roll-on train service to Michigan

From Todd Scott's blog, Amtrak will be beginning roll-on service for bikes on its lines to Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing:

 

http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2011/04/28/amtrak-aiming-for-roll-on-bic...

 

Goody! I'll still drive most of the time for the flexibility it gives me, but it does remove an impediment for many people.

 

David

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on May 4, 2011 at 9:02am
You can't take a house back on the train!
Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on May 4, 2011 at 9:26am
I'd love to have service like this. Train to Detroit, cross over to Windsor, ON, and then plan some train/bike alternating trip from Windsor-Toronto-Montreal-Quebec City. I checked the Via Rail (Canadian Amtrak) site, and they allow bikes without boxing.
Permalink Reply by Todd Scott on May 4, 2011 at 10:14am

Jen, I'm not sure why you haven't heard about this. That's not good. I with an MDOT official who's been working with AMTRAK on this issue. They told her all three lines would have roll-on service by this spring. It does sound too good to be true, but that's what MDOT was told. (It does help that the Michigan legislature requires roll-on service for the Pere Marquette and Blue Water lines.)

 

MagMileMarauder,

There isn't a way to cross from Detroit to Windsor if you're a cyclist. Motorists can drive and pedestrians can take the tunnel bus. We have been working with the Port Authority to get ferry service. They are currently doing a ferry feasibility study. That would be the optimal way to get across the river. There are plans for a new bridge which would also allow bicycles and pedestrians, but that is far from completion.

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on May 4, 2011 at 11:07am
I'm surprised to hear that. When I lived in San Diego, I used to cross the border over to Tijuana and back. They even have a bike lane leading leading to the Mexican side. Needless to say, Mexico has the least bike friendly culture in all of North America. It'd be cool if you could at least put your bike on that tunnel bus.

MagMileMarauder,

There isn't a way to cross from Detroit to Windsor if you're a cyclist. Motorists can drive and pedestrians can take the tunnel bus. We have been working with the Port Authority to get ferry service. They are currently doing a ferry feasibility study. That would be the optimal way to get across the river. There are plans for a new bridge which would also allow bicycles and pedestrians, but that is far from completion.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on May 4, 2011 at 12:11pm

Security Theater

 

Brig Brother is protecting you all from those Eastasia terrorists!  


Cameron Puetz said:

According to Wikipedia bikes used to be allowed on the Ambassador Bridge, but Homeland Security had to go and ruin everyone’s fun since apparently terrorists ride bikes. No one could possibly come up with any sort of car based bomb, so we’re safe now that the evil cyclists are gone.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambassador_Bridge

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on May 4, 2011 at 2:24pm
Trust me I know that's why I left 8 years ago. It's a great city to ride around and explore but if you think it's some place where you can just get off the train, head over to the coffee shop grab a map and chat up the locals...NOT! The one and only train station in Detroit is in the New Center. Not a bad area at all just a(nother) deserted business district.

David A. Pertuz said:

With an attitude like that, you're better off staying in Chicago :)

 

Detroit is a great city to ride in, but you do have to take it for what it is, rather than for what it isn't. There is no more need to ride theough the worst areas of Detroit than there is the worst areas of Chicago. I mean, I'm not going to hang out around 6 Mile & Gratiot at night on a bike, nor on foot or in a car. But even bad-looking areas are fine to ride through.

 

David

Mike Zumwalt said:

I was just thinking how I want to take a train to Detroit, get off, have no mass transit options then ride my bike through deserted/dangerous areas.
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on May 4, 2011 at 2:43pm

Anyway this was posted earlier so if you really want to go to Detroit...

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/hostel-detroit-a-new-bike

 

Permalink Reply by David P. on May 5, 2011 at 2:50am

Well, getting off @ the station, riding down to Avalon and talking with whoever is there actually sounds really nice! :) It's true that the city is not as easy to navigate (not in the literal sense) as Chicago if you are totally new to it, but it's also easy to find people who are very happy to help you do so.

Mike Zumwalt said:
Trust me I know that's why I left 8 years ago. It's a great city to ride around and explore but if you think it's some place where you can just get off the train, head over to the coffee shop grab a map and chat up the locals...NOT! The one and only train station in Detroit is in the New Center. Not a bad area at all just a(nother) deserted business district.

Permalink Reply by Radfahrer on May 5, 2011 at 8:38am

This is such fantastic news!  Can you please keep us updated as to when we'll actually be allowed to do this?  I wanted to go to the tulip festival this weekend in Holland MI but nixed the idea after learning that a car rental would have been way too much $$$ per day -- what a great alternative the train would have been.

 

John

Permalink Reply by Alex on May 5, 2011 at 1:10pm
Actually, if you got off the train in Detroit with your bike, you could ride south and in about 6 minutes (if you're slow) be sitting in a coffee shop, chatting up the locals. Or the very nice rooftop on the Motor City Brewery. It's certainly not Chicago, but not many cities are. If only Michigan Central was still the train station, then you'd be have easy access to BBQ and SW side taco trucks from the train. Oh well.

I probably spend 15 minutes every two weeks bitching about the lack of roll-on bike train service to Michigan, so this is fantastic news. I can go see my mom with my bike without having to ride for four days. Also, last summer I could've really used a train bailout option - when my bike trip partner hurt his knee in Coldwater, we ended up having to rent a car to drive the last 100 miles.


Mike Zumwalt said:
Trust me I know that's why I left 8 years ago. It's a great city to ride around and explore but if you think it's some place where you can just get off the train, head over to the coffee shop grab a map and chat up the locals...NOT! The one and only train station in Detroit is in the New Center. Not a bad area at all just a(nother) deserted business district.

David A. Pertuz said:

With an attitude like that, you're better off staying in Chicago :)

 

Detroit is a great city to ride in, but you do have to take it for what it is, rather than for what it isn't. There is no more need to ride theough the worst areas of Detroit than there is the worst areas of Chicago. I mean, I'm not going to hang out around 6 Mile & Gratiot at night on a bike, nor on foot or in a car. But even bad-looking areas are fine to ride through.

 

David

Mike Zumwalt said:

I was just thinking how I want to take a train to Detroit, get off, have no mass transit options then ride my bike through deserted/dangerous areas.
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on May 6, 2011 at 3:34pm

The problem is finding someone to tell you how to get somewhere to tell you how to get somewhere.!? I mean you're in Penn station/Union station

The Amtrak terminal in Indianapolis, the greyhound in Columbus, Ohio...and having to ride a bike a mile just to get to someplace that Might be able to help you find where you are or where you want to go!?  


Detroit is the Motor City and if you don't have a car GTFO.
Alex said:

Actually, if you got off the train in Detroit with your bike, you could ride south and in about 6 minutes (if you're slow) be sitting in a coffee shop, chatting up the locals. Or the very nice rooftop on the Motor City Brewery. It's certainly not Chicago, but not many cities are. If only Michigan Central was still the train station, then you'd be have easy access to BBQ and SW side taco trucks from the train. Oh well.

I probably spend 15 minutes every two weeks bitching about the lack of roll-on bike train service to Michigan, so this is fantastic news. I can go see my mom with my bike without having to ride for four days. Also, last summer I could've really used a train bailout option - when my bike trip partner hurt his knee in Coldwater, we ended up having to rent a car to drive the last 100 miles.


Mike Zumwalt said:
Trust me I know that's why I left 8 years ago. It's a great city to ride around and explore but if you think it's some place where you can just get off the train, head over to the coffee shop grab a map and chat up the locals...NOT! The one and only train station in Detroit is in the New Center. Not a bad area at all just a(nother) deserted business district.

David A. Pertuz said:

With an attitude like that, you're better off staying in Chicago :)

 

Detroit is a great city to ride in, but you do have to take it for what it is, rather than for what it isn't. There is no more need to ride theough the worst areas of Detroit than there is the worst areas of Chicago. I mean, I'm not going to hang out around 6 Mile & Gratiot at night on a bike, nor on foot or in a car. But even bad-looking areas are fine to ride through.

 

David

Mike Zumwalt said:

I was just thinking how I want to take a train to Detroit, get off, have no mass transit options then ride my bike through deserted/dangerous areas.
Permalink Reply by David P. on February 8, 2012 at 2:03pm

Unfortunately this is still not a reality. Just a couple of days ago I saw a petition or such to pressure Amtrak to institute roll-on service already. I meant to post a link, and I will if I can find it again. 

David

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