North-South Commuter Rail Status Report - November 2014

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Same project – different roles

Friends of Ann Arbor Area WALLY Transportation Authority

Advocates Public Agency

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY N-S Commuter Rail – The Route

• Passenger service on an existing State- owned freight line

• Stations proposed for Howell, Genoa Twp, Hamburg Twp, Whitmore Lake and Ann Arbor

• Initially 4 trains each direction per day

• Connecting buses in Ann Arbor will serve North Campus, Medical Center, and downtown

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Ann Arbor Barton Road Station

Shuttle buses from station on Plymouth near Barton Road

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Ann Arbor Downtown Station

Main Washington

Liberty

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY N-S Commuter Rail – the Train

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY N-S Commuter Rail - Stations

• Security / Lighting / Shelter • Transit / Ped Access • Auto / Bicycle Parking • Ticketing*

• Community Centers • Transit Oriented Development • Sustainable Design Techniques

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Project Background

• Early efforts (2006-2009) • WATS / Wally Coalition • RL Banks Study • $32.4M Capital • $5.0M Operating (annual, net of fares*) • AAATA as “Designated Authority” • Minimum Operating Configuration - 2014 • $4.3M Capital (initial) • $1.5M Operating (annual, net of fares*)

* Does not include any offset for State formula funding, which would further lower the local public funding requirement

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Recent Improvements • Track and crossing improvements • Major Work, Summer 2010 • Rail, ballast and tie replacement and rehabilitation • MDOT funded • Grade crossing protection • Design / scoping is underway • 34 public crossings • New Siding

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Other Developments

• MDOT Railcar Refurbishment • Railcar Static Displays • First Revenue Service in Howell • Downtown Ann Arbor Station Study • AARR Change of Ownership • Livingston Transportation Coalition • Friends of WALLY

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Opportunities and Challenges

• Construction on US-23 • AAATA new millage $ not available for this service • Art Fair Train, other possible demonstrations • Willing property owners • Willing railroads • Federal grant for Feasibilty Study

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Feasibility Study

• $640,000 Federal Highway Administration • $160,000 local sources • Federal Transit Administration • Public Involvement • Steering Committee • Advisory Committee • Interested Citizens

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Scope of Work

• Examination of Alternatives • Green Concepts and Principles • Demand Estimates • Station Locations / Maintenance Facilities • Connecting Bus Service • Capital and Operating Costs / Financial Analysis • Funding & Governance • Public Engagement

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Green Principles

• Site selection: discourage sprawl, and encourage compact development • Site plans and stations features: • Storm water management • Permeable surfaces for parking • Permeable boarding platforms (are these in use anywhere?) • Wetlands as landscaping of open spaces (e.g. the YMCA lot, Mallet's Creek Library Branch) • "Shrinking Parking" concept • Low-emission locomotives

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Green Principles (cont’d)

• Incorporate solar energy into station operations • Lighting on platforms and parking • Security cameras • Platform heating (to minimize use of salt) • Site lighting to minimize light pollution • State-of-the-art green practices in maintenance, cleaning and repair • Rolling stock (e.g. environmentally-friendly cleaning practices, recycling containers on trains) • Stations (recycling at stations, no-salt/low-salt winter maintenance) • Maintenance facilities (e.g fluids recycling, train washer water recycling)

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Who’s going to ride this thing?

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Demand Estimates

• 11,782 Livingston Co residents commute to Washtenaw Co (2010 ACS / SEMCOG) • 6,332 corridor residents work at UM Ann Arbor Campus and Health Systems (UM Data) • 1300 riders, 2600 trips daily (2007 Survey Results)

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY “From 2000 to 2010, the share of 14 to 34-year- olds without a driver’s license increased from 21 percent to 26 percent.”

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY UM Employees Living Near a N-S Rail Station Howell

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY UM Employees Living Near a N-S Rail Station Genoa / Brighton

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY UM Employees Living Near a N-S Rail Station Hamburg / Whitmore Lake

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY I’m not going to ride this thing. Why would I support it?

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY “Across the study regions, the transit shed outperformed the region as a whole by 41.6 percent.”

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY US 23 Trends…

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Stimulus for Economic Development

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Further Information

• TheRide Web Page: www.wallyrail.org

• Coming Soon: Feasibility Study Project Website

• Michael Benham • [email protected] • 734-794-1851

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Thanks!

ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY