Last week, theMichigan Department of Transportation announced that it plans to study the viability of a passenger rail service that would connect Holland, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit. The study has been mandated in the state’s 2015 budget.
This is the first official step of a potentially massive project that no doubt will require many years, many dollars and many more studies. Here to give Current State an initial overview is Dan Sommerville, a policy associate with the Michigan Environmental Council and leads the Michigan By Rail coalition.
Sommerville says since 2002 there has been a 78% increase in passenger rail ridership in Michigan so now the state is starting to take a more serious look at developing rail systems.