• SEMCOG officials say $40 million to $50 million still needed for Ann Arbor-to-Detroit rail project.
• WALLY isn’t dead but needs $10 million more for demonstration rail service, officials say.

The preview gave me chills.

Watch the entire video here.

You can download the Executive Summary here.

To get a taste of some of the results, here’s the final conclusion of the report:

At the time of the survey (October, 2009) support for a transit tax issue, though nominally at a majority of 51%, was insufficient for it to pass. Too much of the support was half-hearted, and opposition, though in the minority, was firm. However, exposure to various arguments for and against a transit tax during the survey resulted in a gain of 10% for the issue, a fact that indicates the ability of a campaign to motivate a positive vote, not by trying to change the minds of those clearly opposed to a levy, but primarily by strengthening the interest and support of those who at the present time are only weakly committed to a positive vote on the issue.

Although households with at least one transit user are heavily in favor of a transit tax issue, and are an important constituency, they are insufficient in number to pass a transit issue. Thus the issue will turn on the broader community benefit to all, transit users and non-users alike.

The promise of improvements to existing services such as extended weekend hours and more frequent service, while probably appealing to riders, and perhaps important, do not attract voters in general. On the other hand service which broaden the usefulness of transit throughout the county have some appeal. The prospects, however, of WALLY receives a very mixed response and is not advantageous to a transit tax issue. Ann Arbor – Detroit service receives better response, but neither rail issue is, at present, a significant new plus for a transit issue, and funding for WALLY may pose a serious risk for a transit issue.

The fate of the transit tax vote will depend not on a promise of any specific service or service package, but rather on the ability of a campaign and its allies to move and solidify the positive and positive-leaning voters by informing them of AATA’s existing accomplishments, its careful and productive use of public money, the county-wide nature of its future services, the need for public transit to attract jobs, and the need to expand services for seniors and those with disabilities.

You can read the Jan 2010 update here (PDF).

Some of the highlights:

• The project was awarded a $3.5M earmark.
• Train schedules and bus feeder plans should be available by April 2010 (!)
• Plans are moving forward on station design
• The first train set is scheduled for delivery on May 2010

Read the entire update here (PDF).

The resulting comments preceding the article highlight the various opinions surrounding both ideas.  Some people will never be interested in countywide transit or a millage and don’t see the need for it.  Some people ride the buses all the time, see that they are crowded and thus see the need for more and expanded service.  Like most issues, opinions on AATA’s interest in moving to countywide are colored by the experience of the individual.

As the Director of an organization that encourages people to bus, bike, walk, carpool, etc. downtown, I clearly have an interest in seeing an expansion of transit service countywide.  I’m not going to argue with that.  However, my interest is not simply shaped by my own experience but by what I hear from the people I serve–downtown commuters.

The getDowntown Program recently conducted a survey of downtown Ann Arbor employees and found that about 50% of employees live in Ann Arbor.  That means the rest live outside of Ann Arbor.   As a center for high-quality jobs, Ann Arbor, and downtown especially, attract workers from all over the region.  As I have seen in my work, many of these people would like to have other ways to get to their jobs in addition to being able to drive.  They want options.  Also, a vibrant downtown is one filled with lots of people.  When people can bike, bus, walk, and drive to a downtown, this contributes to a vibrancy that more auto-centric parts of Ann Arbor lack.

Speaking of options, what isn’t mentioned in that article but is important to consider in this debate is the two proposed Commuter Rail lines (WALLY and Ann Arbor-Detroit).  While both of the rail lines are expected to be operating by the end of 2010 or early 2011, it’s still unclear what role they will play in shaping a countywide transit conversation.

I think the challenge we will continue to face in Washtenaw County surrounding the transit debate is that parts of the county are much more urban than others.  As a result, transit needs and interests are different depending on where you live in the county.  I think AATA recognizes this and will use this knowledge to shape their countywide plan.  At the same time, we continue to live in a region rather than in separate cities and townships.  What does transit look like if we plan it for a region rather that for separate cities and townships?

There is a lot more I could say on this subject, but I’d rather leave it at this and encourage readers to try to listen to both sides of the debate and figure out how transit factors into the future of this region.  Once a plan is put out there, there will probably be proposals for how to fund it.  And that’s when the really interesting debates will begin.

As I said, I’m not the only one who wants this to happen.  Check out this blog post from Crain’s about an Ann Arborite who would love to commute to his job in Detroit via train.

Finally, if you’d like an update on the progress for the A2-Detroit Commuter Rail, click here. It’s a PDF report from SEMCOG.

The AATA is helping to coordinate the WALLY project and has been leading meetings of interested folks for a while.  The last meeting was held on June 22nd.

While it looks like the rail cars and other details are going smoothly, there is still the issue of funding for the WALLY.  MDOT did not receive Stimulus funds for the project, and is now trying for something called TIGER funds (info on TIGER funds in the comment section).

If you want to read more about WALLY and view the presentation from June 22nd click here.