What are these “Trains” you Speak of?
The “trains” in our name is meant to be abstract — we’re pushing for a future Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area where travel needs are met through expanded public transportation options (or infrastructure for bicycling or walking, great complements to transit). However, there are ideas to create literal trains and buses in our region. With the help of an anonymous local transportation expert, we’ve beefed up the section of our FAQ about some of these projects. Check it out and get excited for our transit future!
Anywhere, really! Seriously, there are many well-studied locations for more transit in the Ann Arbor area.
Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail has had extensive planning work done, including a detailed planning, cost, and environmental assessment in 2016, and could be advanced for federal funding either within the Regional Transit Authority structure or independently by MDOT.
Commuter rail to Livingston County called WALLY, the Washtenaw and Livingston Line - would connect Ann Arbor to Whitmore Lake, Brighton, and Howell with commuter rail. AAATA has done substantial work towards establishing this service, which could be revived by MDOT.
Within Ann Arbor, the city and its neighbors and university partners have also done initial planning for the Ann Arbor Connector, a high-capacity, high-frequency transit concept running along the Plymouth Road and State Street corridors, as well as the Reimagine Washtenaw proposal of rapid transit on the Washtenaw Avenue corridor, which was also studied as part of TheRide 2045 plan.
The North-South Rail would connect Ann Arbor to central and northwest Michigan destinations like Mount Pleasant, Traverse City, and Petoskey, serving visitors coming into town. This service is in active planning by MDOT and northern Michigan partners.
Other rail projects under discussion would provide new options for regional travel and alleviate traffic generally:
The Coast-to-Coast Rail concept would connect Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Holland with a passenger rail line, serving traffic to and from those major destinations. This line has had an initial feasibility study completed, and is ready for more detailed planning work.
The Federal Railroad Administration has funded studies for several rail projects in the area through the Corridor ID program, including increased frequency on the Amtrak Wolverine line serving Ann Arbor, with an extension to Windsor; speed and reliability improvements on the Chicago end of Michigan's Amtrak services; and a new line connecting Toledo to DTW, Detroit, and Ann Arbor.
