Wanted: Authority for Ann Arbor's WALLY commuter rail project

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 | Source: Concentrate

The logic is simple. No authority to run the proposed commuter rail line north of Ann Arbor, commonly called WALLY, means no WALLY.

"Until we have an authority there probably won't be much federal help," says Terri Blackmore, executive director of the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study.

The prime target seems to be the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, but it's far from a done deal. Proponents of WALLY have been pushing to set up a new authority consisting of Washtenaw and Livingston counties, but officials from Livingston County (where most of the stations will be located) have balked at the idea.

"We still have every intention of involving Livingston County," Blackmore says. "It doesn't make much sense as a service without it."

RL Banks & Associates released a feasibility study for the line in July that basically said the line was feasible, needed $32.4 million to start and would take about 16 months to set up. The people behind WALLY want to get it up and running before planned improvements on U.S. 23 (which the line basically mirrors) once again bring traffic to a standstill in 2010.

Local leaders remain optimistic about the project, especially as gas prices climb higher and traffic becomes more congested on U.S. 23 --which often overruns its capacity during rush hour. The commuter line would have stops on Ann Arbor's north side, Whitmore Lake, Hamburg Township, Genoa Township and Howell. Unfortunately, Ann Arbor Railroad is not cooperating with the project, so a short spur into downtown is unavailable.

A key supporter of the rail line is the Great Lakes Central Railroad, which
controls the tracks along the corridor and wants to set up the service. Long range plans call for it extending as far as Traverse City.

Source: Terri Blackmore, executive director of the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study
Writer: Jon Zemke