Elevated rail connection between the University of Michigan campuses progresses

ANN ARBOR, MI – The University of Michigan is seeking partners to advance a 3-mile, automated elevated rail system that will connect several locations in Ann Arbor.

University officials are inviting potential partners to apply for a tender for the design, construction and long-term operation of the transport system, they announced on Friday, July 19.

This move is part of the Campus Connector concept, which aims to provide community members with various options for moving between the Central, Medical and North Campuses.

“With the release of an RFQ, the University of Michigan continues to explore opportunities to develop a more cohesive and connected Ann Arbor campus,” Chief Financial Officer Geoff Chatas said in a statement. “We look forward to evaluating potential partners as we work to build an equitable and sustainable system that serves our growing university.”

The transportation system is one of many parts of the Campus Plan 2050 initiative, which aims to transform the Ann Arbor campus over the next 25 years.

The university released draft maps in May showing the automated transportation system that would serve the Central Campus, run through the Medical Campus and extend to the North Campus Research Complex on Plymouth Road.

Read more: 10 ways the University of Michigan campus could change in 25 years

University officials clarified in May that automated meant a driverless transportation system and that the university’s system would operate on an elevated rail line. The July 19 update said the university favored rubber-tire systems over rails to “mitigate potential routing challenges, noise and vibration concerns, and space constraints.”

In addition to connecting campuses, the automated system and elevated rail are designed to reduce traffic congestion and parking needs, increase opportunities for local economic development, promote better connectivity between the north and central campuses and support the university’s carbon neutrality goals, officials said.

There will be six passenger rail stations and an approximately 3.5-mile elevated track on campus, officials said. The stations will be located at the Central Campus Transit Center on North University Avenue, on the Medical Campus and at the following North Campus locations: Green Road, Pierpont Commons, Hubbard and Murfin Avenues, and at the North Campus Research Complex.

The system is designed to carry up to 4,000 passengers per hour and capacity will increase over time, officials said.

The automated system will be complemented by a bus rapid transit system, officials said.

According to officials, the university has already communicated the project’s goals, scope and requirements to potential partners at a virtual industry day in June.

After potential partners respond to the call for qualifications, university officials behind the project will make a shortlist, officials said. Those potential partners will then solicit proposals, and the university will select a proposal to be developed further.

According to officials, the automated transportation system project may undergo changes. More information will be provided as the project progresses.

If you would like to receive more reports like this free of charge in your inbox, Click here and sign up for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools.

Want more news from Ann Arbor? Bookmark local Ann Arbor news site or sign up for the free “3@3 Ann Arbor“ daily newsletter.