DETROIT, MI — The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the City of Detroit, and Michigan Central entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU), committing $40 million to initial research and engineering for the creation of a multimodal transportation hub on a parcel located within the 30-acre Michigan Central Innovation District, featuring a new passenger rail and intercity bus transit station.
Designed to bring robust transportation infrastructure and enhanced multimodal connectivity options to the city, this hub will:
- Serve as a new gateway, expanding access to the city and state with a direct connection between the Detroit-Ann Arbor Innovation Corridor and Detroit Metro Airport
- Support economic opportunities by strengthening the region’s interconnected innovation ecosystem with a proposed extension of a Chicago-Detroit Amtrak Wolverine train to Windsor and Toronto
- Position Detroit as a leader in the region’s transit future, cementing Michigan as a destination for ongoing talent attraction and outside investment
“Downtown Detroit is open for business and on the move as one of the best places to live, work, and pioneer cutting-edge ideas,” Governor Whitmer said. “Today’s MOU lays the foundation for a new multimodal transportation hub that will grow our regional economy, make downtown Detroit more vibrant, and connect residents and visitors to our communities. It builds on a historic investment in transit that I signed in my seventh balanced, bipartisan budget. Let’s keep getting it done.”
“As Detroit’s innovation ecosystem grows at an unprecedented rate, our transit infrastructure must evolve alongside it, by linking entrepreneurs and companies to emerging innovation zones and the opportunities they unlock,” said Josh Sirefman, CEO of Michigan Central. “This is just another step in positioning Michigan Central as the hub that not only connects people to possibility but drives regional growth.”
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MDOT currently owns and operates the aging Howard Street bus station that serves Greyhound, Indian Trails, Baron’s Bus, and the Amtrak station in the New Center neighborhood. Each of these facilities has passed its useful life span, are in need of major renovations, and do not offer the amenities and functionality expected by modern travelers.
This proposed multimodal transportation hub at the Michigan Central Innovation District is an extension of its platform to implement new technologies and mobility solutions and would provide the district and its passengers with a more vibrant and accessible location, complete with modern amenities.
“This is a positive step to further develop Michigan Central into a true transportation hub and innovation ecosystem,” State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich, PE, said. “We look forward to working with partners Michigan Central, the City of Detroit, and others to make this a reality.”
This partnership comes as investment in southwest Detroit and Corktown continues to accelerate. Between Michigan Central and its 30-acre tech and cultural hub that includes more than 240 startups and 2,000 members, Ford Motor Co. and the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan’s official move-in to the station, and Detroit City FC’s soccer stadium, momentum is well underway.
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While this work is still in the early stages, MDOT and Michigan Central are laying the foundation for a transit hub that connects people to jobs, education, and opportunities.
“For decades, Michigan Central Station was the gateway to Detroit, and we are excited to begin the work of re-establishing train service at a new multi-modal transit facility in the shadow of the station,” said Sam Krassenstein, Chief of Infrastructure for the City of Detroit. “Detroiters deserve a first-class facility for bus and train service, and this agreement puts us on a path to make it happen.”
Decisions about final project designs, funding, public engagement opportunities, and project timelines will be developed and shared as the process moves forward.
