FeedsTrain stop may not come to Inkster
What could be a great news for the City of Westland may come as blow to the City of Inkster.
Plans for a rapid commuter train that would extend from the City of Detroit to Ann Arbor are shaping up, and it looks like Westland has won a coveted stop along the track, along with Detroit, Dearborn, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor.
That would mean a stop in Inkster – which the city wanted to help transport people to jobs on either side of the track – would be unlikely.
According to State Rep. Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland), “If the project goes through, Westland is going to receive a stop,” he said.
State Sen. Glenn Anderson (D-Westland) agreed.
“It does sound like its full speed ahead,” he said.
Until recently, the cities of Wayne, Inkster and Westland had vied for one of the few commuter stations the line will offer. However, LeBlanc said that recent discussions indicate the uncertainty has come to an end.
The proposed site of the Westland station is a vacant field located along the train tracks southeast of the Merriman Road and Michigan Avenue intersection. Ford Motor Co. currently owns the property.
“Ford Motor Co. has said they have been actively marketing that land,” LeBlanc said.
The site is appropriate because, at more than 300 acres of available land, the size is more than adequate, he said.
Inkster Mayor Hilliard Hampton, who said in March of last year he would like to see a stop near Hiveley Street, said a stop could be beneficial to residents.
“There would be tremendous benefits for residents in terms of job creating, and job accessibility,” he told The Ledger-Star. “There are people who have transportation difficulties in our community, and this would mean they can travel in comfort without a vehicle.”
Hampton also who wrote a letter to SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) to pursue a rail station stop.
Mass transit – the lack of which has been blamed for several economic ills the region has suffered – is seen as one way to help people who cannot afford private vehicles get on their feet. A viable system would help move people to available jobs.
SEMCOG has studied the feasibility of a rail from Ann Arbor to Detroit for several months. The 50-mile-long route could have about 12 stops, according a study, so there could be another opportunity for Inkster.
There’s still an outside possibility that it could happen, too, according to Carmine Palombo, director of transportation programs for SEMCOG, the organization that is spearheading the effort. He said only the four existing sites along the route were set in stone.
“Is everything in place for the (Ford Motor site) to happen? No,” he said, “but that’s the place we think will make the most sense. It all depends on discussions with Ford Motor Co. We have to see what it would cost and if it’s even available.”
The site was originally purchased by the automaker as a mitigation site for wetlands disturbed when the Wayne Stamping Plant was expanded.
City Manager Joyce Parker said she was not familiar with the most recent negotiations LeBlanc and Anderson spoke about.
“Certainly a rail would be a good thing given the jobs situation in Inkster, but we have not been told that a decision has been made,” she said. “If there’s still a way to pursue it, we will.”
Negotiations are currently ongoing for the creation of a six-month long study to ensure that the rails could support the speeds the trains would require. Palombo said they also need to make sure there’s enough capacity on the lines—so there are no conflicts between the freight train companies and commuter trains—and how much it would cost to lease space along the lines. That means dealing with three different railroad companies: Norfolk Southern, Conrail Shared Assets and Canadian National.
Staff Writer Meghan Chatham contributed to this article.
