FeedsTrain station decision is imminent
Click image to enlarge
A sketch from the Andrews University study shows how a train station would help spark development in downtown Wayne.A proposed Ann Arbor to Detroit regional rail project is on track for completion in October of 2010.
Officials in western Wayne County, however, may know the location of the final to-be-determined train station long before that—possibly within the next month, according to Carmine Palombo, director of transportation programs for the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).
“There has been a lot of positive movement, but it’s all been behind the scenes,” he said.
SEMCOG has looked into the feasibility of a commuter rail between the two major cities for more than a year now. The concept would be to rely on existing infrastructure as much as possible as a system was developed to shuttle people between Detroit, Ann Arbor and Metro Airport.
Officials from several communities have made a pitch to have a train station located in their borders, including the cities of Wayne, Westland and Inkster.
Stations are already planned for Ypsilanti, a Detroit Metro Airport stop, at the Henry Ford and in Dearborn. A final stop will also be a part of the plan to take people from the rail along Michigan Avenue to Metro Airport.
“We’ve completed our analysis of that and we’ll be discussing it within the next several weeks,” said Palombo. “The plan for that station has always been to get people to and from the airport.”
The city of Wayne has lobbied for that stop, proposing to use city-owned land near Michigan Avenue and Wayne Road in conjunction with the parking deck. A development plan created by students from Andrews University for the city several years ago suggested the city could build on a transit-oriented economy, as well.
“We think it’d be a good fit for Wayne,” said Peter McInerney, community development director.
SEMCOG has a loose outline for the plan that shows a potential grand opening on Oct. 25, 2010. According to that timeline, the final train station location will be decided by the end of July. A planning consultant would be hired in August-September of this year and cost estimates would be more fully investigated. The project would be designed in the fall, with construction under way next year.
Wayne City Manager John Zech said the city would have to acquire more property to feasibly host a train station, but there were ways to make it work. He envisioned an elevated walkway that would take people from the parking deck to the station without subjecting them to the traffic along Michigan Avenue.
“It would be a big deal for us,” he said. “We hope they decide to locate it here.”
