RECEIVE RAILROAD ABANDONMENT
NOTICES FOR YOUR STATE VIA E-MAIL
On or about January 28, 2011, Michigan Air-Line Railroad
Company filed for the abandonment of 5.45 miles of track in Oakland County, Michigan.
The corridor begins at Haggerty
Road and runs west. The filing states that the
railroad wishes to "sell the right-of-way to an appropriate governmental entity
for use as a recreational trail." We are providing this information because it
presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail
that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.
NEXT STEPS: If this corridor is suitable for trail use, we
strongly urge local trail advocates, or an appropriate local, regional or state
agency or organization, to take action now. A "boiler plate" letter (found here) can be filed
with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the abandoning railroad using
STB docket number AB-1053 (sub-no. 1X). Filing this letter does not commit its
authors to acquire the corridor; it merely gives time to develop a rail-trail
proposal and undertake negotiations with the railroad. According to the
information we have received, the deadline for filing this letter is March 9, 2011.
Even if this deadline is missed, there is probably still time to contact the
relevant parties, since the railroad may have experienced a delay in filing all
of the paperwork, or the STB may still have jurisdiction over the corridor.
However, it is important to take prompt action. The STB posts all abandonment
decisions and filings on its Web site, including the complete filing for this
corridor. More information on the rail corridor, including a
map, can be found in this filing.
The STB has imposed a $200 filing fee for all railbanking
requests. Entities filing a railbanking request
may request a fee waiver or reduction, and government agencies will receive an
automatic fee waiver. Throughout the process, make sure local government
officials and citizen activists are kept informed of the project's progress. We
also recommend contacting your state trails coordinator
or your state bicycle/pedestrian
coordinator.
Both of these individuals are knowledgeable about state laws
and resources and may be able to assist your community with this rail-trail
project. Also, you may want to contact the abandoning railroad to add
your name to their service list.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE: RTC's Web site may provide
valuable tools as you plan for a rail-trail, including how-to manuals, the
Trail-Building Toolbox, our Publications Library and the Trails & Greenways
Listserv for trail advocates and professionals. These resources can be found
within the "Trail-Building"
section of our website. If you take advantage of this information and other
resources promptly, you will be well on your way to creating a successful
rail-trail in your community. For more information, or if you decide to pursue
railbanking, please contact the Midwest Office
of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
