Proposed train service from Ann Arbor to Traverse City gets new funding for study
Hoping to take a train from Ann Arbor to Traverse City? You might just be one step closer to realizing that dream.
A planning study for A2TC, a proposed train service running from southeast Michigan to Traverse City and Petoskey, has received funding for a second phase.
On Aug. 11, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that the study would receive $1.3 million as a grant through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release.
This is in addition to the $1 million awarded to the study through the state of Michigan’s 2023 Labor and Economic Opportunity budget in July.
The grant, a part of the $52 million awarded to support four Michigan projects, will be given to the Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority, which is working in partnership with the nonprofit Groundwork Center on the completion of the planning study.
“The boost of new funding is a major milestone in the long-term effort to bring passenger rail service — and related economic development — to towns all along the north-south route and give families and workers a safe, environmentally friendly way to travel throughout the state while also reducing cars on our highways,” said Jim Bruckbauer, transportation director at Groundwork.
An initial study in 2018 conducted by federal, state, and local authorities found that the A2TC could earn $128 million in annual revenue by 2050. The rail line would also provide a boon to cities along the route, the study said.
The proposed route for the train service passes through 15 counties between southeast Michigan and northern lower Michigan starting in Traverse City through Cadillac, Mount Pleasant, Alma, Owosso and Howell to Ann Arbor. It would also branch off north to Petoskey. The study called for more investigation into the possibility of an extension from Ann Arbor to Detroit.
While the new rail service was scheduled to begin limited runs in 2021, the service test rides were placed on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the holdup, Groundwork completed a feasibility study that analyzed the conditions of existing tracks and what it would take to get trains going at certain speeds and potential costs. It also worked to repair the train tracks along the route in Traverse City.
The next stage would identify and prioritize improvements needed along the corridor to maximize freight and passenger opportunities, which could include crossing signal and track upgrades, safety technology, potential bridge replacements, community-specific station needs and equipment. It will also develop a business plan for passenger service.
In order to incorporate public opinion in the plan, Groundwork plans to conduct surveys and hold events all along the line to get public feedback.
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The northern Michigan passenger rail Phase II planning study team will be made up of local, state and national transportation experts and agencies. The study is expected to be completed over the next 18 months.
The project is expected to help reduce vehicle miles traveled, emissions and crashes while increasing mobility options. Additionally, it could help expand access to essential services, such as educational and employment opportunities, according to Groundwork.
Contact Navya Gupta: ngupta@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ann Arbor to Traverse City train service study gets new funding
