Wally inches forward; Arborland shuts out AATA

There's good news and bad news. For every step forward we take at least one step back. First, the good news.

Wally Inches Forward

Wally, the proposed commuter rail line from Howell to Ann Arbor, is coming slowly closer to reality. Today's coalition meeting noted these steps forward:

• An archeological investigation was conducted at the proposed Hamburg station site to insure than no Native American grave sites or artifacts would be desecrated. That was necessary because it's within a mile of a known Native American burial ground. The only artifacts found were two nails and a bolt, less than fifty years old, so the Hamburg station has the go-ahead.
• The plan calls for using bi-level commuter rail cars sold by Chicago's Metra agency when then got too old to be worth keeping. After a competitive bidding process, a contract has been awarded to Great Lakes Central Railway to refurbish the cars and make some of them ADA compliant. The idea is to assemble the cars into sets that will each include at least one car with a wider door and space for wheel chairs.
• The boarding-platform height has been determined: 8 inches over the top of the rail. This will allow plans for stations to be started.
• Surveys are in progress to determine what people want and how they feel: the phone survey for Livingston County areas near Wally was completed last week; the one for Washtenaw Wally areas is this week. An on-line survey of interested people will be available soon. I'll send you the link when it's up.
• The PR consultant suggested a unified approach to getting information out - especially the reasons we need Wally. It involves two co-chairs, one from each county through which Wally will pass (Washtenaw and Livingston). There was a long discussion of how that effort would be organized, the upshot of which is that nothing has been decided yet.

Arborland Ejects AATA

If you live in the area, you've probably heard by now: Arborland's management is shutting out buses beginning July 1. AATA has used Arborland as a transfer point for thirty years. I remember riding to WCC when I first started teaching there in 1983, transferring at Arborland. Routes 4, 7, and 22 call there, and AATA counts about a thousand boardings there every weekday.

Apparently AATA has been in negotiations with Finsilver Friedman, Arborland's owners, off and on for a couple of years. A significant number of passengers are known to park in Arborland's convenient lot, hop on a bus, and retrieve their cars several hours later without spending a dime at the mall. Store owners - reasonably enough - objected to parking spots being taken in that way, so AATA posted signs to direct bus users to use only spots away from the stores. They even offered to put AATA staff at Arborland to shoo passengers away from parking in places too close to the shops. Finsilver Friedman simply refused to renew. AATA has explained it in a press release on their Web site.

Let's be clear: Finsilver Friedman has every right to restrict their parking lot to paying customers, and AATA is not a paying customer. That said, it's a stupid move. Really dumb. Rumor has it their email inbox is over quota from all the complaints they're getting. They're not answering any of them. They won't say why they're refusing AATA's permission in spite of efforts to accommodate the mall's needs. My private theory about their reticence is that they don't like the kind of people who are supposed to ride buses. They want Arborland to be seen as an upscale kind of place, but "everybody knows transit riders aren't the right kind of people." Articulating that would leave them wide open for accusations of stereotyping, prejudice, and even *gasp* racism, so silence is golden.

With more and more people flocking to public transit, you'd think mall management companies would welcome buses. You'd think they would consider ways to integrate bus-riding and shopping. Perhaps bringing the buses closer to the shops, rather than keeping them at arm's length on a concrete island surrounded by parking lots and driveways. Maybe even putting stores like Hiller's and cafés like Starbucks right next to the bus transfer points, so people could easily pick up a latte or a gallon of milk while waiting for their bus.

Instead, the buses will be stopping in traffic on Washtenaw Avenue, at least for now. Most people wanting to transfer will have to cross Washtenaw at one of its busiest points. AATA is urging people to cross at the Yost signal (here's the diagram). But the arrangement of the intersection is maximally inconvenient for that. Let's say you're on a 4 or 7 bus heading toward Ann Arbor, and you need to get to North Campus or the VA Hospital. For many years, it was just a question of getting off your first bus, waiting for the 22, and getting on. Beginning July 1, You'll have to get off, wait for the light to cross the west Arborland drive, wait again to cross Washtenaw, and wait again to cross Yost before boarding. Tell me nobody will try to dart through traffic on Washtenaw, especially if they see the 22 about to leave. Tell me everybody will wait for three changes of the traffic signal, even if it means missing their bus and waiting another half-hour in the rain.

AATA has been in touch with MDOT to try to remedy the situation. Washtenaw is a State Highway, so MDOT has to approve any changes. You may have noticed that MDOT's budget is disappearing fast, and AATA's revenues are shrinking rapidly, so tell me how long you think it will take to get funding to make any changes.

There may be a bright spot, though. With those nasty buses gone, and plenty of parking available for upscale customers, Arborland's revenues will be going up, right? So the City of Ann Arbor will benefit from a huge increase in tax revenues, won't they?

What to you think?

Transit Oriented Development's Advantages

OK, maybe it doesn't seem cool to blog about someone else's blog, but this is one that's really worth it. It's Todd Litman's blog on Planetizen, "Comprehensive Evaluation of Transit Oriented Development Benefits." Todd is the executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

One interesting fact that came to light in his study is that TOD increased transit use somewhat, but most of all increased walking, and decreased vehicle miles traveled (VMT, the standard measure of automobile use).

Let me give you a quote of the main TOD advantages he cites, then urge you to read the entire blog entry:

• Congestion reduction (30-50% reductions in per capita annual congestion delay are typical between transit-oriented cities and comparable size automobile-oriented cities).
• Road and parking facility cost savings (worth hundreds of dollars annually per capita).
• Consumer savings and improved affordability (often totaling thousands of dollars annual per household).
• Improved safety (residents of transit-oriented communities have about a quarter of the per-capita traffic fatality rate as residents of automobile-dependent sprawl, taking into account all traffic deaths, including pedestrians and transit passengers).
• Improved mobility options for non-drivers (non-drivers benefit not only from improved public transit service, but also from improved walking and cycling conditions and more compact and mixed land use).
• Improved public fitness and health (transit users are four times as likely to achieve the target of 20 minutes or more of walking per day as people who do not use transit on a particular day).
• Increased local property values and household wealth (improved accessibility and transportation cost savings tend to be capitalized in higher land values, which appreciates over time).
• Energy conservation and emission reductions (residents of transit-oriented communities tend to consume 20-40% less transportation energy than they would in more automobile dependent communities).
• More dollars circulating in the local economy (expenditures on vehicles and fuel provide less employment and business activity than expenditures on other consumer goods, and much less than expenditures on transit service).

Interesting? So go see what else Todd has to say! http://www.planetizen.com/node/39133

Creativity

Lou Glazer said it. The Fortune 500 say it. Arts and culture really count. Yesterday, Tamara Real from Ann Arbor's Arts Alliance made a presentation at WATS (Washtenaw Area Transportation Study) to highlight that importance.

Just a minute. What does WATS have to do with the arts? More than we might guess, apparently. Here's the connection...

A recent survey looked at the hiring criteria of Fortune 500 companies, and found that they're using a rather unexpected predictor of success for their young applicants: their involvement in creative and cultural activities in high school. The reason? They've discovered drama, music, and art develop creativity and problem-solving ability. Sure, the math, science, and language - all that is important. But what businesses are looking for is adaptability, problem-solving skill, ability to think their way through novel situations. And what they've found is that so-called "cultural activities" are the best way to tell whether someone will demonstrate the necessary quickness on their feet.

The obvious application of this is for our schools, facing tough decisions about what to cut in lean times. Usually the first things to go are arts and culture programs. "They're optional, aren't they?" Of course, the best answer is, "Don't cut anything: invest in our kids!" - but these aren't the best of times.

So where's the tie-in to transportation? Well, it seems schools are cutting back on school bus transportation to museums, music venues, and other "enrichment" activities. Since many of the kids don't have their driver licenses, or perhaps the family lacks a spare automobile, they don't get to the arts and cultural things they need to make them attractive to employers. Well, I guess they're fine for flipping burgers or scanning UPC codes at the registers.

And the thing is, other parts of the country - and other countries - offer their citizens convenient , reliable, frequent public transportation, which their kids can use to enrich their lives and their résumés. So in addition to not cutting our school budgets, investing in public transportation can help our kids catch up with the rest of the world. Not to mention giving a break to the hard-working moms and dads who now try to ferry their kids around everywhere. It's a transportation connection I hadn't thought about, so here's a big THANK YOU to Tamara, Angela, and Cindy from the Arts Alliance.

AA-Detroit Commuter Rail

SEMCOG'S Carmine Palombo was at the the WATS meeting yesterday morning. In addition to explaining the Transportation Asset Management program, he had a quick report on east-west commuter rail progress. "It's like those Christmas presents you give your kids sometimes," he said. "When they open the box, they find another box inside. Inside the second box is a third, and so on. I keep thinking I've opened the last box, and finding another one." So what's the next box - "The last one, I hope!"

SEMCOG and Canadian National Railway have agreed on usage fees, and are now discussing scheduling and dispatching - in other words, who gets to send their train through first. This one is really critical, folks. Without priority for passenger trains, reliability is down the tubes. Without reliability, you lose most of your commuters. Without commuters... curtains for the whole project.

Good News from the AATA Board

At last night's AATA Board meeting, Chairman David Nacht (who had just announced proudly that he rode his bike to the meeting) got a question from a concerned Ypsilanti resident: "I heard service to Ypsilanti will be discontinued, and I just wanted to find out when that will be discussed." Nacht's answer: "We are not planning to discuss cutting service to Ypsilanti at this or any other meeting. We will stand by our POSA (Purchase of Service Agreement) partners."

AATA had requested an increase in the service fee to all districts outside of Ann Arbor, because they pay for only part of the cost of their service. Ypsilanti was the first to say they wouldn't be able to up the ante, but of course the townships are financially just as badly off. So here's a big THANK YOU to David Nacht for his willingness to be flexible.

Thank you also to Ann Arbor residents, who are subsidizing the outlying areas through their millage payments. Please be patient with us. Washtenaw County can either be a successful whole, or a bunch of squabbling, failing jurisdictions. Though we don't all have equal financial muscle, we will all fail equally if some of us fail. Let's be ready to support the unified county transportation plan as soon as it's unveiled.

Brief Summary

This summary of Michigan's transportation system from an official who is in a position to know, but shall remain nameless to protect his or her effectiveness: "Things suck, and they're getting worse. I try to keep the message that simple to get the point across to our legislators."

Washtenaw Avenue Talent Corridor

I have to let you know about the Washtenaw Corridor project. I mentioned it back on April 7, how Anya Dale is leading the planning effort to get transit-oriented development going on Washtenaw Avenue, between AA and Ypsi. The goal is to have an area that attracts young, college-educated people who want a vibrant, walkable neighborhood with good public transportation.

So we had a meeting today, discussed what to do next in three areas: Planning/Zoning, Transportation, and Marketing. It's time-consuming because we want ideas from all the people and groups represented. I can't tell you what was decided, because nothing was decided - we just brainstormed. Anya Dale and her team at the County have their work cut out for them, trying to get it all to make coherent sense.

You know, these things seem to go so very slowly, but really it's necessary to do it "right". In this case, "right" is with public participation. I was so pleased to see not only "the usual suspects", but people from the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice. "The usual suspects", bless them, are representatives of local governments, AATA, planning agencies, businesses, and chambers of commerce. They're the ones who make this kind of project go. But the Interfaith Council: they're on board because Michigan without transit-oriented development is an unjust place.

Yes, unjust.

In case I haven't said it often enough, communities that require automobiles to live in can become traps. "Need a job, son? Drive over and see us!" But... "Don't have a car, son? Get a job!" Trapped.

The result: we're compelled to live for our cars, and people with low-paying jobs are compelled to pay for their cars just to get to their jobs, whether or not they can afford health care, decent housing, or even food for the kids. This is the American Dream, according to some. How quickly that "dream" becomes a nightmare when you're laid off, you can't pay off your credit cards, car payments, and mortgage. That's why the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice is taking part in the project.

Slow as it seems, this is making the best progress of any transit-oriented development in the county. Thank you, team members. Thank you, Anya Dale, for managing the project. Thank you, Mandy Grewal and Dick Carlisle, for championing it.

The Need: Dire. The Great Opportunity: Rail.

We had a Town Hall Meeting, organized by State Rep. Pam Byrnes (D-Washtenaw) to talk about transportation. Rep. Byrnes assembled a panel of three to tell us about the current situation and what we're looking at in the near future.

The panel:

• Terri Blackmore, Executive Director of the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study

• Ronald K. DeCook, Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)

• Mark Schauer, U. S. Representative for the 7^th District of Michigan, which includes western Washtenaw and Jackson.

There's good news and bad news. Let's start with the bad.

Doom and Gloom

Terri started out explaining how short of money we are for even maintaining our roads, let alone paving or widening anything. Michigan won't have enough money to match the Federal highway funds that will be available in 2011. For every dollar Michigan residents pay in Federal gasoline tax, we now get 92 cents back. In 2011 – unless we do something to raise more money – we'll get much less.

Big graphs and a map provided by the Washtenaw County Road Commission showed the condition of our roads. I'm going to skip the fancy graphs and just give you the figures:

	Roads Eligible for Federal Funds		Other roads*		Total
	%	Miles	%	Miles	%	Miles
Good	19.40%	320	14.00%	231	16.7%	551
Fair	49.00%	807	43.00%	708	46.0%	1515
Poor	31.60%	520	43.00%	708	37.3%	1228

* This table is changed from the original posting; Terri Blackmore explained the difference to me, and I think this is a clearer way to explain it.

OK, so by the most liberal standard, we have 520 miles of roads in“Poor” condition. If you live here, you know exactly what that means. Of those “poor” roads, how many miles can the county afford to repair?

Next fiscal year, we can afford to repair 90 miles.

Is this system broken, or what? Is this the United States, or Haiti? Folks, we've got to invest in our community! We've got to spend some money on our own state, if we expect anyone to move here and start a business. What this says is, we don't believe in ourselves.

A Ray of Hope

Ron DeCook next took us through the TF2 Bill Request. That's the legislation recommended by the Transportation Funding Task Force. I'm not going to go into the details. If you're interested, go to the MDOTsite and download one or more of the PDFs. Here are some highlights:

• They're recommending that we ask the legislature for a “good” transportation funding system. They also spec'd out a “better” funding system, which they don't think is realistic to ask for, given the economic climate. They didn't even spec out what might be considered “the best” system, which they thought was a waste of time to even think about in Michigan. (After all, Michigan funding for transportation – including highways, marine, air, rail, and transit – ranks 47^th out of the 50 states. What can we expect?)

• Revenue will be increased gradually over the next five years. The current system of gas taxes will be changed so that rather than basing it on the number of gallons sold, it will be based on wholesale price – but the system is complicated, and includes a cap of the equivalent of 34 cents per gallon, and a provision never to drop, even if the wholesale price falls.

• In addition to gasoline, registration fees (license plates) will gradually move up over the next few years. Counties that vote for it can add a fee to driver licenses which they can use to fund transit.

• Truck and aviation fuel taxes will also be increased. Amazing fact: the tax on aviation fuel is 3 cents per gallon. That was determined in 1926, when it was 10% of the cost. It has never been raised.

• Only 9.2% of the revenues will be dedicated to transit, rail, light rail, etc. Apparently the Michigan constitution prohibits more than 10% of gas tax money from being spent on transit, but not even that much has been allocated since 1997. I feel strongly that 9.2% is not enough. Sure, we need to repair our raods, but we've been neglecting public transportation even more. With climate change and peak oil breathing down our necks, we need to make a bigger effort than that.

• Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is an important part of the new plan. This includes public-private operation of roads – that is, making some highways tollways and having a private company responsible for operating and maintaining them. The company would be answerable to a publicly appointed board of directors.

• A pot of $50M would be available to help start new transit projects.

• Tax Increment Funding (TIF) would be made available. This is a system used in many other states to capture the great increase in property value that comes with rail transit, and use the added value to help fund the transit itself.

• Grants would be administered so as to encourage regional cooperation – something sorely needed in Michigan.

So those are the recommendations. They have to pass the State House andSenate. I asked what the bipartisan support was likely to be, and Rep. Byrnes said it was mainly there. There were members of both parties on the Task Force. I've heard the Chamber of Commerce is backing it. There are very few opponents, but unfortunately they are in very high positions in the Senate. So we need to push.

What can we do to help? Ron: if you see negative articles or letters in your newspaper, ANSWER THEM! Explain the need for basic transportation infrastructure. Make constructive suggestions. And I would add, check the on-line news and blogs. Comment on them, too.Terri: Support Partners in Transit, the soon-to-be-official campaign to fund a county-wide transit system in Washtenaw.

The Great Opportunity

The notice inviting people to this meeting said it was all about fixing roads and bridges. We sure need that, but if you've been following this blog, you know I'm not likely to be satisfied without transportation alternatives. I was all set to stand up and shout (well, in a polite, well-moderated way). I didn't need to.

Pam Byrnes stood up to welcome us, and said we need transit to be economically competitive. Terri Blackmore stood up and said we can't have roads that work well without transit that works better, to relieve congestion. Ron DeCook stood up and said the public surveys had taken MDOT aback: young and old alike were clamoring for transit. Mark Schauer stood up and said getting high-speed rail for Michigan is the greatest opportunity for recovery, and the most important thing he can do for the citizens he represents is to bring high-speed rail from Chicago to Detroit.

Rep. Schauer would like to put a train in service that goes from downtown Chicago to downtown Detroit in 3 hours. With this, he issued a challenge: can you demonstrate any other way to get from downtown to downtown that fast?

Now I've got to reflect on that a bit. Can we do it in a train?

To run those 281 miles in three hours, the average speed would need to be 93.7 MPH. I believe that's doable on the existing right-of-way, based on the numbers I've crunched using Japanese non-bullet-train schedules. But it would not be easy. Here are some things that need to be done:

• Amtrak or the State of Michigan would have to own and dispatch the track from the state line to the Detroit station. Otherwise, freight traffic will get in the way and make schedules unreliable.

• Serious work would have to be done in northern Indiana to relieve rail congestion. (Everybody concerned is well aware of this.)

• Of course, the rails, crossing lights, and signal system would have to be upgraded to the level they are now between Kalamazoo and the Indiana line – pretty expensive, but not impossible, and Amtrak knows how to do it.

• The roadbed and rails would have to be upgraded: cleaning and re-leveling the gravel ballast under the tracks, putting in new ties – perhaps concrete rather than wood, and of probably new rail.

• Existing trains would not be able to do it, so new trainsets would have to be made to order.

Let me explain that last . Amtrak has been using the rail line between Kalamazoo and the Indiana state line as a test-bed for moderately high-speed trains in the Midwest. The target speed is 110 MPH, and to make it safe, they have installed special signals at grade crossings, and Positive Train Control (PTC) in the locomotives and track. The locomotives now in use, the General Electric P42 “Genesis” model,is rated for a top speed of 110 MPH. Gradually and quietly, Amtrak has been increasing the speed, careful to make sure all the crossing signals work right and the PTC system works reliably. When I rode the line with my GPS a couple of years ago, they were already running at 90.

I suspect Amtrak is now reached 110. Last Sunday, Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman rode from Chicago to Kalamazoo in Amtrak's executive railcar, attached to a regularly scheduled train. I have a guess he wanted to be among the first to travel on the line at 110. Just a guess.

So if the trains already run at 110, why would new trainsets be needed to get from Chicago to Detroit in 3 hours?

1. The track from Kalamazoo to the Indiana line has lots of long, straight stretches. East of Kalamazoo, there are a lot more curves on the line. The trains have to slow down to negotiate the curves comfortably, and wouldn't be able to achieve the needed 93.7 MPH average. But there's a solution: trains that tilt can go through curves much faster than those that don't. Many modern trains designed to run on curving lines have an “active tilt” system. They are quite common in Europe, Japan, Australia, and other places, but the only one in the US is the Acela. To achieve an average of 93.7 MPH, the trains would need to tilt.

2. Running between Chicago and Detroit without stopping is an option, but not a practical one. On current Amtrak service, it's the stations between Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo that have the most boardings (Ann Arbor has the most). But with the current cars, an Amtrak conductor has to open the door and stairway, put out a step-stool, and help people up and down some pretty steep steps. Only two doors can be open at any station because that's how many conductors are in the passenger cars. This means the train has to stop for a long time at each station, bringing the average speed down. California solved that problem with their San Joaquin and Capital Corridor trains by having doors are the same level as the platform (which also makes them ADA-compliant) and having all doors open automatically, under the control of one conductor. That way, the station stops take only 1-2 minutes, rather than the 5-10 needed with the current equipment.

3. The cars used now are 30-40 years old. Amtrak hasn't had the money to replace them, and even repairing ones with serious problems has been a challenge. But in order to run in 3 hours between Detroit and Chicago, you need reliable equipment. Not much sense having trains that can do the 3-hour run, if they're broken down half the time.

OK. End of reflection.

Bottom Line

Congressman Schauer tells us the vision for transportation – in the House Transportation Committee, on which he serves, and in the White House – is for an integrated, intermodal system, a holistic solution involving roads, rail, air, and water. It is to be a system that takes into account the seriousness of climate change, the high cost of congestion, and the coming high cost of energy. It is to be a system that provides livability, BUT streamlines that complex funding process, which more often than not slows down progress.

I left the Town Hall Meeting feeling optimistic.

Go, TIGGER!

Here's an item that came up last week (04-21), but I didn't blog about it. There was just too much going on. And it's about buses.

Buses are an important part of any public transportation system. They are necessary everywhere to feed more interesting conveyances like trains and light rail, but they don't get much respect. There are lots of reasons for this, but here's something pretty exciting: Fisher and TIGGER may be getting together to provide AATA with plug-in hybrid buses.

Hey, don't we have hybrid buses in tree-town already? Sure. They improve fuel efficiency by about 66% compared with standard diesel buses. That sounds really good, but consider the MPG:

• Standard diesel buses: about 3 MPG
• Hybrid diesel-electric buses: about 4.5 MPG

*Sigh*. Doesn't look like that much improvement, after all. That's why it's exciting to see plug-in hybrids, which will go a lot further in reducing energy and making it cleaner.

All this is coming together thanks to the efforts of Bruce Emmons and Fisher Coachworks. You know, "Body by Fisher", "The Golden Tower of the Fisher Building" in Detroit's New Center. Bet you thought, as I did, that Fisher was dead and gone. Think again!

What's New

The new bus designed by Emmons at Fisher has these interesting features:

• Light-weight monocoque stainless steel body
• Enough battery power to run about 100 miles
• Totally electric drive
• A small diesel engine that runs at a constant speed to partially recharge the batteries
• Batteries can be fully recharged overnight by plugging the bus into a wall socket
• Completely flat passenger space (no steps in the back)
• Fully ADA compatible
• Seats up to 44; including standees its capacity is 90
• Single rear wheels (2 tires rather than the usual 4 - at least for now).

Here's the idea: the totally new body design allows the weight to be reduced without compromising safety. "Monocoque" means the body is the frame, and the use of high-strength steel throughout is what makes it possible. What makes the flat floor possible is the new power train.

The power train does not work like a Prius's or current hybrid buses. Both these systems use electric power mainly to supplement the internal combustion engine. Fisher's bus uses only electric power to run the bus. The diesel engine spins a generator that partially recharges the batteries while in motion. The engine runs at a constant speed, which gives it greater efficiency and cleaner emissions - and I hope, is quieter, too. The engine design is intended to keep the batteries charged enough for a normal transit-bus day. Complete recharge is expected to happen at night, so there won't be a demand during peak hours. Also, transit agencies can install their own renewable energy sources when that makes financial sense.

Who's TIGGER?

Well, not who but what. TIGGER is a wonderful acronym representing "Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction". It's part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, AKA Stimulus Funds. Any transit agency can apply for funds (unfortunately, only $100 M nationwide) to make capital investments that improve their emissions or reduce their energy needs. Since a plug-in hybrid bus would do both, it's clearly in the sights of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which administers the grants. And since Fisher Coachworks is a Detroit-area company (in Troy), it's a great initiative to help Michigan diversity its manufacturing base into green industry. Yea!!!!!!!!

MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) is putting in a grant that combines requests for several Michigan transit agencies. AATA is on track to get two of the Fisher buses, worth $600 K each, which are eligible for 100% Federal financing. No local or state money needed. Yea again!!!!!!!

Applications for TIGGER funds are due at FTA on May 18, so it will be a while before we know whether we get any of the money. Meanwhile, Fisher is still refining their bus, of which they've only built one or two test models. You can check them out at Fisher's Web site: http://www.fishercoachworks.com/index.html. They currently offer two videos: the first one is mainly suits standing around talking, but the second one has good explanations of how the bus is build, how it works, and lots of clips of it driving around the Fisher facility. Oh - and it illustrates transit using AATA buses, with an interview of AATA's Terry Black Manager of Maintenance.

If you're interested in funding details, you'll find them at FTA: http://www.fta.dot.gov/index_9440_9326.html#TIGGER.

WALLY! Jackson!

WALLY!

Today (April 27) saw a meeting of the Washtenaw-Livingston "WALLY" commuter rail initiative. Interesting. It was packed - except for me and one other self-identified "interested citizen" - pretty much with "VIPs". Mayors, a state representative, councilmen, presidents of companies, heads of transportation agencies, even the Federal Railroad Administration sent two reps. I won't list anyone's name for fear of leaving someone out. Trust me, it was impressive.

As you may know, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority has agreed to take charge of the Wally project, shepherding it through its development phase and fielding federal and state transit dollars to pay for it. Tom Cornillie is the point man, doing a great job for AATA. The major step forward right now is getting two public relations firms on board: one to do input (community survey), the other output (publicity). Ilium Associates, the "input" company, has done work to support rail startups in Seattle, San Diego, Miami, Spokane, and several other places. Bob Prowda, Exec VP, is their representative. The "output" company, The Rossman Group, is a Lansing PR firm that has done a lot of local work in Michigan. Appropriately, Mark Pischea, President, worked with the Michigan Republican Party - he can focus on Livingston County - and Josh Hovey, Senior Account Exec, is a Democrat, so he can represent the firm in Washtenaw. Looks like a really good team.

What about stimulus funds? Well, maybe. According to Terri Blackmore of WATS, there's a $1.5 billion pot of money to be divided around the nation, and WALLY is probably eligible for some of it. (Crumbs, is my guess.) We won't know if we'll get any of it until the end of September, and we can't even apply until the application and eligibility rules come out May 18. Stay tuned.

A couple of other pieces of good news: Beck Development, which owns a generous pie-slice of land between Eight Mile Road and the track, west of Whitmore Lake, has begun demolition of the old Hoover-Universal / King-Sealy factory. That will make way for some kind of transit-oriented development and a park-and-ride lot, potentially a parking deck if there's demand for one. Here's a photo from my cell camera of the demolition operation.

Howell has also gotten on board with a downtown plan that incorporates the station. I hope to get more details on their plans and Beck's soon, and pass them along to you.

Finally, a big pat on the back to Great Lakes Central Railroad, lessors of the track. (The track belongs to the State, under MDOT.) Lou Ferris, CEO of parent Federated Capital, was at the meeting along with Mike Bagwell, President of GLC and several GLC staff members. It's because of Ferris's vision of restored passenger service north-south in Michigan that Federated is leasing the line and running trains on it, and that WALLY is advancing so fast. Now, if only the Ann Arbor Railroad... And it's because of Bagwell and the staff that GLC's operation is doing well. I caught this picture with my cell phone camera of a GLC doing good, old-fashioned, manual maintenance of way, which is at the heart of running a good railway. They're just north of the future Whitmore Lake station, at the Eight Mile crossing. Good work, guys, all of you!

Jackson Citizens for Economic Growth

They may not have Ann Arbor Spark, but look out for Jackson! They're eager to get their city back up and running, and two-year-old Jackson Citizens for Economic Growth (JCEG) is kicking it! They are totally pushing for the Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail project (managed by SEMCOG) to come out to Jackson.

So they brought Rick Harnish, of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association advocacy group (of which I've been a proud member for several years) in from Chicago (on the train, of course!) to discuss the benefits of high speed rail for Jackson tonight. His message is not new to me, so if you're curious, visit his Web site.

One audience member asked why we're proposing to invest in "yesterday's technology" (rail) instead of monorail or maglev, and the answer was interesting. It involves the physics of rail, monorail, and maglev, but the short answer is that two steel rails on transverse ties can carry more weight at less cost than either other system. Monorails are particularly limited in weight, and meglevs are incredibly expensive. The only maglev in scheduled operation is in Shanghai, and the Chinese Government, who built it based on a German plan, isn't discussing how much it cost.

The highlight for me was the contrast between one young man in the audience, who said in effect, "Michigan is dying, so what good will a train do?", and the young people of Question, a JCEG group for those 19-40 who want to make a difference. The Question people are enthusiastic, energetic, articulate, and confident (as well as extremely good-looking!). They are not willing to wait for the older generation to "do something". They really give me hope, not only for Jackson, but for the rest of Michigan.