Troy Transit Center reaches 10th anniversary

TROY — Since opening in 2014, the Troy Transit Center has served thousands of riders not only through Amtrak trips but also through its bus and taxi access.

The 2,000-square-foot transit building, located at 1201 Doyle Drive, officially opened Oct. 14, 2014, and provides commuters, who could be interested in traveling by train as far as Chicago, with an indoor waiting area and free parking.

“It’s really a night and day difference and really speaks to Troy stepping up,” Amtrak Senior Public Relations Manager Marc Magliari said. “A lot has happened in the last 10 years, and more is coming.”

The project initially saw some difficulties with its land use issues during the development stage. Previously, the city had partnered with Birmingham, though they backed out later.

Real estate developer Grand Sakwa Properties LLC donated 2.7 acres of the total 77-acre mixed-use commercial and residential property at Maple and Coolidge for the project under the condition that funding for the transit center be secured by 2010. While Troy did secure a $8.4 million federal grant, the money wasn’t acquired before the deadline, meaning the property ownership reverted to the company.

This led to legal issues between the city and the developer where eventually the city was ordered to pay $1.05 million to Grand Sakwa to gain title of the land, as well as $3.1 million to cover all of the other costs, including attorney fees.

“Ten years later, the Troy Transit Center has left behind the controversy it caused during construction and has become part of our City’s core infrastructure,” Mayor Ethan Baker said in an email.

In their 2023 fiscal year, the Troy Transit Center saw their annual station ridership at over 30,000, with annual ticket revenue reaching $1.6 million, according to The Great American Stations.

“While I still believe the Transit Center is underutilized, I do know many Troy residents consistently use it to travel on Amtrak to and from Chicago,” Baker said in an email. “I’d like to see the next 10 years include an increase in use and have it evolve to what it was supposed to be — more of a transportation hub.  I encourage SMART to look at ways to incorporate the Transit Center into its mass transit plans; wouldn’t it be great to park at the Troy Transit Center and take a direct FAST bus to Detroit Metro?  Our residents and businesses could greatly benefit from such a service. In the meantime, we continue to maintain the Troy Transit Center, as we do all City facilities, and continue to look for partners in the region to expand services.”

Police said they have not seen any concerning rise in crime for the area in the 10 years the center has been there, which was a fear expressed by some who were opposed to the development.

“The Troy Police Department has responded to calls for service over the 10 years with the majority being Citizen Assists, Requests for Ambulances (Medical calls), and alleged Suspicious Vehicles or Persons in the area,” Troy Police Department Community Services Sgt. Ben Hancock said in an email. “All were carefully investigated and handled by our professionals here at Troy PD. The area is very safe for travelers along with an ideal location for Troy and surrounding residents to catch a train to places such as Chicago. Troy PD continues to provide extra patrols from on duty Officers in their unassigned time to ensure the safety of those utilizing the Troy Transit Center.”

There are plans to upgrade the travel time systems so it’s more accurate to encourage a growth in ridership.

“We’d love to have more service by doubling the ridership by 2040,” Magliari said.

The terms of a 20-year lease agreement with Amtrak stipulate that the city perform all necessary maintenance on the center and cover operating expenses, for which Amtrak will reimburse the city 100%.

The building has a waiting area and public restrooms, an elevator, a 90-foot pedestrian bridge from the building to the tracks, a crash wall, platform enhancements, designated parking on the Troy side, and slips for taxis and buses.

The transit center is not staffed and does not have a ticket counter or kiosk, and riders must purchase tickets directly from Amtrak. The center is open for about an hour before each train departure, and police dispatch monitors video at the center 24/7. There is also a call button to directly alert police.

For more information, visit www.amtrak.com/stations/trm or troymi.gov/community/troy_transit_center.php.