(The following story by Jeremy Gonsior appeared on The Holland Sentinel website on June 22, 2009.)
HOLLAND, Mich. — Ridership on Amtrak’s Pere Marquette line was down 12.7 percent this May compared to a year ago, not a good sign just as a state Senate committee seeks to slash its funding.
Ridership figures on the Grand Rapids to Chicago line show 9,735 people boarded the state-subsidized service in May 2008, while 8,503 did in May 2009, according to Amtrak.
Ticket revenue also decreased 13.5 percent during the same period.
Train advocates blamed the declines on lower gas prices this spring, a poor economy and surprising success in 2008.
“We are benching ourselves against our best year ever,” said Steve Bulthuis, chairman of Westrain Collaborative, a group that promotes passenger rail in West Michigan. Last year ridership was up dramatically, in part because of higher gas prices.
Passenger rail supporters are battling funding cuts on two fronts.
The state Senate approved SB-0254 on June 11. The bills trims operating support for passenger rail in Michigan by $2 million, according to a transcript on www.michiganvotes.org.
The state provides operating support for the Blue Water line from Port Huron to Chicago in addition to the Pere Marquette.
“Passenger travel took a little bit of a setback,” Bulthuis said about the action. “That could potentially have some real negative consequences. We will have to watch that one.”
The state also pulled its financial support for Westrain Collaborative marketing efforts, Bulthuis said.
“We are not going to receive additional funding or new funding in 2010.”
Bulthuis said the group will cope by stretching $72,500 of its 2009 budget into 2010. Members are hopeful more federal money or private money could come in to offset the loss.
The marketing money is primarily used to construct and update a Web site targeted at Chicago residents interested in traveling to Michigan, Bulthuis said.
Despite the challenges, Westrain Collaborative aims to celebrate the line’s 25th anniversary in August.