over to Jim Wallington, who introduced the day’s special guest, T. J. Gaffney. Gaffney, a former curator at the Port Huron Museum, welcomed the group to the museum and to Port Huron.

Train Festival 2009: Gaffney, now CEO of the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, gave details about Train Festival 2009, to be held on the grounds of the Steam Railroading Institute, July 23-26. It promises to be the largest celebration of steam railroading since 2004. It actually begins on the West Coast on July 3, when Southern Pacific #4449 begins its trip east for its first ever visit to Michigan. It will be the first time that #4449 and SRI’s #1225 have been together since they were built in Lima in 1941. Nickel Plate #765 will arrive from Indiana on July 19.

Planning for this event began at least eighteen months ago. At SRI, there has been busy cleaning up the site, upgrading tracks, and restoring equipment, including a Blue Water bunk car and an Ann Arbor caboose.

Day long round trips to Alma and back by steam are scheduled each of the four days. Alma was selected as the turn around point because there is a wye there and Alma College has been so supportive. Locomotive #4449 will pull the train on Thursday and Friday, #1225 on Saturday, and #765 on Sunday. Little River #110 will do hour long trips up the St. Charles branch several times each day. Handicapped accessible cars will be available on some of these one hour runs. Two of the large steam locomotives will be on display at SRI each day plus six other historic locomotives. Night photo sessions will be offered each night. 25,000-30,000 people are expected over the four day period. At the moment, pre-sales total around 6,000. The event has been publicized in numerous rail fan publications and in the AAA magazine. For more information visit www.trainfestival2009.com > SRI has had tremendous support from Great Lakes Central Railroad. Parking will be available at a variety of spots around Owosso and in Corunna and Durand, with Indian Trails providing shuttle service to the SRI site

MARP will have a table in the vendors’ tent at Train Festival 2009. Volunteers can show up as early as 6:30 a.m. each day and are asked to wear their MARP ID tags for identification. The MARP monthly meeting will take place on Saturday, July 25, at the Indian Trails garage just east of Owosso, where free parking will be provided.

Port Huron Attractions: Gaffney urged members to take a look around the museum, which includes a diorama of the Port Huron-Sarnia tunnel. He also encouraged all to visit the 1858 Thomas Edison Railroad Station and the Grand Trunk rail car on display there as well as the restored Pere Marquette station and the Black River Railroad Bridge. Wallington will provide a map of the attractions in Port Huron. He recommended lunch at a place called the Vantage Point along the St. Clair River.

Treasurer’s Report: Randall reported that as of May 31, 2009, the checking account had a balance of $5,732.33 and the Pratt Fund a value of $11,128.28. There was a modest profit on the NARP meeting back in March. Langdon moved acceptance of the Treasurer’s Report. This was seconded by Duke Van Till and approved by the members present.

Minutes of the April 18 meeting in New Buffalo were reviewed. Wallington moved approval. This was seconded by Langdon and the minutes were approved by the members present.

Regional Chair Reports:

East/Central: No Report

Northern: Kent reported that the Blue Water Chapter is being booted out of the Saginaw Roundhouse. The Michigan Historic Preservation Network has given awards to depots in Saginaw and Standish for the preservation/restoration of these historic structures.

Western: Langdon handed out a sheet listing events and activities being planned to commemorate the Silver Anniversary of the Pere Marquette service on August 5. A full length dome car from the 1950’s will be part of the consist of the train on that day.

Grand Rapids has received $3.8 million in the 2009 FY federal budget towards relocation of the Amtrak station to a multi-modal transportation center.

Metro Detroit: National Train Day went well in Detroit, according to Hinkins. Phillips handed a proclamation of support from the city to the conductor of the first Chicago bound train that day. The Woodward Avenue light rail project remains “on track”. The governor would like to see it up and running by October, 2010. A charette is schedule to come up with ideas for the Troy/Birmingham Transportation Center on June 16-17. Approximately 1.l miles of track at West Detroit will be upgraded including replacement of a bridge.

Charnetski reported that a meeting on the WALLY project is scheduled for June 22 in Whitmore Lake. The Washtenaw Area Transportation Study is holding public meetings to review its twenty year transportation plan. The mayor of Ann Arbor did a proclamation in support of National Train Day. The Ann Arbor Green Fair, held on the evening of June 12, was well attended. The mayor of Ann Arbor visited the MARP table.

Hinkins reported that, because of the support shown, plans to demolish the Michigan Central Depot in Detroit are being reconsidered. He will keep abreast of the situation.

It will be difficult to nominate the building to the National Register of Historic Places since the owner is opposed to such designation. DeLora affirmed that the structure is solidly built.

Coordinator Reports:

Public/Government Affairs: Langdon reported that the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee had voted on June 11 to transfer over $20 million from the transportation fund to the general fund. Amtrak funding now stands at $3.667 million instead of the needed $7.1 million. The budget now goes to the Michigan House of Representatives who must also act on the budget. Langdon has developed a flyer which urges the House to reverse the Senate’s action. Langdon would like funding increased to $10 million annually to allow for a second Pere Marquette. MARP will need to work with the transit support groups to assure adequate funding for all public transportation.

At the moment, all in Lansing say that funding is adequate through September 30.

DeLora urged all to fax or e-mail their state representative immediately to support Amtrak and public transportation funding. A vote could come as early as Wednesday in the House of Representatives. NARP and MWHSRA have sent out e-mail alerts. DeLora is working with NARP to set up a phone bank. Let’s Get Moving plans a conference call on Monday.

Langdon attended an FRA Workshop in Fort Wayne where the guidelines for applying for rail projects were reviewed. The final instructions for applying for projects are anticipated next week. The FRA is looking for meaningful projects, not spreading the peanut butter around too far. He and others interested in the South of the Lake project are urging Indiana to take the lead on that part of the proposal. While MDOT Secretary Kirk Steudle has alluded to operational money, Langdon stressed that the $8 billion in the Stimulus Package is for capital projects. There may be other stimulus money that could be used for operations at the state DOT level.

Communications: Chase informed the group that the Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 12 at the Kalamazoo Public Library. Possible speakers could include Historian Don Meints and/or former Congressman Joe Schwartz, who has been very active in the fate of the Kalamazoo-Ypsilanti NorfolkSouthern line. A walking tour of the seven extant railroad stations in Kalamazoo is being considered. MARP would like to make an award to Congressman Schauer for his efforts on behalf of passenger rail.

MARP is now a member of Transportation for America, a group working to see that the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill broadens the concept of transportation to emphasize rail and public transit more. It sees the current transportation system as highly inefficient. Its Blueprint for America includes a vastly expanded passenger rail system by 2030. Transportation for America hopes to have a coordinator for the state of Michigan. Its web address is www.t4america.org>

Langdon added that this group is pushing for five year funding of Amtrak rather than the present one year.

Chase commended J.R. Valderas for his tireless efforts to make National Train Day in Michigan such a success.

Membership: Langdon asked that a membership renewal reminder be sent out at this time as many of last year’s members have not yet renewed. We have our first Advocate Individual Member signing up in the new business/institution effort. We are attempting to recruit an intern to develop a data base for the Get Michigan On Track initiative.

Newsletter: Valderas expects the summer issue of The Michigan Passenger to be available for Trainfestival 2009 in late July. The spring issue was well received at the recent Nickel Plate Festival in Indiana.

DeLora has three cartons of The American Passengers which he would like distributed at Trainfestival 2009. This publication was developed by NARP as a promotional piece to simulate new membership. At some point, it may replace the current NARP monthly newsletter. MARP did not spend anything for additional Michigan coverage because the piece was not available for National Train Day. DeLora praised Valderas for his efforts on the publication and his patience in coping with numerous last minute changes.

Website: Sobczak stated that the new website provider has been excellent. He is exploring how we can utilize the emergence of social networking. DeLora stated that he has another paper for the Research Room section.

Wallington asked Sobczak to see if we could post alerts on our website. Randall reminded the group that we still have the Yahoo system for alerts. Chase asked Sobczak to add a link to Transportation for America.

Langdon expressed regret that an e-mail alert on the state funding crisis had not yet gone out because Vavra-Musser was away. Such alerts need to go to all members. In his opinion, the Communications Coordinator should be retrieving messages sent to MARP.

Outreach: Langdon passed out signup sheets for Trainfestival 2009 and for the regular outreach events. For the train festival, he suggested that we promote our MARP material. Kent urged that we hand out newsletters on the trains.

Meetings: Scheduled monthly meetings are:

Owosso, July 25, at 10:00 a.m. at the Indian Trails garage just east of town. Indian Trails will provide at least one shuttle to Trainfestival 2009 for those attending.

Holland, August 22, at 10:00 a.m. at the Macatawa Coordinating Council. Westrain will make a presentation.

Kalamazoo, September 12, at 11:00 a.m.at the Kalamazoo Public Library. This is our Annual Meeting.

Ann Arbor, October 10, at 10:00 a.m. Location to be determined. Tom Corneille of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will speak on WALLY.

Bangor, November 14, at 10:00 a.m. at the Bangor Depot. Program to be determined.

Old Business:

Durand Fence Dedication: DeLora will represent MARP at this event. MARP paid for a section of this fence.

National Train Day: At the six events coordinated by MARP, Valderas estimates that 2,500-3,000 people attended. He has no figures from Flint or Durand, where local groups put on their own events. National Train Day got preview coverage in most cities where events took place and actual reports of the event in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. For 2010, Valderas and Slater will start planning in October, 2009. They will seek out additional venue cities and ask that the coordinator in each city be physically present at the event to lessen the chances of miscommunication. They will work harder to assure that mayors or other community officials are present for the reading and presentation of proclamations.

E-Mail/Phone Bank: DeLora continues to work on this. NARP is helping in the immediate crisis.

New Business:

Election Nominations: Nominations are due by July 31. So far, DeLora has heard from only one member. He urged all members to submit nominations for the various offices.

Chase recommended he appoint a nominations committee.

Other Business:

Wallington reported Amtrak schedule changes effective in late June, largely due to the way Amtrak schedules crews. The first westbound Wolverine will run earlier and the Blue Water will run a little later, which should benefit Niles and New Buffalo. Unfortunately, Amtrak did not think to notify Indian Trails, which generally transports 10-15 passengers daily from Bay City, Flint and East Lansing to connect with the early Wolverine. Thanks to Kaz Fujita’s alert, Indian Trails has adjusted its schedule.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Hugh D. Gurney, Secretary

Accepted:

John DeLora, Chair

MINUTES

MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS
Monthly Membership Meeting
Hannah’s Restaurant, New Buffalo, MI
April 18, 2009

Those Signing In: Hugh Gurney, Don Montieth, Rich Vavra-Musser, John Langdon, James Wallberg, Dianne Patterson, Robert Patterson, Burton Ten Brink, Clark Charnetski, Steve T. Sobel, Dave Randall, John Guidinger, Jim Hinkins, Bob Tischbein, Jack Kessler, J. R. Valderas, Kay Chase, Jesse Auerbach, Tim Fischer, John DeLora

Also Present: New Buffalo Mayor Gary Ramberg

Call to Order: Chairman DeLora called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m., following the joint meeting of MARP & MWHSRA addressing the Porter, IN – Chicago “Gap”. Minutes of that meeting were done by Kay Chase.

Regional Chair Reports:

East/Central: Fischer reported that no issues had come to his attention since the last meeting.

Northern: Monteith reported that the Traverse City area had set aside $2 million for support of rail.

Western: The Pere Marquette will celebrate its 25th year of service on August 5, 2009, according to Langdon. Ideas for celebrating this silver anniversary are being formulated.

Metro: Hinkins reported that commuter service between Ann Arbor and Detroit is slated to start in October, 2010, with four round trips daily. Bridge replacement and a crossover at West Detroit must be accomplished before that date. The cost of these improvements will be $20 m. The plan is to use the same equipment for both the Ann Arbor-Detroit route and the WALLY.

Surveyors’ tapes on the ground indicate progress on the Birmingham/Troy Transportation Center.

Roger Penske has pledged his support for Woodward Avenue light rail. Work should commence next year.

The proposed demolition of the Michigan Central Depot in Detroit is on hold at the moment.

National Train Day commemorations are slated for Detroit and Ann Arbor on May 9.

Coordinator Reports:

Membership:Vavra-Musser announced that we now have our first Advocate member, joining at the $100 level. Copies of the new membership brochure were distributed. Chase reminded all that the old brochures must now be recycled. Langdon and Valderas agreed to create a pdf version on the MARP website. DeLora stressed that the most effective use of the brochures will be distribution on the trains themselves.

Communications: No Report

Meetings: Montieth handed out a schedule of the meeting dates and locations for the remainder of 2009. Chase reported that the Annual Meeting is now set for Kalamazoo on September 12. The site of the meeting is still to be determined. Vavra-Musser suggested we invite Congressman Schauer. DeLora suggested we present an award to either Schauer or Gordon MacKay.

Governmental/Public Affairs: Langdon urged members to involve themselves in the Let’s Get Moving Legislative Day, scheduled for April 21 in Lansing . Those attending should meet at 8:45 a.m. that morning in the cafeteria of the House Office Building .

As to funding, we should have an answer for the remainder of 2009 on April 21. For 2010, the current proposal is for $5.6 million to support Amtrak, far below the current $7.1 level. DeLora recommended a $1.00 tax on each ticket to provide the additional funds needed. New Buffalo Mayor Ramberg suggested $5.00 per ticket. Ten Brink suggested that we ask for a check off on the state income tax return for trains.

National Train Day: Valderas handed out a list of what is planned in for National Train Day on May 9 in Bangor , Niles , Kalamazoo , Jackson , Lapeer and Detroit . Proclamations will also be presented in Ann Arbor and Holland without additional festivities. We have been very successful in lining up sponsors in each community and they will be recognized on posters and other publicity. In each participating community, posters will be placed in depots, schools, libraries, stores and other places where people gather.

DeLora reminded all that they should wear their ID tags while assisting at these events. If you don’t have one, Valderas will make one for you. Chase reported that, in conjunction with National Train Day, MARP will be presenting a certificate to the Kalamazoo Garden Club for their beautification efforts around the station. A Kalamazoo County Resolution will be presented to Amtrak. Additional festivities will take place at the Kalamazoo Model Railroad headquarters a few blocks north of the depot.

DeLora reported that Valderas is working on a newsletter similar to The Michigan Passenger which NARP will hand out in conjunction with National Train Day. It was moved by Randall that MARP be authorized to spend up to $500.00 for a Michigan add on to this publication. The motion was seconded by Charnetski and passed by the membership present.

Committee Reports:

Outreach: Randall confirmed that MARP had paid for a table at the National Steam Festival in Owosso in July. Wallington has arranged that our meeting take place at the Indian Trails headquarters with them shuttlin us down to the festival. Chase stressed the need to be represented at Earth Day events and Energy Fairs. Robert Patterson still has green buttons we can hand out. New Buffalo Mayor Ramberg recommended adding a section on to the MARP website dealing with rail’s energy savings.

REC: No report

Get Michigan On Track: Already reported by Vavra-Musser under Membership.

Minutes: Gurney distributed copies of the meeting of February 21, 2009, in Durand. After revision, approval was moved by Langdon, seconded by Charnetski, and agreed to by the members present.

It was moved by Langdon that MARP make a donation not to exceed $250.00 for purchase of a section of fence at Durand Union Station. The motion was seconded by Gurney and approved by the members present.

Fill the Gap Follow Up:

Langdon offered to work with Rick Harnish of MWHSRA on a follow up meeting to identify:
• What the Options Are
• Who Is Currently On Board
• Who Should Be On Board
• Develop A Draft Letter to Those Not Currently On Board
• Identify Funding Sources

Langdon feels we should focus on key players in Ohio , Indiana , Michigan and Illinois .

The meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Hugh D. Gurney, Secretary

Approved:

John Delora, Chair