The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the City of Detroit, and Michigan Central entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU), committing $40 million to initial research and engineering for the creation of a multimodal transportation hub on a parcel located within the 30-acre Michigan Central Innovation District, featuring a new passenger rail and intercity bus transit station.

Building Multimodal Opportunities

Designed to bring robust transportation infrastructure and enhanced multimodal connectivity options to the city, the hub will:

• Serve as a new gateway, expanding access to the city and state with a direct connection between the Detroit-Ann Arbor Innovation Corridor and Detroit Metro Airport.

• Support economic opportunities by strengthening the region’s interconnected innovation ecosystem with a proposed extension of a Chicago-Detroit Amtrak Wolverine train to Windsor and Toronto.

• Position Detroit as a leader in the region’s transit future, cementing Michigan as a destination for ongoing talent attraction and outside investment. 

“Downtown Detroit is open for business and on the move as one of the best places to live, work, and pioneer cutting-edge ideas,” said Detroit Gov. Whitmer. “Today’s MOU lays the foundation for a new multimodal transportation hub that will grow our regional economy, make downtown Detroit more vibrant, and connect residents and visitors to our communities. It builds on a historic investment in transit that I signed in my seventh balanced, bipartisan budget.”

Why the Time is Now

MDOT currently owns and operates the aging Howard Street bus station that serves Greyhound, Indian Trails, Baron’s Bus, and the Amtrak station in the New Center neighborhood. 

Each of the facilities has surpassed its useful lifespan, requires significant renovations, and fails to offer the amenities and functionality expected by modern travelers. 

The proposed multimodal transportation hub at the Michigan Central Innovation District is an extension of its platform, enabling the implementation of new technologies and mobility solutions. This will provide the district and its passengers with a more vibrant and accessible location, complete with modern amenities. 

The partnership comes as investment in southwest Detroit and Corktown continues to accelerate. 

Between Michigan Central and its 30-acre tech and cultural hub that includes more than 240 startups and 2,000 members, Ford Motor Co. and the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan’s official move-in to the Station, and Detroit City FC’s soccer stadium, momentum is well underway.   

While this project is still in its early stages, MDOT and Michigan Central are laying the groundwork for a transit hub that connects people to jobs, education, and opportunities.

Decisions regarding final project designs, funding, public engagement opportunities, and project timelines will be developed and shared as the process progresses.