U.S. to take bids for $2.4 billion in returned rail funds

[Rocko]

The ridership numbers in FY2010 mirror the trends and ranks from the past several years among Michigan stations:

1st busiest: Ann Arbor
2nd busiest: Kalamazoo
3rd busiest: Dearborn
4th busiest: Detroit
5th busiest: East Lansing
6th busiest: Grand Rapids

It's not just Ann Arbor, thoughtby overall number it is the busiest station. When you figure out the number of passengers per train stopping at each station, more passengers board and detrain from the Blue Water at East Lansing than board or detrain at any other station in Michigan on each individual train.

[BagAJellyDonuts]

The ridership numbers in FY2010 mirror the trends and ranks from the past several years among Michigan stations:

1st busiest: Ann Arbor
2nd busiest: Kalamazoo
3rd busiest: Dearborn
4th busiest: Detroit
5th busiest: East Lansing
6th busiest: Grand Rapids

It's not just Ann Arbor, thoughtby overall number it is the busiest station. When you figure out the number of passengers per train stopping at each station, more passengers board and detrain from the Blue Water at East Lansing than board or detrain at any other station in Michigan on each individual train.

I took the train from Pontiac a while ago. It was miserable through Detroit. The tracks and the scheduling stunk. It made more sense to get on in Ann Arbor than to put up with the other head aches. But that's not saying the Ann Arbor station is a winner. I just don't see any rail system working when boarding points don't make any effort to entice riders. IMO, the Ann Arbor station can get by without much a parking lot. Lots of kids going for a ride. Same in East Lansing.

[iheartthed]

I took the train from Pontiac a while ago. It was miserable through Detroit. The tracks and the scheduling stunk. It made more sense to get on in Ann Arbor than to put up with the other head aches. But that's not saying the Ann Arbor station is a winner. I just don't see any rail system working when boarding points don't make any effort to entice riders. IMO, the Ann Arbor station can get by without much a parking lot. Lots of kids going for a ride. Same in East Lansing.

Well, to be clear here, we're talking about an entirely new train line, not the existing track that Amtrak uses. If/when one is ever built, it will probably run along I-94 and stop 1) somewhere near downtown Detroit, 2) Metro Airport, and 3) Ann Arbor .