The Michigan Air Line is the name of a railroad that ran east and west across Michigan.  Nearly all of that railroad line has been abandoned and much if not most of it is now rail-to-trail.

(Note that the Michigan Airline name has nothing to do with air travel.  In fact, the Airline route was developed before bicyclists Wilbur and Orville Wright flew their first plane.)

A part of the Michigan Airline lies between the Huron Valley Trail and the West Bloomfield Trail.  It was the Coe Railroad which ran a dinner train.  The dinner train has ended and efforts are underway to abandon the rail line and convert it to a trail.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, this would be a hugely critical and popular trail connection.  We also noted last month that West Bloomfield was recommended to receive grant money to purchase their portion of the railroad.

The Spinal Column ran another article this week that sheds more light on the progress or lack thereof.

The Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train made its final run on Wednesday, Dec. 31, closing a 24-year chapter in Walled Lake’s history but also opening up negotiations on selling the railroad’s land to local municipalities.

Railmark Holdings Company CEO and President B. Allen Brown has entered into discussions with Montoff Transportation Company to sell the railroad land. Although no official transaction has been finalized, Brown insists a deal is close at hand.

“There are legal complications but that’s to be expected in such a complicated transaction,” he said. “There are at least five parties involved. Suffice it to say that as of Dec. 31, there was no deal, but all parties are committed and we are all making a final push this month to finalize something by end of January.”

Rail-trail conversions are never easy or straightforward.  So, with a little luck and committment, there’s hope this missing trail link can become a premier connection in the near future.

Proposed trail bridge over Telegraph Road in Pontiac

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) Board has recommended funding for 81 recreation projects and land acquisitions totaling $48.5 million be funded for 2008.

This was the most ever awarded for Trust Fund grants.  This is due to the higher prices paid for mineral (including oil & gas) leases on state property.

“Michigan is blessed with natural resources and special places that should be protected and enjoyed for generations to come,” said Governor Granholm. “These recommendations represent ways that we can ensure that Michigan citizens and visitors will be able to enjoy outdoor recreation now and in the future.”

A Threat to the Trust Fund

The Trust Fund is set up so that it can continue to fund recreation projects and land acquisition projects after the gas and oil run out.  That’s not the threat.

The threat is the Transportation Funding Task Force who recently recommended that the Trust Fund monies be diverted into the transportation budget.  As a whole, this was perhaps their only out-of-the-box recommendation yet it only shows how out-of-touch they are with reality.

Fortunately in 1985 Michigan voters put the Trust Fund in the state constitution to protect it from bad ideas such as this.

In the words of Dennis Muchmore, the MUCC Executive Director, “Raiding the Trust Fund would be an outrageous and unwarranted attempt to circumvent the public will.”

2008 Recommended Grants – Recreation Projects

Clinton River Trail Bridge (Pontiac), $485,000. This project will construct a new pedestrian bridge, approach and ramps over Telegraph Road.  This is absolutely huge and it almost didn’t make the cut.  This is only partial funding.  Additional grant money will be required.

Bell Creek Park Non-Motorized Trailway (Redford), $450,000. This project includes development of 600 feet of elevated boardwalk across a floodplain of the Bell Branch of the Rouge River, connecting two sidewalk ends. A 75-foot long bicycle/pedestrian bridge will span the river.

Kensington Metropark-Milford Trail Connector, $315,000. The project would include 1.2 miles of paved trail from the Kensington Metropark loop trail to the Milford-Kensington Trail (at the Dairy Queen.)

2008 Recommended Grants – Land Acquisitions

DNR  Southeast Lower Peninsula Land Consolidation, $4 million. This project will acquire various properties within Southeast Michigan, but especially private land within our state parks.

Academy Preserve Acquisition (Monroe), $2,192,500. This project will acquire approximately 128 acres of open space in the City of Monroe with a portion of Frenchtown Township. The site includes an oak savannah, oak-hickory forest, lowland forest, farmland and a forested island in the River Raisin.  There you go, Erie Hiker!

Michigan Air-Line Railway (West Bloomfield), $1,452,500. This project will acquire approximately 17 acres, or 2.5 miles, of railway corridor that connects the existing West Bloomfield trail west to Haggery Road.  This is great news for a trail project we discussed earlier.

The current northern end of the I-275 bike path

Yesterday we did some preliminary scouting with MDOT for a possible extension of the I-275 Bike Path.

This extension would begin at the current north end of the I-275 path at Meadowbrook Road, just south of I-96.  The route would continue north and eventually head east to be within the M-5 corridor.

It would intersect the old Coe Railroad, which should hopefully become Oakland Counties next big rails to trails conversion.  It would also intersect 13 Mile and 14 Mile Roads — both popular east-west road bike routes.

The extension would end at Pontiac Trail.  From here one could continue north on the trails planned for Martin Road before heading west and picking up the Lakes Community Trail.

There are no shortage of challenges for building this trail.  From wetlands to steep rolling hills, it’s going to take some smart design to keep the price tag reasonable, but MDOT is committed to getting it done.

It’s one very popular question: When is the West Bloomfield trail going to continue west and connect with the Huron Valley Trail. Soon we may have an answer.

But first, why is there an 8 mile missing link between these two existing trails? Unlike the other surrounding railroad segments, this one was never abandoned. In fact the dinner train (Coe Railroad) was running on this track until recently. That train has now stopped and the railroad property is being abandoned and sold.

West Bloomfield’s portion (shown in green on the map below) will be available first since there are no existing rail customers along the tracks. West Bloomfield is pursuing grants to acquire the land and extend their trail west to Haggerty Road.

The other railroad property (shown in blue) did have some rail customers, so the abandonment process will take longer. still communities along the way are looking at possibly purchasing the property for a trail. We encourage them to make that purchase to help complete the Michigan Airline trail from Lake St. Clair to Lake Michigan. (“Michigan Airline” was the name of the rail line which this trail uses to cross the state.)

The Spinal Column recently ran an article with additional details: Communities may buy Coe Railroad for trails.

Lastly, this missing link would also connect with the proposed I-275 pathway extension along M-5.  We’ve also advocated for trails along Martin Road to connect with Oakland Park and the Lakes Community Trail.

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