[Swansen]

i've just been thinking about this lately, i mean we do live in MI, in a country dominated by the automobile in the place where they were originally all made. Anyways, i would rather not have a vehicle... but does anyone else think it would be cool to have a train that would go around all of the area and specifically be accessible to all residential and commercial areas, or nearly all??

[Tiger Beer]

I think MANY people feel that, but the Tri-Cities are MI would be really low priority to have that, no real population base to support it.

I DO think that in the U.S., we need more pedestrian-oriented, small business friendly centers where people can live and work and raise children in communities with everything around them...I just don't see that happening in the Tri-Cities of MI though.

[Driller1]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I think MANY people feel that, but the Tri-Cities are MI would be really low priority to have that, no real population base to support it.

I DO think that in the U.S., we need more pedestrian-oriented, small business friendly centers where people can live and work and raise children in communities with everything around them...I just don't see that happening in the Tri-Cities of MI though.

Yes but, they were mom and pop stores. People drove by them and went to the "big box stores". Now, mom and pop are gone.

[Swansen]

Yeah, i'm just kinda of dreaming here, but as a whole its a fairly low income area, so many cannot afford the vehicles they drive, good thing we don't have vehicle inspections, or many would be in a real bind, but then again, all the salt doesn't help anything. On big box stores though, i have noticed...which is pretty scary in itself, that many of them are having trouble keeping their massiveness operating. I think that when MI collapses and in the rebuilding stage a lot of small businesses should spring up to fill the gaps. Which is an interesting situation as it seems it will be pretty exclusive to MI. Anyways, such a system would be so nice, people would be able to get around much easier, increasing the local economy as well, we would not have to spend so much on salt every year. It really is a fairly cool little area, i feel a system like this would be such a great leap in rebuilding the area. This would be a real leap in MI's "Cool Cities" incentive.

[Driller1]

I am way out in the sticks in Gladwin county. I could call Dial-a-ride, all the counties around us has some form of service. The problem is not enough use to make the simplest form effective.

[Swansen]

Originally Posted by Driller1

I am way out in the sticks in Gladwin county. I could call Dial-a-ride, all the counties around us has some form of service. The problem is not enough use to make the simplest form effective.

OK, the only problem here is that your in a Rural area, that obviously doesn't have any real population density. Saginaw/Midland/Baycity yet to have real large scale sprawl, and can't really anyways. Unlike Detroit, where the whole structure would have to be redone because people have large commutes. Which could potentially still use a train mass transit, but thats a whole other deal. The tri-cities could be better integrated with a system like this. Especially within their own borders. Not that there would be a station right outside your door, it might be like 5 blocks or something, but thats not really bad at all.