Hopes that Southwest Michigan communities served by Amtrak, from St.
Joseph to Dowagiac, could become
bedroom communities for the Chicago area just may be coming true.
July ridership figures show a more than 300 percent rise in activity between 2009 and 2010 in New Buffalo, reports the Herald-Palladium.
Excerpt:
The key difference is Amtrak moved its station last October from the Pere Marquette route on the city's south side to the Wolverine and Blue Water routes, which travel over tracks downtown.
The Blue Water and Wolverine trains account for three stops daily from Chicago to New Buffalo. The Pere Marquette makes one stop from Chicago.
Ryan Fellows, assistant to the city manager, said until rider surveys are taken it can't known for sure how many riders are Chicago commuters.
But when the number of people getting on or off in New Buffalo goes from 715 to 2,584 in a year, one can make a strong hypothesis.
"It's a very easy leap of faith to make," he said.
To read the reaction of those taking the train, read the
rest of the story. Source: Herald-Palladium
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