DEARBORN — The city is inviting the public to learn about a proposed intermodal passenger train station during an open house on Tuesday, November 18 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Avenue.

The open house will be inside Studio A at The Center and is scheduled for 4:30-7:30 p.m., with a 45-minute presentation set to begin at 5 p.m. Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. will be introducing the presentation. A question and answer session will follow and free refreshments will be available.

That presentation will review the final results of a multi-year study on the proposed station, officially known as the Dearborn Intermodal Rail Passenger Station.

The study addresses current transit initiatives and the need for public transportation options. The “intermodal” part of the proposed station signifies that train passengers can connect with buses, taxis and shuttles.

Dearborn can position itself to become a regional hub through the construction of an intermodal station that links these various kinds of transit options.

The site under consideration for the proposed station is on the south side of Michigan Avenue, near Elm Street, which is west of the Southfield Freeway, near the entrance to the west Dearborn business district.

That location would make it convenient for passengers to travel to The Henry Ford: America’s Greatest History attraction, as well as the west downtown and the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

The final design for the Dearborn Intermodal Rail Passenger Station reflects significant input from citizens, environmental conditions analysis, regulatory mandates and existing market conditions. The project was completed with assistance from the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The City of Dearborn’s partners in the project are The Henry Ford, UM- Dearborn, and Ford Land.

The presentation will outline a strategy to implement new transportation options in stages, with the goal of creating one of Michigan’s first transit-oriented-development (TOD) projects.

TOD has been applied with success in other dynamic regions around the country, and follows the model that transportation hubs can encourage new real estate development, such as housing and retail, offices and entertainment venues.

Also at the Nov. 18 meeting, other passenger rail initiatives will be discussed, including commuter service between Ann Arbor and Detroit, with a stop in Dearborn, which is scheduled to begin in October 2010. That initiative is being coordinated by SEMCOG.

Light refreshments will be served at the Nov. 18 open house.