The Groundwork Center in Traverse City has $120,000 to study a passenger rail line to Ann Arbor. The new funding comes from federal, state and local sources.
Hans Voss, executive director of the Groundwork Center, says the study is a crucial step toward passenger rail service in northern Michigan.
“Ann Arbor, Traverse City and Petoskey are some of the most vibrant places in the Midwest,” he says. “That collaboration, the sense of connectedness, and the economic opportunities of connecting these communities play a role in uniting us as one Michigan.”
Voss says younger generations are relying less on cars and more on public transportation. He says the rail service will make transport more accessible to thousands of college students.
Voss says the study will determine the services, ridership and cost of the operation.
“This is the kickoff of a planning process that will chart out what it’s going to take for the possibility of passenger rail from Traverse City to Ann Arbor from a vision to reality,” he says.
The Groundwork Center is in the process of finding a consultant.
The study will begin in the fall and take eight to 10 months to complete.