Coast to Coast: Planners Seek Public Feedback on Detroit-to-Holland Rail Connector
A proposed passenger rail line connecting cities between Detroit and Holland will be discussed at a series of meetings.
Public meetings will be held across the state this summer to discuss a potential passenger rail line connecting Metro Detroit to Holland. Liz Treutel is the project manager of the “Coast to Coast Passenger Rail Study.” She says a similar service existed before Amtrak was established.
She says the system is still relevant now when residents want more public transit options.
“We’re really seeing a resurgence of passenger rail both in Michigan but also as a trend across the country,” Treutel says. “We’ve actually seen a 76% increase in ridership on Amtrak from 2002 to 2013. So that number is starting to plateau now but it is staying steady at that higher level.”
Treutel says public transit saves money and reduces travelers’ carbon footprint. Sixteen meetings have been scheduled across the state between now and September.
