State transportation officials were in Saint Joseph this week to talk about the future of the Pere Marquette Amtrak line. Recent documents from MDOT regarding plans for a multi-state rail line called the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative indicate that the passenger service could be rerouted out of Saint Joe and Bangor, instead heading through the Kalamazoo region...and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission organized Wednesday's gathering for residents and others to express their concerns. State Representative John Proos was there, and tells us that he's trying to convince MDOT that the West Michigan routes of the Pere Marquette are worth maintaining:
Proos says that he'll be taking this issue back to Lansing:
He added that it's important to preserve the Pere Marquette line, as it ties in perfectly with a variety of other development taking place in Saint Joe:
MDOT Office of High Speed Rail Analyst Therese Cody says that the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative is still years from being implemented, and the plans could still be changed.
Representative Proos tells us that he and other Southwest Michigan lawmakers are urging MDOT to restudy the issue and keep the nearby stops on the Pere Marquette. He's among five state reps who signed a letter this week to the head of MDOT, making an economic case for continued support of passenger rail service in West Michigan.
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