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A Little Rail Nostalgia for the Future
Input Needed on Michigan’s Rail Plan
Today MDOT hosts a public rail forum. The set up encourages visitors to drop-in anytime between 4-7:30 PM and make comments. MDOT officials will also be on hand to answer questions. Michigan’s current rail plan is a few decades out of date and this is the beginning of the public process to rewrite that plan. Once completed, and if it is competitive enough against other states’ plans, Michigan will receive more federal dollars targeted at passenger rail.
The forum is a the Michigan Works Service Center at 1209 S. Garfield Ave. in Traverse City. Enter through the conference room entrance on the south side of the building. More information is available at MDOT’s website, including a link to make comments online.
There are the obvious comments about connecting Michigan’s cities and how nice it would be to take a train to Grand Rapids, Lansing or Ann Arbor, but there are other details that need consideration as well. Back in August, M-Bike had an excellent suggestion to include in your comments things like roll-on bicycle service. By extension, sheltered, secure bicycle parking at all the stations needs inclusion. Imagine jumping on a train with your bike and arriving in Traverse City ready to roll. Beautiful! What else can you think of?
Does this video inspire any ideas?
And, Don’t Forget the Stations
I just saw this yesterday; a series of iconic images of rail stations from Magnum photographers. Of course, it includes a current image of Detroit’s abandoned Michigan Central Station, but there are plenty of images that capture that romantic feel of some of the world’s greatest rail stations. Like this image of Madrid’s Atocha station by Harry Gruyaert.
Stop in at the Michigan Works building and make your rail plan comments.
FYI, it’s World Car-free Day. Michigan Works is bikable and along the BATA route.
Related Articles:
- Study: High-speed rail could support 57,000 permanent jobs in the Midwest (M-Live)
- Getting on track: Forum on rail plans set (Record Eagle)
- Rail plan touted as fueling economy (dispatch.com)
Today, self-propel as if your livelihood depended on it
Walk. Bike. Catch a BATA bus.
Or, if you must drive, park a half-mile away from your destination and walk the last 10 minutes. Already at work and need to run an errand? Consider walking. Why? Because it’s September 22 and it’s World Car-free Day.
Yesterday, MyWHaT number cruncher Bill Palladino broke down the numbers for us. How much we drive? What are the costs? Today is the first day to do something about it.
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If the numbers aren’t motivation enough, check out these car-free workers. The photo series below was sent to me by a few people (thanks). It’s an excellent reminder that our car-culture is a privilege and far from necessary. Millions of people make their living with their bicycle everyday whether it’s sunny, raining or snowing; there’s work to do and the bike is their tool.
Photography of bike laborers in China is by Alain Delorme.
Few who visit China don’t see something like this, although this type of scene has decreased in the showcase cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Instead, visitors mostly see traffic jams that make crossing the city a major decision. To view more images from this series, visit The Adventure Life’s post “The Mad Crazy Badass Delivery Bikes of China” or Alain Delorme’s website (loads a tad slow).
Movers waiting for a job, play an impromptu game on a street corner in Guangzhou Photo: GLHowe
It’s Not Special, It Just Is
I have to admit that over the years of living in and visiting China, seeing people moving things by bicycle became normal, if not expected. In fact, it was barely noticeable. Even moving companies for the wealthy did, and still do in many places, come to get the job done with a fleet of cargo bikes. It just makes the most sense in cities congested with automobiles and where an ethic of frugality is still valued. Why waste money if there isn’t a clear return? Labor is affordable and the bike is an appropriate, accepted means of transportation. Still, despite the rise of the automobile, the bike user continues on.
Many, not all, bicycle laborers like the ones in Delorme’s images are internal migrant workers who have made their way to a city for the promise of a job. It may allow them the ability to stay in the city long enough to find a higher paying job in a factory. Or, the money is enough for them to minimally live in the city and still send money back to their families in a remote village where the yuan goes a lot further. Or, it is their job of choice. And why not? There’s lots of work to do; get on a bike.
You’re bike commute today will be loads easier than these guys’ rides. Enjoy it.
車不如自行!
Also, Happy Moon Festival.
