Here is some information about bus detours on TheRide because of student move-in (Aug 31-Sept 3, 2010):

TheRide to detour routes on UM Central/Medical Campuses during student move-in; Route 36 to resume regular routing

The University of Michigan’s (UM) student move-in will close or redirect parts of several streets in the UM Central and Medical Campus areas. The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (TheRide) will detour routes around the area in an attempt to avoid traffic congestion and maintain timely service.

Detours around the Central Campus Transit Center project will remain in effect for most routes. As a result, TheRide is advising passengers to plan their trips in advance and allow extra time for traveling on the affected routes.

Route 36 will end its detour on Monday, August 30. The route will access the new Central Campus Transit Center and return to its regular routing on that date.

Click here to view all of the information on Route Detours for Student Move-In

Route and schedule information is available at www.TheRide.org and at 734.996.0400.

TheRide also offers e-mail and text message updates on bus routes, schedules, detours and other news from TheRide by free subscription to MyRide at www.TheRide.org.

Visit TheRide at www.facebook.com/CatchTheRide or www.twitter.com/CatchTheRide.

FYI:

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will not operate regular fixed-route bus service, A-Ride paratransit, or senior taxi services on Monday, September 6, 2010 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.  Regular bus, paratransit and senior taxi services will resume on Tuesday, September 7.

AATA administrative offices at 2700 South Industrial Highway will be closed in observance of the holiday.  The offices will reopen on Tuesday, September 7 on their regular 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. schedule.  The Blake and Ypsilanti Transit Centers also will be closed on September 6 and reopen during their regular hours on September 7.

Passengers may take advantage of AATA’s Holiday Ride shared-ride taxi service on Monday for just $5 a person.  Seniors and persons with disabilities with an AATA identification card may ride for $2.50. Individuals with a go!pass may ride for $1.00 through a subsidy by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

The Holiday Ride taxi service operates only within the city limits of Ann Arbor.  To schedule a Holiday Ride trip, call 528.5432.

Bus route and schedule information is available on AATA’s Web Site at www.TheRide.org. or at 734.996.0400.

Get Work Done, Check Your Email, Relax Your Commute–>Take the Bus

Get rewarded for taking the bus to work during Bus Benefits Month (Sept 7-30)!

Click here to learn more.

Well here’s a clue that fall is almost upon us: The Students are Coming (Back)!

If you work close to a student housing area, you might want to know about some traffic pattern changes happening for the Student Move-In, happening Sept 1 at 6am until Sept 3 at 10pm.

Student Move-In traffic pattern changes

Thompson – One way southbound from East Jefferson to Packard
Madison – One way eastbound from South Division to South State
East Washington – One way westbound from Fletcher to South State – meters bagged
Maynard – Meters bagged from Jefferson to East William
East University – Meters bagged from Hill to Willard
Willard – from Church to East University

FYI:

City of Ann Arbor, MI Daily Digest

The Ann Arbor Art Fairs and Townie Street Party will close streets in the downtown Ann Arbor area during the week of July 19, 2010. In order to maintain timely service, routes 2 and 36 will be detoured all day on Monday, July 19 for the Townie Street Party and routes 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17 and 36 will be detoured Tuesday, July 20 – Saturday, July 24 around the Art Fairs.

Affected route and bus stop information can be found here.

AATA is advising passengers to plan their trips in advance and allow extra time for traveling on the affected routes. Please note that several routes in the University of Michigan (UM) Central Campus area are already detoured. The latest information on AATA routes, schedules and detours is available at 734.996.0400 and at www.TheRide.org/dd.asp.

Our updated guide to commuting into downtown Ann Arbor during the Art Fairs is now up on our website!

This year there is a new shuttle from the West Side leaving from Maple Village Shopping Center, a trolley that circulates around the downtown, as well as the other Art Fair shuttles that run from Pioneer High School Park & Ride Lot and Briarwood Mall.  This information plus great maps, biking information and more are all found here.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact us at 734-214-0100!

Want to go to Top of the Park or a Summer Fest event but don’t want to deal with driving and parking?

This year, instead of driving to the Summer Festival, you can take the BTB Party Bus.

Click here for all the details.

From the BTB website:

BTB Party Bus is proud to partner up with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival to provide GREEN transportation for groups of all sizes to and from all Summer Festival events.

Besides giving you a carbon-neutral way to get to Top of the Park (BTB Party Bus runs on waste vegetable oil from your favorite Ann Arbor area restaurants), riding the buses will also give you a way to donate back to the festival – $.50 will be donated for every person that rides the bus!

Click here to view rates and service area

Check out the photos from Bike to Work Day 2010!

The Third Week of the Commuter Challenge is I Like Bikes Week.

I Like Bikes Week Events

• Bike to Work Day Rally and Bike Commuting Expo: Friday, May 21 starting at 8:00am.  Click for details!
• Daily Prize Drawings. Log a bike commute during this week and you may just win a prize! Click here for details.

Bike to Work SnapShot Survey

getDowntown conducted a quick snapshot survey to get a sense of who and why people bike to work.  Here are some of the interesting results.

Who Bikes to Work?

Check out these getDowntown blog posts to learn more about who bikes to work in Ann Arbor

• Kate R., Google Employee: Confessions of a Corporate Commuter and Pedestrian On Star.
• Brian G., SRT Solutions Employee: “Gearing Up” for the Commuter Challenge.
• Sandy B., Comet Coffee Employee: Bikes!

Resources for Biking to Work in Ann Arbor

• getDowntown’s guide to biking to work in downtown Ann Arbor
• getDowntown’s bike page
• Commute by Bike Blog
  
• City of Ann Arbor’s bike page
  
• Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition
• Bike Ypsi
  

Next Week is Let’s Share week, where you can check out a Zipcar at the Farmer’s Market and learn more about sharing a ride on the getDowntown blog.

Click here for a full listing of Commuter Challenge 2010 Events.

Check out other events on the getDowntown Calendar.

The Steel Wheels are an Americana band from Virginia (though one of their members calls Ann Arbor home) and have started doing a yearly tour by bicycle. They wanted to find a way to reduce the environmental impact of traditional
touring.

This year, the band plans to do a 10 day, 400 mile tour of Michigan, completely by bicycle. It’s an unsupported tour– they will be carrying all of their instruments and gear on their bicycles and in bike trailers. Their journey kicks off in Ann Arbor on May 5th with a show at the Circus (210 S. First St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48104).

On Saturday, May 15, the final day of the tour, Tree Fort Bikes and The Steel Wheels Duo are organizing a blowout festival at The Savoy, a new concert venue in Ypsilanti, for a fun-filled day of riding, music, bicycling camaraderie and advocacy that ends with a concert by The Steel Wheels Duo as well as Wayward Roots and Abigail Stauffer. The event will start with several organized rides that will start from various locations in the local area, including a short and a long road ride and a mountain bike ride on an area trail. Proving that its simply more fun to get there by pedal power, those who cycle to The Savoy can enjoy free staffed bike parking and a half-price ticket to the three-act show.