Relaxing While Traveling, Environmental Impact Lead Michigan Survey on Potential Passenger Preferences

North+South Passenger Rail would connect Northern Michigan to Ann Arbor, Detroit

Six months ago, we called upon potential passengers of a train route under consideration in Michigan to respond to a survey, undertaken by a community development organization, to measure their preferences. The survey results are now in, and they provide interesting information about the needs, wants and habits of would-be users.

The project is known as North+South Passenger Rail, with a route from Detroit and Ann Arbor heading north to serve a number of small but important towns: Howell, Durand, Owosso, Alma, Mount Pleasant, Clare and Cadillac, then a branch to Traverse City or to Kalkaska and Petoskey.

It’s approximately 260 miles from Detroit to Traverse City, and 310 miles to Petoskey, so it’s a 4 ½- to five-hour trip, faster if it’s done right.

The survey, and impetus for the project, are coming from the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, formerly the Michigan Land Use Institute, a non-profit based in Traverse City.

Among the survey findings:

• The top three reasons why respondents would prefer the train over driving: They like the option of relaxing while traveling (reading, sleeping, playing with their phones), they like to stretch their legs and walk around, and they don’t like to drive in bad weather.
• When respondents were asked to rank the importance of several reasons to travel by train, the No. 1 response was environmental impact, followed by frequency, and travel experience (comfortable seats, wi-fi). Travel time and cost were less important.
• Respondents said they were most likely to use the train for vacations, followed by entertainment (not including sports), outdoor recreation, and to visit family.
• The most popular days for travel would be Friday, Sunday and Saturday.
• Few respondents have a connection to a college or university, either as a student, parent of a student, or as faculty or staff – even though the train would go to college towns: Detroit (Wayne State, University of Detroit Mercy), Ann Arbor (University of Michigan), Mount Pleasant (Central Michigan University), and Alma (Alma College).
• 21,786 people responded. Participation was voluntary, so respondents probably self-selected for their interest in passenger rail, transportation or local development, rather than being a broad representative sample. Respondents skewed older, with the largest group being age 65+.
• The greatest number of respondents live in Oakland (Troy, Pontiac), Washtenaw (Ann Arbor) and Wayne (Detroit) countries, which are three of the state’s six most populated counties.

The North + South Passenger Rail corridor is included in the state’s Michigan Mobility 2045 Plan as a potential future route, but it hasn’t risen to the level of a priority. The Groundwork Center is pitching the project in the affected cities, generating support, and aiming to force the plan into a higher position on the state’s agenda.

This rail line, if it’s brought into operation, would be a good fit for an overall vision for passenger rail in Michigan, which includes the creation of, or improvements to, other routes:

Other ideas to bring Michigan to the forefront of passenger rail:

• We envision connecting Detroit with Chicago on a true high-speed rail line, 220 mph or more, via Toledo, OH and Fort Wayne, IN in under two hours, and connecting Detroit with Toronto via Windsor in under two hours.
• The Amtrak Wolverine currently operates three round trips per day between Chicago and Pontiac, via Detroit. This is a popular route, and the Michigan Department of Transportation is working to increase frequency to six round trips per day. Six is better than three, but it’s still not good enough for this workhorse route. Trains should run hourly, from early morning to late evening, the route should be electrified, and all crossings should be grade-separated.
• The Amtrak Pere Marquette currently runs one round trip per day between Chicago and Grand Rapids, a city of 200,000. There is no train connecting Grand Rapids to Detroit, via Lansing, the state capital. The Michigan Department of Transportation is studying establishing service from Grand Rapids to Detroit, and is considering (gasp!) adding a second daily round trip between Grand Rapids and Chicago. We believe this should be a single route, Chicago to Detroit via Grand Rapids and Lansing – “Coast to Coast” – with hourly departures.
• We envision hourly or better service between Detroit and Cleveland via Toledo. There is currently no passenger rail service on this important corridor.

Michigan has a desperate need for better passenger rail. Existing trains are packed.

Fortunately, the state is laid out geographically such that successfully creating or expanding rail corridors is achievable. Nothing in the Lower Peninsula is too far away from anywhere else. The market either exists or will readily develop. The fact that the state owns some of the best rail rights of way removes some of the hurdles to making this happen.