202 South Sherman Drive
Royal Oak, MI 48069

 
(Photos by Larry Sobczak)

The Royal Oak city fathers have put up a shelter for Amtrak passengers just south of 11 Mile Rd. off Sherman Dr. The design they came up with is excellent, considering the constraints on the amount of space available. The shelter is dark steel with plexiglass windows, bench seating, it’s well-lit, and has radiant heaters.

A large short-term parking area is next to the tracks, with 115 metered and strictly enforced parking spaces (Warning: backing into parking spaces is a local ordinance violation, and is vigorously enforced). A long term parking deck is nearby. Some of the spaces next to the track are reserved for Amtrak passengers at $5 per day with a temporary permit available from the City Treasurer’s office at City Hall (11 Mile Rd east of Main St.)

Many SMART bus routes converge at a major transit station in the tan building immediately to the west. SMART routes operate for the morning and evening trains. A taxi dispatching office is also located there, so getting a cab is not a problem. To get information on SMART routes and schedules, call (866) 962-5515 Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Royal Oak must be seen to be appreciated. This has to be one of the hippest, liveliest year-round downtowns for a city this size anywhere in the country.

Amtrak station page:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=am2Station&pagename=am%2Fam2Station%2FStation_Page&cid=1229726269209