An old Amtrak station in Troy is coming down, and in its place will be a modern transportation station that will be a hub - if all goes as planned - for regional high speed rail and bus service between Michigan and Illinois. The $6.3 million, 28,000-square-foot project will include a 2,000-square-foot building connected to a pedestrian bridge to the train platform, a docking station for as many as four buses and parking lot to accomodate regular commuters and travelers. Ground was broken last week at the 2.4-acre site off Maple Road and Coolidge Highway and construction is expected to be completed Congressman Gary Peters secured the funding for the Troy Multi Modal Transit Facilty, which is one of several projects in metro Detroit, the state and the region. They are part of a reinvestment plan by the federal government to create jobs and also promote public transportation as an economic development tool. The goal is to offer a modern, safe ADA compliant facillty that is easy to use and promotes greater mobility options through a centralized facility that provides access to intercity passenger rail service, regional bus routes, taxi services and the Troy-Oakland Airport. Dearborn and Pontiac are building a similar stations, and the cities are along a rail line that is eyed for high speed travel between Michigan and Chicago. The project will create dozens of construction related jobs, and possibly economic stimulus in surrounding neighborhood but no full-time jobs once it is opened as the station will be unmanned, says Cindy Stewart, Troy's director of community affairs. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Cindy Stewart, director of community affairs, City of Troy
