In case you missed them, here were the top 10 getDowntown blog posts of 2008.

Has this ever happened to you:

• You are walking down a sidewalk and notice that someone hasn’t shoveled the snow.
• You are walking down a sidewalk and notice that there is a scary patch of ice in front of you.

Well guess, what.  It’s the LAW that people should have snow and ice removed from the sidewalk.

To report a sidewalk that needs to be shoveled free of snow within the City of Ann Arbor, call Community Standards at (734) 994-1788 (M-F, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.).

Here’s what the law is:

1. All snow and ice which has accumulated on the adjacent public sidewalk prior to 6am must be removed by noon.
2. Within 24 hours after the end of each accumulation of snow greater than 1 inch, the owner of every residentially zoned property must remove the accumulation from the adjacent public sidewalk and ramps leading to a crosswalk.

So if someone is not abiding by these laws, you can call Community Standards at (734) 994-1788.  When you call, the homeowner will receive a notice which gives them 24 hours to correct the situation.  If they don’t correct the situation during that time, Community Standards will plow the sidewalk and charge the homeowner.

There is a lot more info on this on the Snow Removal and Sidewalks page on the City’s website.

And I have been told that calling the Community Standards number is VERY effective at removing snow and ice from sidewalks.

As the temperature is dropping and the winter holidays approach, it’s a perfect time to get more winter gear! You don’t need to trek out to a mall or superstore to get these goods either, as there’s a lot going on right here downtown.

What follows is a list of downtown merchants who sell cold weather gear, and what discounts apply for purchasing goodies:

Name: Acme Mercantile
Website: www.acmemercantile.com
Address: 111 W. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: hat & scarf sets, gloves
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Scarves, gloves, Leopard and zebra fezes

Name: 16 Hands
Website: www.16handsgallery.com
Address: 216 S. Main
What type of winter gear they sell: hats, scarves and gloves
go!pass or other discount? 15% off cards and books for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Local artists working with fleece and knitwear, Neat winter hats, Messenger bags

Name: Bivouac
Website: www.bivouacannarbor.com
Address: 336 S. State
What type of winter gear they sell: boots, jackets, hats and scarves, gloves and mittens, high visibility gear, fleece and long underwear, socks, grips you can wear on your shoes
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Balaclava-covers head and neck, Merino wool base layers for tops and bottoms, Yak Tracks (grips for shoes)

Name: Downtown Home and Garden
Website: www.downtownhomeandgarden.com
Address: 210 S. Ashley St
What type of winter gear they sell: grips for your shoes so you don’t slip on the ice, hot coffee and hot cocoa
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Stabilicers (shoe grips), Muck Co. water-proof flexible boots, Winter work gloves

Name: Elmo’s Mainstreet T-Shirts
Website: www.mainstreett-shirts.com
Address: 220 South Main St
go!pass or other discount? $5 off any A2 t-shirt until 12/25/08 for go!pass users
What type of winter year they sell: Hats and gloves

Name: Footprints on Main
Website: www.shopfootprints.com
Address: 217 S Main St
What type of winter gear they sell: boots
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Merrill boots and Clogs, Encore Stitch boot (warm and stylish for women), Keen Newport Trail for Men, Baffin Winter Boots

Name: Footprints on South U
Website: www.shopfootprints.com
Address: 1200 S. University
What type of winter gear they sell: boots
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Keen Boots

Name: Fourth Ave Birkenstocks
Website: www.birkenstock.com
Address: 209 N. Fourth
What type of winter gear they sell: boots
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: This is a good time to get summer shoes repaired, Smart Wool socks, Smart Wool full-zip sweater jacket (several colors), DigiWalker Pedometers, Sheepskin boots from Warmbat, Finn Comfort boots

Name: Kiwanis
Website: www.myannarbor.net/kiwanis/
Only open Saturdays from 9am-12pm
What type of winter gear they sell: a used clothing store with all sorts of winter weather gear from hats to jackets to boots

Name: Middle Earth
Website: www.middleearthgifts.com
Address: 1209 S. University
What type of winter gear they sell: See staff suggestion column.
go!pass or other discount? 10% off non-sale merch for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Hats and gloves and scarves, Smoking Mitten, (holes for a cigarette), Moxies (moccasin slipper), Coffee and tea mugs

Name: Moosejaw
Website: www.moosejaw.com
Address: 327 S. Main
What type of winter gear they sell: jackets, fleece, mittens and gloves, hats and scarves, warm socks
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Arc’teryx covert scarf, Marmot Randonnee gloves, Patagonia big mountain beanie, Wind proof and water resistant clothing, Water proof, gore-tex boots, Hard shell and a couple of layers

Name: Orchid Lane
Address: 419 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters
Staff recommendations for items they sell: -hats, gloves-Mucklucs (slippers made by a co-op), winter jackets, wool sweaters, slippers.

Name: People’s Food Co-op
Website: www.peoplesfood.coop/
Address: 216 N. Fourth St
What type of winter gear they sell: tights, some scarfs and hats

Name: Red Shoes
Website: www.redshoeshomegoods.com
Address: 332 S. Ashley
What type of winter gear they sell: See Staff Suggestions.
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Winter wool scarves and gloves made out of recycled sweaters, Baby hats

Name: Running Fit
Website: www.runningfit.net
Address: 123 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: See staff suggestion column.
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Yak Tracks: helps to walk on ice, Hats and gloves, Wool socks

Name: Sam’s Store
Address: 207 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: boots, jackets, hats and scarves, gloves and mittens, fleece and long underwear, socks
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Waterproof and breathable rain jackets by Columbia, Duofold long underwear, Hats, face masks, and gloves of all prices.

Name: Sweetwater’s
Website: www.sweetwaterscafe.com
Address: 123 W. Washington
What type of winter gear they sell: Hot Coffee, Tea and Hot Cocoa
go!pass or other discount? 10% off your order with your go!pass

Name: Suwanee Springs
Address: 306 S. Main
What type of winter gear they sell: sweaters and more
go!pass or other discount? 10% off with your go!pass
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Rebecca Beeson tops, Level 99 Jeans, Hobo Handbags

Name: Tortoise and Hare
Website: www.tortoiseandhare.com
Address: 209 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: see suggestions.
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Nike Sphere Dry Hoodie, Winter run mits, Smart Wool Socks

Name: Van Boven Shoes
Address: 17 Nickels Arcade
What type of winter gear they sell: boots , warm hats
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Boots, gloves, hats, Ugg Australia and Ecco Brands

Name: V2V
Address: 407 N. Fifth
What type of winter gear they sell: see staff suggestions
go!pass or other discount? 10% off home products after 4pm with go!pass
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Hats, gloves, scarves, and jackets (huge assortment)

Yes, I know it’s cold and snowy.  But with the right gear and the right attitude YOU CAN incorporate some active transportation into your weekly commute. Here’s how:

As we head into the season of office parties and holiday meals, chances are you’re thinking about how to keep off those extra pounds.

Well, a sure way to keep off the holiday weight gain is to stay active.  And what better way to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine than by walking and biking to work?

On average, walking just 1 mile burns 152 calories.  Biking burns 36 calories a mile.  So just walking or biking even one day a week in the winter can help offset all the extra goodies we eat this season.

5 ways to incorporate walking and biking into your daily commute:

□ If you take the bus, get off the bus early on your way home and walk or bike the rest of the way.

□ If you drive your car, park somewhere like the Pioneer Park and Ride Lot (where you can park for free with your getDowntown go!pass) and walk to work from there.

□ Bring exercise clothes with you on your way to work as well as a small backpack you can walk or run with.  Change at the end of the day, put your purse or wallet (and keys) in your small backpack and run home or to a Park and Ride Lot.

□ Park further away from work and walk to work.

□ Take a brisk walk during your lunch break.

For more resources on making winter commuting safe and fun, check out the “wintering” section of the getDowntown blog.

As the weather turns cold, you might be thinking of the rather snowy winter we had last year. Not only was there a lot of snow, but it always seemed to hit during rush hour. I clearly remember walking home on Liberty and seeing cars getting stuck in the snow trying to make it up that hill towards Stadium.

That’s why I wanted to point your attention to the wonderful world of telecommuting. Telecommuting lets you do work from home, which is helpful when the snow piles up outside.

We’ll be discussing telecommuting at an upcoming Commute Chat. There are also tons of resources on our website to help you create a telecommuting program at your organization.

But for all of the benefits telecommuting provides, it also brings with it all sorts of concerns.

If you want to learn more about the real benefits from telecommuting from an academic perspective, check out this article on the good, bad and unknown of telecommuting. This article examines 20 years of research on telecommuting and actually finds that there is much to like about telecommuting.

But for a more local perspective, I thought I’d interview a telecommuter in our own community. There are all kinds of telecommuters out there, from moms that telecommute in the evenings so they can watch their kids, to workers who want a day of quiet time away from the office.

Then are folks like Les Orchard (pictured here). Les lives in Michigan (Livonia to be exact) and telecommutes for Mozilla (located in California). He’s been doing this for 6 months now. I decided to interview Les to learn more about his (tele)commute:

getDowntown (gDt): Why did you decide to telecommute for Mozilla?

Les (L): My wife and I had moved out to Silicon Valley in the summer of 2006 so I could take a job at Yahoo! to work on del.icio.us. But, as it turned out, the distance from family and old friends—as well as the horrendous Bay Area house prices—all turned out to be too much. We decided to move back in the spring of 2008, and a search for work back in Michigan started from there.

Luckily, I knew a few people at Mozilla, who helped me find a good match there. Overall, it’s turned out to be a great opportunity that has synched up well with my career goals and our quality of life goals.

gDt: What is it like to work for a company that is in one state and you in another?

L: The time zone difference of 3 hours between MI and CA seems like it would be a problem, but it usually isn’t. Mozilla has people spread across the planet, so the time differences mostly amount to everyone being flexible about working hours and meeting schedules. Taxes and benefits mostly work out fine, which I think is a function of Mozilla’s experience at being so distributed.

The big upside for me is that I still really like visiting California and participating in the Silicon Valley hacker culture, and Mozilla gives me enough travel opportunities to do so. In the meantime, we get to live near our family and friends in Michigan, and can afford to buy a nice house with good neighbors without entirely breaking the bank.

gDt: How exactly do you telecommute for Mozilla? Did they set you up to do it, did you do it yourself, what’s the deal?

L: For the most part, I can telecommute from my laptop wherever there’s an internet connection. My team communicates largely through email, IM, and a constant presence in IRC chat rooms.

We’re also given extensions on an Asterisk-powered office phone system that works via VoIP, so my laptop also serves as my toll-free office phone. Meetings are held through the phone system, and it’s pretty easy to dial up whenever a chat is needed. Beyond group chats and calls, my manager also makes sure to get a hold of each of us in one-on-one chats on a weekly basis to make sure everything is running smoothly on an individual basis.

gDt: What do you like about telecommuting? What don’t you like?

L: I really like the flexibility afforded by Mozilla’s style of telecommuting. Since my only prerequisites are a laptop and an internet connection, I can work anywhere from my basement to coffee shops in Ann Arbor to the Corner Brewery in Ypsi. I can also duck out to attend lunch gatherings like Edward Vielmetti’s A2B3 whenever my schedule is otherwise clear.

What takes some getting used to, though, is that there’s no forced social interaction like there’d be in an office setting. It’s very easy to never leave the house and fall into being a hermit. I find that I need to develop habits that take me out of the house regularly to keep in contact with people locally.

gDt: What do you think is the biggest myth about telecommuting?

L: One concern I’ve heard from employers and others is that telecommuters can’t be productive without constant scrutiny.

But you know, most of us are adults, and we can even be responsible for our own efforts as professionals. That might not be true for everyone, and thus telecommuting isn’t right for everyone—but the rewards in flexibility and quality of life more than make up for the effort to develop the discipline, work ethic, and employer trust required to make it work. From the employer side, I’d assert there’s potential to get a higher quality of work from happy telecommuters who can control their own working conditions and have the flexibility to take care of family or other life concerns.

gDt: Now for the fun part. Please share any interesting info about yourself.

L: My wife Alex and I have just bought a house in the Old Rosedale Gardens neighborhood of Livonia, a few blocks from where she grew up.

I grew up an hour or so away on the water in the smaller town of Algonac. Our house is kind of a small zoo with two spotted Ocicats and two dwarf bunnies.

Alex works as a designer at JSTOR in downtown Ann Arbor. And beyond my work as a web developer for Mozilla, I have also written a few tech books and hope to write more. We both love video games and have a small collection of new and retro gaming consoles. And, now that we have a nice house with a nice kitchen, we’re hoping to make the most of it in the coming months.

gDt: Anything else you’d like to say about telecommuting or sustainable commuting in general?

I am of course biased, but I think knowledge work and telecommuting are the future for areas like Michigan, where manufacturing and other physical industries are in a downturn. With the availability of internet technologies that enable a wide range of communication and collaboration tools, geography and distance really can be minimized or removed as a blocker to work and employment.

There’s no shortage of great places to live in Michigan, and the quality of life here can be amazing. So, if you can get hooked into an industry where telecommuting is an option, it really is possible to have your cake and eat it too.

So recently we brought you a bunch of tips for Winter Bike Riding.  The most recent newsletter from Great Lakes Cycling and Fitness also offers some cold weather clothing ideas for those of you who like to bike all year long.

And since I count myself among those people who commute by bike all year ’round, here are some of my warm winter riding tips:

1. Check out the used clothing stores for hats, earbands, boots and scarves: I have gotten awesome lined boots, hats and scarves from Value World in Ann Arbor.  Kiwanis also has some good hats and gloves.

2. Wear a hat, earbands, scarves and windproof gloves or mittens: I love being able to mix and match my winter attire, depending on the coldness level.  A hat is great when it’s really cold, but sometimes just a band of fleece around your ears is all you need.  And sometimes you need a balaclava that covers your head and neck.  I love having a scarf to cover my face as well.  I love mittens from Sam’s on Liberty.

3. Fleece is nice, but windproof clothing is awesome: I often have a layer of fleece when I bike to work, but almost always have some sort of windproof shell as the top layer.  This helps to make sure the cold doesn’t sink into my bones.

4. Yeah warm socks: Both Sam’s on Liberty and the Co-op have nice wool socks (I think Fourth Ave Birkenstock does, too).  These are really important for keeping your toes warm in the cold.

As we move into the colder months in Michigan, getDowntown wanted to highlight someone who uses sustainable transportation all year ’round.  That’s why we decided to chat with Bill Merrill of Gordian Labs.  Bill bikes, buses and walks to work all year long.  Even when Bill was searching for a place to live, he made sure it was within walking distance from downtown.  And he has the map to prove it.

Lest you think he’s one of those crazy Treetown commuters you see wizzing by you on the street with studded tires, here’s what Bill had to say when I asked him to be interviewed for this story:

“I’m not as hardcore as people I’ve read about in the past. I ride [my bike] year round, but I also mix it up with walking and busing when things get a little too messy for biking. ”

Well, that’s actually perfect.  Since I bet Bill is like a lot of you.  He’s not a zealot, he just wants to be able to go to happy hour and not have to worry about driving home.

So, a little about Bill.  He’s lived in Ann Arbor for 10 years.  He came here as a grad student and was a founding member of the engineering team at Arbor Networks.  After 5 years with Arbor Networks, Bill set up his own company, Gordian Labs.  Gordian Labs is a software services firm with staff in New York, San Francisco and other places.

Bill’s company set up shop in the Brickyard on Main Street this past summer.  He really likes the space because all of the businesses complement each other.

In terms of sustainable transportation, Bill was always biking as a kid in Houghton.  He remembers delivering newspapers on his bike in February in the snow (10 miles both ways!) so winters here don’t seem that bad.

Bill has also been road biking for 10 years.  He just recently bought a fancy road bike, so he now uses his 10 year old Cannondale hybrid bike for commuting.

Since Bill lives really close to downtown (off of Pauline) his commute is really flexible.  And fun.  Bill tells me that one of the best parts of commuting by bike is finding some of the secret paths that allow you to get to places faster than having to go on the street.  This summer in particular, he found a great route to get to the new Whole Foods on Eisenhower by way of Seventh.

Even now as the weather turns colder, Bill usually rides his bike to work.  However, Bill doesn’t bike to work  when there is fresh snow on the ground.  He actually thinks that the worst time of the year around here is early spring when melting snow freezes and creates those great slick spots on the ground that we all love so much.  During those times, Bill usually sticks to either busing or walking to work.

When asked what kind of accessories he recommends for winter bike commuting, Bill first mentions head gear–he wears a thin wool cap under his helmet and a fleece necktube to keep his neck warm.  He also recommends some good neoprene gloves to keep the cold off your hands.

Beyond that, Bill recommends a velcro strap for your pants and some fenders.  And definitely lights!

If you are just starting winter commuting, Bill says the best way to do it is to layer up until you are warm (but make sure you can still move!).  And try commuting on nice days when it’s cold but not wet.

To help avoid the worst of winter weather, Bill recommends checking out the weather radar online so you know when the weather is ready to get bad.

Bill is one of the fortunate folks in the downtown to have a bike locker.  He says he loves his bike locker because if the weather turns sour he can walk or bus home and leave his bike in a safe and secure location.

I asked Bill for some websites he might recommend related to bike commuting.  He emailed me a link to a YouTube video that demonstrates the right way for bikes to ride in the road.  He says one of the best things about the video is that its a very reasonable approach and shows you exactly how to maneuver all sorts of situations.  Since oftentimes it is hard to have a level-headed discussion about sharing the road, this sort of tool can come in very handy.

Bill goes on to talk about how important it is to be part of traffic.  He’s actually had very few issues with cars because he is out there in the road instead of hugging onto the curb for dear life.  Although it may sound counterintuitive, putting yourself in the lane makes it more likely that people will treat you like a car.  Which hopefully will result in fewer crashes.

In addition to working and riding his bike, Bill is into lo-fi photography.  He’s got a mobile phone photo blog that’s he’s run for 3 years.

For all of you out there looking to transition from summer biking to winter biking, I hope this post has calmed some of your fears.  For those of you who already bike all year ’round please take some time to share your wisdom as well.

Whether or not you utilize it as a mode of commuting, pretty much everyone walks around during winter.* When the roads are covered with fresh precipitation, my money’s on walking as the safest mode of transport. If I wipe out, I may end up with a few bruises, but I find each and every one of them far preferable to the fallout of a car accident.

A walk in the park isn’t always just that, however, especially when the temperature is well below freezing and the sidewalks are iced over, as is wont to happen around here. The key to dressing for success in cold weather is using layers. You’re going to want three basic layers on your trunk:

1. The Base Layer is right up against your skin. It’s hopefully something that can wick away moisture, so you don’t get all clammy when you inevitably sweat a little.
2. The Insulating Layer is something like wool or polar fleece that keeps your body heat close to you. Vests are good for this. This is probably the layer you’re going to ditch if you start getting overheated.
3. The Delicious Candy Shell is the outside layer that is wind- and water-resistant, keeping the two inner layers free from all of the sneaky snow and rain that try to get close to you. No means no, weather water.

Don’t be afraid to wear two pairs of pants if you need to, even if it makes Tim Gunn do this:

As for learning about hats and gloves and socks and shoes and the like, this site is chock full of great information. I’m just going to say that wool socks are one of my true loves in this life, and if I could, I would buy the world a pair.

There are many great local shops for your wintery needs, and I’m going to mention two of them. First, Sam’s on Liberty, because they have an amazing selection of wool socks (it’s incredible!) and also because they have a great stock of mittens and hats and all other sorts of winter accessories.

Second, there’s Footprints on S. Main St, and I’m mentioning them for two reasons. One, you can buy waterproofing spray for your shoes, which is always useful, and even better, they carry YAKTRAX, which are one of the greatest inventions known to winter walkers. Yaktrax are little rubbery web-like thingies that you slip right over your shoes. They mostly go over the soles, and presto! instant added traction. They come in two models, the “walker” and the “pro,” and Footprints carries both, retailing for around $26.

Finally, here’s a little bit of bonus information. From wikihow, How to Stay Warm at Home Without a Heater. 17 tips that will help you keep your house warm for cheaper, a tiny gift from us to you.

*For the purposes of this blog post, I’m using walking as a general verb meaning “going out and about, traveling from one point to another,” and not specifically invoking using one’s legs. If anyone knows less exclusionary language, please let me know.

When I say bicycling, I bet you think of blue skies and endless fields full of daffodils and Kermit in The Muppet Movie. If I were to say “bicycling” and “winter” in the same sentence, however, many of you would say to me, “Courtney, my soul has just shriveled up and fallen off, and now I am a soulless, soulless, blog reader who does not even want to think of bicycling past the month of September.”

Why do you feel this way? Let us review.

• Misconception #1: Biking in winter weather is dangerous
  It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. The key to biking in winter is realizing that you do not, in fact, have to bike every day. Your first mental image may be of you pedaling away in 30 mph winds that are insouciantly tossing flecks of hail up your nose. But most days of winter aren’t actually this bad. There may be snow on the ground, but the snow has been plowed off of the places where you are biking. There may be wind, but not blizzard conditions. Try to get out as many days as you can, and you may surprise yourself. Set a small goal, like biking just five days a month this winter, and next winter you may actually look forward to it! Or at least not cry at the thought. Really, most of the trick is just dressing in a manner that fends off the lower temperatures but still allows you to exert yourself. Which brings me to our second point,
• #2: Biking in winter is coooooooold
  If you’re not dressed properly, then yes, it is very cold. Think of it like a job interview—it’s only terribly awkward and uncomfortable if you’re unprepared and wearing too little clothing.One of the biggest and best winter bike websites around is Chicago Bike Winter, and they have two great pages about this subject: Get Layered! Dressing for Winter Cycling, and Thrifty Bike Clothing, which will help you do it on a budget. The main trick, as you may have guessed, is wearing lots of layers, with light and moisture-wicking undergarments and wind- and water-resistant outer layers. Especially mind your hands and feet, as they’re far away from your heart and difficult for your circulatory system to heat, and your face, as it’s how you make a living.
• #3: You need lots of special gear to bike in winter
  Not really. The salt from the roads and the wetness of winter weather isn’t the greatest for your bike, but with a little maintenance, you can keep things running smoothly. Especially if you have a steel frame, be sure to towel it down after each ride, and keep up with oiling your chain and any other parts that may need it. For more specifics, Chicago Bike Winter again has a great page full of helpful information. You can always swing by a local bike shop and get a winter tune up, too, just like many folks do with their cars.

Really, I do not think it is necessary that you feel apprehensive about biking in winter. It can be just as enjoyable and fulfilling as bicycling in summer. Do you go sledding in winter? Then you can bike in winter. Just be sure to bookend either experience with lots of hot cocoa.

I don’t know about you, but my biggest fear during winter isn’t frostbite, or hypothermia, or meeting an abominable snowman in the supermarket, but rather driving! through! snow! Before I lived in Michigan, I lived in the sunny land of Texas, where I once got three consecutive paid days off work because there was ICE. Not even a lot of ice, but enough ice that the roads were a little slippery, and there were no ploughs to be had in the Lonestar State. That was a-okay with me. Then I moved to Michigan, where coasting around on top of snow is practically the state sport. I still don’t like driving on snow, but miraculously, bus drivers are more than happy enough to do it for me.

The salt and slush on roads isn’t the greatest for your car, and like me, you may have a moderately-to-deep-seated fear of driving around in inclement conditions. Additionally, it’s not always fun to tromp around in the winter wonderland, and the warm inside of a bus can be its own cozy little Valhalla.

One catch is that occasionally ploughed snow is piled up right on your bus stop. Here are a few tips from the AATA itself for catching and riding the bus in winter weather:

During these difficult weather situations, contact AATA using RideTrak from your web-enabled phone or PDA at mobile.TheRide.org, visit www.TheRide.org, or call 734.973.6500 to find out whether your bus is running on schedule.

Winter snow storms can also result in large piles of snow at our bus stops. The AATA maintenance crew clears snow from stops with shelters and other stops where 50 or more passengers board daily, but must rely on property owners to clear snow from the remainder of the 1,500 bus stops throughout our transit system area.

Because AATA has the utmost concern for your safety, we ask that you wait at the nearest cleared area, such as a driveway, if the bus stop is unsafe due to snow or ice. Wave at the driver when you wish to board.

If you find that snow has not been cleared from required areas, you may call the city’s Transportation Division at 734.994.2818.

Additionally, here are the routes that are typically detoured during bad weather:

Route 4 Washtenaw
No Service to Medford/Manchester

Route 13 Newport
No Service North of M-14

Route 14 Geddes-E. Stadium
No Service on Geddes, Arlington, Devonshire or Overridge