Detroit Train Station- Where to Park?

**walkerpub** · August-18-09, 04:34 PM

I will be taking the train to Milwaukee but need to park near the Detroit Train Station at 11 West Baltimore Avenue at Woodward Avenue.

Any idea where I can park my ride for five days? Can't find any info at the Amtrak web...

**jcole** · August-18-09, 04:44 PM

I think they have a fenced lot there, but I don't know if it's policed or not. I've taken the train to Colorado several times, but have always had trouble finding secure parking. I ended up leaving from the Royal Oak station and had to buy permits and leave my car in public parking. Here's an aerial view of the Detroit station:
Attachment 2767

**Russix** · August-18-09, 04:50 PM

Where are you driving from?

**Andrew in Windsor** · August-18-09, 04:55 PM

He's coming from Windsor

**FlyByDon** · August-18-09, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by walkerpub

I will be taking the train to Milwaukee but need to park near the Detroit Train Station at 11 West Baltimore Avenue at Woodward Avenue.

Any idea where I can park my ride for five days? Can't find any info at the Amtrak web...

There was an indoor parking garage next door to the station. [[West of the station) Other than knowing it's there I have not further information.

thatguy123 · August-18-09, 05:22 PM

The Detroit train station has about 8 parking spots and it is unfenced/unguarded. I see glass from broken windows there all the time. You also have no guarantee if there will even be a spot to park when you get there.

Your best bet would be to pay a couple of dollars extra and leave from b'ham [[myself and many I know have parked there for weeks at a time with no issue) or pay the exact same price and leave from Dearborn [[it also saves you 30-40 minutes on the trip)

**Tig3rzhark** · August-18-09, 05:52 PM

If I were coming from Windsor, I'd just catch the tunnel bus and transfer to Woodward and take that bus to the Amtrak station.

At the least, you won't have to worry about getting your car stolen.

**Rocko** · August-18-09, 05:54 PM

The Dearborn Station has a large free lot with over 100 parking spaces directly beside the depot... and the police station is right across the street, so no fear of your car getting broken in to or demolished. The following pages might provide a bit more helpful information, from the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers. MARP is slowly updating their station information webpages, but the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Detroit, and Birmingham ones [[and some others for other stations around the state) have all be updated to 2009.

Dearborn: http://www.marp.org/index.php?page=s...ation=dearborn
Detroit: http://www.marp.org/index.php?page=s...tation=detroit

**Russix** · August-18-09, 07:21 PM

You could park in front of the New Wayne State Police Department on Cass and walk two blocks.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,0.013057&z=17

**Be Kay** · August-18-09, 08:09 PM

I totally agree on parking @ Dearborn and leaving from there. I did it several times and never had any problems.

**walkerpub** · August-18-09, 08:19 PM

Coming from Windsor- bus is not an option...

Quite an indictment if parking at the Detroit train station is such a hassle....

**48202** · August-18-09, 09:55 PM

The garage next to the Detroit station is $4 for daily parking, $10 for overnight parking, according to the sign on the building. Don't know what hours or days it is open.
Unless you have a high-end car that you are paranoid about, park in the Amtrak lot. As the experts say, don't leave any valuables in it.

MIRepublic · August-18-09, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by walkerpub

Coming from Windsor- bus is not an option...

Out of curiosity, why not? Is it a convenience issue? If I lived in Windsor, unless I had some prohibitive
amount of luggage, I'd catch the tunnel bus, which now takes you right to the Rosa Parks Transit Center, and then simply catch the 53 up Woodward.

**bigtreble** · August-18-09, 11:10 PM

DO NOT PARK AT 11 W.BALTIMORE AMTRACK STATION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD!
I had an incident a few years ago while parked in their lot for 7 days. Heck of a way to return from a honeymoon. There were several other cars with broken windows and scrapped interiors. Detroit PD informed me that this Amtrack location is [[was?) notorious for car vandalism. Sorry I can't be of further assistance in recommending a better location. Looking at the DetroitPD online crime maps shows there has been some recent activity on this intersection within the past month.

**ASR89** · August-18-09, 11:55 PM

I've left my car in the Amtrak lot for about 10 hours once when I went for a "just for fun" trip from Detroit to Ann Arbor. My car was fine when I got back. However, as someone has said, there have been many cases of broken windows and stolen items.

If you're coming over from Windsor, unless you want to experience the ride from Detroit to Dearborn for whatever reason, I would recommend to just drive to Dearborn. The lot is safe, it's always full and there is like a 0% chance that you'll encounter any problems. It takes 15-20 minutes to get to Dearborn station from downtown Detroit if you go Michigan Avenue. In fact, you would be saving time since it takes 20 minutes for the train to get from Detroit to Dearborn station. There is a very sharp 80 degree curve that slows down the train. That will be changed in 2010 though.

Here is what it's like to ride from Dearborn to Detroit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWYV4wduAo8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU-PV...eature=related

**detroitbob** · August-19-09, 12:06 AM

Do yourself a big favor and ticket out of Dearborn. Safe parking...the Dearborn Police cruise through the lot regularly and I've never had the car touched in the past 20 years. I would not park at the Amtrak Detroit station under any circumstances.

**casscorridor** · August-19-09, 02:13 AM

CCS Parking garage on W Baltimore at Cass Ave

**casscorridor** · August-19-09, 02:19 AM

Originally Posted by MIRepublic

Out of curiosity, why not? Is it a convenience issue? If I lived in Windsor, unless I had some prohibitive
amount of luggage, I'd catch the tunnel bus, which now takes you right to the Rosa Parks Transit Center, and then simply catch the 53 up Woodward.

just an FYI, the 53 Woodward only picks up from the transit center after 9 PM. Before then you can catch it on Washington Bvld [[one block east of the transit center) . Also, the 16 Dexter is also a good option, it goes up Cass, and is one of the busiest routes so it comes about as frequently as the woodward route [[cass is only block west of woodward).

MIRepublic · August-19-09, 03:53 AM

So, the 53 isn't based out of the transit center during the day? Weird.

**Detroit Stylin** · August-19-09, 09:37 AM

And their "OMG STAY AWAY FROM BAD SCARY DETROIT!" responses....

It's funny how so many things happen to people who post on this forum who may not live in the city every day, yet I was born and raised and spent 37 YEARS here been all over the city all times of night and with the exception of 2 incidents, nothing negative has ever happened to me that I felt the need to warn others about.....

PEOPLE THIS IS NOT 1980's DETROIT!

**French777** · August-19-09, 09:49 AM

Yeah! I read 80% of all the crime in Detroit is Narcotics related. And Downtown Detroit is 37% SAFER than the National Average!!

gravitymachine · August-19-09, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

It's funny how so many things happen to people who post on this forum who may not live in the city every day, yet I was born and raised and spent 37 YEARS here been all over the city all times of night and with the exception of 2 incidents, nothing negative has ever happened to me that I felt the need to warn others about.....

yeah totally, since your car hasn't been broken into often, obviously no one else's has either and all that broken glass in the gutters around the city is just left over from the 80's.

i don't have any suggestions other than finding a secure garage or using the dearborn station as mentioned.

wherever you go or whatever you do in the city, first rule of city parking is don't leave anything of value [[or otherwise) in view in the car. second rule of city parking is see rule #1

**walkerpub** · August-19-09, 04:03 PM

Thanks for all the feedback- as usual the forum members have come through with great advice.

I have booked into Dearborn- it is really bizarre that there really isn't a good option for parking near the train station in the D- is this an opportunity?

BTW-my van has been broken into in Detroit- it was totally trashed-nuff said...

Bus is not an option- am traveling on business and the last thing I ever do is take the bus while on business unless it is an airport shuttle- nothing against busses but who wants to wait at a bus depot with luggage and laptop- it's just not on

thought it would be great fun to train in to Milwaukee as I really hate airports these days- looking forward to the trip- have hard great things about Amtrak but have not been on one since I took the Gandy Dancer Special to Ann Arbor out of the MCR building way back- in the frickin' 80s!

MIRepublic · August-19-09, 05:13 PM

I love how you're going to take the train [[which is often delayed to the point on additional inconvenience), but have some irrational disinterest in taking a bus or two to get to the stations. lol Whatever.

**milesdriven** · August-21-09, 04:00 PM

I agree with the suggestions to park in Dearborn , when I lived in the Cass Corridor and walked to White Castle on Woodward and Baltimore, the Amtrak lot always had cars with smashed out windows. I once had the window of my POS minivan, which was probably worth about $300, smashed out so someone could steal 6 quarts of oil.