Ann Arbor gears up for Fuller Station work this year

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Building a multi-modal transportation station on vacant land in front of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor isn't as easy as slapping up a bus/train station and a prefabricated parking garage. City and university officials believe it will take a few years to make the proposed Fuller Station fully operational, but work could begin later this year.

The city and the university have authorized design teams to jointly make the project a reality. The university is handling the design of the facility while the city handles utility relocation, such as the moving of a 60-inch sewer main 25 feet underground.

Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann Arbor, expects work to begin on the first phase either late this summer or early next fall. The actual transportation facility is "probably a year away."

"We're in the very early phases," Cooper says.

The first phase calls for building a platform that can accommodate up to four buses at a time. A parking garage with 100 spaces on the ground level and about 900 more on levels above is also being planned. The actual train station to accommodate the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line and other components, such as bike parking is expected to come on line in later phases. Local officials are going for federal stimulus dollars and other federal funds to help pay for this project.

The city will hold a public information meeting on this project between 7-9 p.m. Feb. 10 in the City Council chambers of City Hall, 100 N Fifth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor. For information, call (734) 794-6410 ext 43685 or send an e-mail ddykman@a2gov.org.

Source: Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke