Bright and early Monday morning I was headed down to the East Lansing Amtrak Station for a big announcement. Vague press releases had been sent out Friday afternoon, I had no clue what I was in for.
For all of the travelers in the area, life just got a little better. With a $6.28 million federal grant heading CATA’s way, the Amtrak station is about to get one heck of a makeover. The old building is small, stuffy and not a place you want to spend more than 10 minutes in. More people stand outside the building waiting for their train/bus to arrive than inside.
And all that’s going to change! With the new building there will be more bus bays, more passenger waiting areas, new transportation options like Mega Bus, and most importantly, barrier -free boarding that meets the American Disability Associations requirements.
I’ve taken the buses and trains from our Amtrak station across Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. With students in mind, these improvements will be so helpful to the kids without cars, on budgets or disabilities. I’m looking forward to planning my next trip to Chicago with Amtrak in mind.
