AnnArbor.Com has two articles on cycling in the Ann Arbor Community that might interest you:

• Plans in the works for a new Saline to Ann Arbor Bike Path: If you live in Saline and would bike to work if it didn’t feel so dangerous, you may be in luck.  There are plans to build a pedestrian and bike path that would span Textile and Lohr roads from Saline to Ann Arbor, “nearly” connecting the two cities.  Read more here.
• Bicyclists and Drivers sharing the road: In many parts of Ann Arbor, bikes and cars share the road together.  As the weather warms up, expect to see a lot more cyclists out there.  Semper Cop Rich Kinsey lays out some rules of the road that both parties should follow.  Read more here.

For 10 years, the getDowntown Program has had the tagline: Commuting Opportunities in Ann Arbor

We’d like to change the tagline to something new.  And we’d like your help.

Help us pick a new tagline by voting for your favorite here: getDowntown tagline vote

LivingstonDaily.com recently posted an article on the Howell to Ann Arbor Commuter Rail Project (WALLY).

Here’s a summary of the updates:

• The WALLY project did not get a $324 million federal TIGER grant, but this was seem as a long shot.
• The project is still moving forward.  Millions of state dollars have already been identified for the project.
• The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will submit a revised Business Plan for WALLY in the next couple of weeks that reflects the funding factors and how the project will proceed.

You can read the entire article here.

If you normally use Stadium Blvd as part of your commute, you might want to watch out today.  The City reports that Stadium Boulevard east of Main Street and west of South Industrial is closed due to a water main break.

In the olden days, if you had a suggestion for bike parking in downtown Ann Arbor, it wasn’t very easy to figure out how to get that request considered.   Starting today, the DDA is making is easier for anyone to request bike parking downtown.  The DDA now has an online bicycle parking request form.

According to the DDA, you can use this form for the following reasons:

If you know of a downtown location that could benefit from additional bicycle parking, you have noticed a hoop in need of repair, or an abandoned bicycle – we want to hear from you. Please use the following form to make requests related to bicycle parking in the DDA area.

So consider yourself empowered to request more downtown bike parking.

Click here to check out the bicycle parking request form.

Wondering what’s up with the Ann Arbor to Detroit Rail Project?  SEMCOG just posted an updated report on their website (thanks to Mark Maynard for tipping me off to this).

You can read the Jan 2010 update here (PDF).

Some of the highlights:

• The project was awarded a $3.5M earmark.
• Train schedules and bus feeder plans should be available by April 2010 (!)
• Plans are moving forward on station design
• The first train set is scheduled for delivery on May 2010

Read the entire update here (PDF).

In the race for energy efficiency between mass transit and single occupancy vehicles, who’s currently on the winning side?  The Straight Dope tackles this question in characteristically logical style.

The only thing I regret about this article is that he doesn’t look at bikes and traveling by foot as viable transportation option (although he does mention them in passing at the end of the article).

FYI from the AATA:

AATA to open new Park & Ride Lot

Commuters will soon have yet another option for accessing popular Ann Arbor destinations. On January 25, 2010, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, AATA will begin service to the new Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot. Located within the US-23/Plymouth Road interchange in Northeast Ann Arbor, the lot is ideally located for commuters using the heavily traveled M-14/US-23 corridor.

Commuters can enter the lot directly from Plymouth Rd. In addition to 260 free, paved parking spaces, the lot features a number of amenities: passenger shelters, lighting, security cameras to provide digital video recording, a signalized entrance/exit, enhanced storm water detention and designated areas for passenger drop-off and carpool/vanpool parking. Bike-and-bus commuters will find a covered parking area for 20 bicycles.

With the opening of the lot, AATA will implement transit service improvements in northeast Ann Arbor. AATA’s Route 2 Plymouth will serve the Plymouth Road Park & Ride lot on weekdays. Buses will operate throughout the day, with trips as frequent as every 10 minutes during peak times.

The Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot joins four other facilities as part of AATA’s growing network of Park & Ride lots.

The lot represents AATA’s first independently constructed park and ride facility and is located on the public right of way owned by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The lot was developed in cooperation with Michigan Department of Transportation, City of Ann Arbor and the Federal Highway Administration.

In coordinating the project, AATA involved numerous Michigan-based companies. The primary contractors include D&R Earthmoving of Howell, OHM Engineering of Livonia, Beckett & Raeder of Ann Arbor, Nagle Paving Company of Novi, Rauhorn Electric of Macomb, Goretski Construction Company, Inc. of Milford, Cut-N-Care, Inc. of Wixom, Huron Sign Company of Ypsilanti.

Construction of the lot is funded entirely through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The total estimated cost will be $1.56 million. Substantial completion of the lot allows AATA to open it to the public, as scheduled, on January 25, 2010. This spring final pavement and striping as well as landscaping will complete the project.

A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Park & Ride lot will take place in May during the annual Commuter Challenge. The Commuter Challenge is a month-long competition during the month of May between Ann Arbor Area organizations that encourages individuals to use sustainable transportation options to get to work.

FYI: http://michigandaily.com/content/new-ann-arbor-detroit-rail-service-works-0

Old way: Owning a car.
New way: Sharing 20 cars.

Old way: Driving to work, hunting for parking, paying for parking, whew. . .
New way: Relaxing on the bus, free parking, whoohoo!

Try something new: become a Zipcar Ann Arbor member today.

Special new member promotion: Free Water Bottle

Become a Zipcar Ann Arbor Member between now and March 2010 and you’ll get a free Zipcar water bottle! These are large metal water bottles that will have you sipping in style. Offer only valid if you become a member of Zipcar Ann Arbor at zipcar.com/annarbor.

To get your free water bottle, become a Zipcar member at www.zipcar.com/annarbor and email us at info@getdowntown.org to let us know why you signed up.