WALLY (commuter rail)

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 This article or section contains information about a proposed, planned, or expected public transportation infrastructure in the United States.
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WALLY (the Washtenaw Livingston Rail Line)[1] is a proposed commuter rail service which would link the Michigan cities of Ann Arbor and Howell.

Contents

[edit] Proposal

Trains would run daily over existing trackage owned by the Great Lakes Central Railroad, which has also committed to providing ten stainless-steel bi-level passenger cars. The service is proposed as an alternative to adding a third lane to U.S. 23, which would cost upwards of $500 million.[2]

Initial start-up costs are projected at $2.9 million, with annual operating costs at $4.8 million. Backers of the project estimate 884,000 riders per year, with a fare revenue of $2.4 million. The remainder would be subsidized by state and local governments.[2] The project has received funding commitments from the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, and the Northfield Township Downtown Development Authority. Attempts to obtain a $1 million grant from the Federal government fell through.[3] Both the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor offices of the Environmental Protection Agency would pay the fares of any employees who took the train in lieu of commuting.[2] Backers are preparing to conduct a $150,000 feasibility study of the line, with money pledged by the University of Michigan, the Great Lakes Central Railroad, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), Washtenaw and Livingston Counties. [4][5] After three years of service the line would become eligible for federal transportation funding.[6]

The proposed end-points of the line are Ann Arbor and Howell, for a total length of 27 miles (43 km). The line is operated by the Great Lakes Central Railroad, a short line railroad who leases the track from CSX, and was originally built by the Lansing, Alma, Mt. Pleasant & Northern and the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan, forerunners of the Ann Arbor Railroad, between 1885 and 1895.[7] Proposed intermediate stops include Brighton, Hamburg and Whitmore Lake. The stop in Brighton would not be in the downtown but rather at Chilson Road, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the west, as the railroad line through the downtown is owned by CSX directly and no operating agreement has been reached. Also pending is an arrangement with the Ann Arbor Railroad for service over the last mile into Howell itself. Trains in Ann Arbor would stop on Plymouth Drive near the North Campus of the University of Michigan and would neither cross the Huron River nor interchange directly with Amtrak.[2][8][9]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Washtenaw Livingston Rail Line (WALLY) Technical review; Scope of Services. Washtenaw County (February 20, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
  2. ^ a b c d "Rail cheaper for commuters, study says; But fares wouldn't cover costs; subsidies needed, experts warn", Ann Arbor News, October 21, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-24. 
  3. ^ "Grant denied, but rail effort on track", Ann Arbor News, October 26, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-24. 
  4. ^ Olander, Valerie. "County studying commuter line: Officials want to know how much the rail service to Ann Arbor will cost Livingston County.", Detroit News, March 24, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-24. 
  5. ^ Karol, Kristofer. "Commuter train study wins fiscal go-ahead", Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, April 16, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-16. 
  6. ^ "County hesitates on rail idea; Board requests viability study before committing money", Ann Arbor News, December 28, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-24. 
  7. ^ Meints (2005), 71-76.
  8. ^ "Howell votes to support regional rail; EPA, U-M commit to pay part of riders' costs", Ann Arbor News, June 15, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-24. 
  9. ^ Shea, Bill. "Proposed rail line still hasn't left station", Crain's Detroit Business, September 10, 2007, p. 12. Retrieved on 2008-03-24. 

[edit] References

  • Meints, Graydon M. (2005). Michigan Railroad Lines. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press. 

[edit] External links

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