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Battle Creek opens new transportation center

Updated: Tuesday, June 12 2012, 09:41 PM EDT
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The Cereal City is celebrating a major overhaul when it comes to transportation infrastructure.

Today was the grand opening of the city's new Intermodal Transportation Center--the new Amtrak and Intercity Bus Station.

The station has actually been open for a few weeks now, but the city officially cut the ribbon today.

Battle Creek used $3.6 million in stimulus package funds for the huge upgrade.
The 7,100 square-foot facility has lighted columns and canopies, a new entrance and now offers free public Wi-Fi.

Officials said the station has more than 50,000 people come through every year, the rough equivalent of the population of the entire city.

So, Mayor Susan Baldwin said this overhaul means a lot to Battle Creek.

"It was really looking tired in there," Mayor Baldwin said. "So, with those federal dollars, we were able to really take a look at the building and make it much more functional and really an attractive place to be."

Battle Creek is not currently included in Amtrak's high-speed travel in Michigan.

That goes from Porter, Indiana to Kalamazoo, but the route is expected to go all the way to Dearborn, which would include Battle Creek, by 2015.
Battle Creek opens new transportation center