Shannon Riffe is a getDowntown Ambassador and a walking commuter. She works at the Ann Arbor District Library as Program Assistant in Community Relations and Marketing. We interviewed her about why she walks to work:

How do you normally get to work?

I usually take the bus, but I’ve started to walk more as the weather warms up.

Why do you use sustainable transportation to get to work?

Cost – to save money on gas and parking.

Health – when I walk in, about 3 miles one way, I incorporate exercise into my day and I don’t have to set aside extra time for it.

Stress – I really dislike driving. I’m much happier to start off my day with a bus ride or a long walk than behind the wheel of a car.

Environment – I try to do my part to lessen my dependence on oil.

Any hints and tips for others looking to start walking to work?
As I mentioned earlier, I love incorporating heart-healthy activity into my day. When I walk in, not only have I had a stress-free commute and log some quality outdoor time, I’ve also gotten 45 minutes of exercise.

Any hobbies that you have?
Good thing I’m doing all that walking because I love to cook and eat. And since moving to Ann Arbor in the summer of 2008, my fiance and I have taken advantage of the great local food vendors and community.

Any other interesting tidbits?

Many of the AADL locations are accessible by bus. FInd out details for each branch here:http://www.aadl.org/aboutus/hours

Just came across this great blog post about a woman who normally bikes to work but has had to drive to work for the last couple of weeks.  The woman thought that driving instead of cycling would be all positives.  But instead, she found herself wishing to get back on her bike.

Some of the tidbits from the post on the benefits of cycling to work:

according to a study in the Netherlands, employees who regularly cycle to work take on average one day less sick leave every year compared with those who do not cycle to work.

. . . regular cyclists typically enjoy a level of fitness equivalent to someone 10 years younger.

. . . cycling to work decreases the risk of dying by approximately 40%, plus all the other health benefits: the reduced risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, colon and breast cancer.

Read the Blog Post here: Two wheels good, four wheels bad.

I haven’t had a chance to watch this yet, but I hope to see it soon.  On Monday, PBS aired a documentary on Detroit that looked at how to bring the city back by investing in transit, biking, etc.

The preview gave me chills.

Watch the entire video here.

Get your bike road ready in 5 easy steps. Learn some walk safety tips. Check out how to use Zipcar.

Drive Less.  Save More. is an Oregon-based program to encourage people to–well–Drive less and save more!

One of the neat things they have on there website are how-to videos related to different modes of transportation.

Check it out here.

Where do you go to find information on the best places to eat downtown? What about where to grab the best cup of coffee? Chances are you have a go-to source for this kind of information, whether it is a friend, a co-worker, or some online source.

But who could you turn to for help with your downtown commute? Maybe you’re sick and tired of paying for parking. Maybe you’re new to the downtown and what to get a sense of all your options.

No matter the reason, there is a great resource you can use if you work in downtown Ann Arbor. It’s the getDowntown Program. The getDowntown Program provides FREE commuting information for employees in downtown Ann Arbor. We know the bus routes, have figured out Park & Ride lots, and ride our bikes to work. We can answer any downtown commuting questions you have, and we can do it for free.

Click here to ask getDowntown a Commuting Question

Commuting Questions Answered

Here’s a taste of the kind of questions we can answer. These are actual questions from actual downtown employees:

Downtown Employee: I commute regular hours (M-F, 9-5) from Toledo to downtown Ann Arbor. Are you aware of any shuttle or carpooling opportunities (or where to find them) for folks who travel between Toledo and downtown Ann Arbor?

getDowntown: There are a couple of options for you.

Mirideshare.org: One option is mirdeshare.org, which is a carpool site run by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). All you have to do is go to mirideshare.org, enter in your information, and look for a match!

MichiVan: You might also be interested in vanpooling to work with other people who work in downtown Ann Arbor, including at the UM. The getDowntown Program can assist you with this, or you can do it yourself at www.michivan.com

If you do decide to carpool or vanpool to work, keep in mind that getDowntown offers preferential carpool and vanpool parking at various parking structures downtown.

Downtown Employee: I live in Ypsilanti Township, close to Huron River Drive. The AATA buses don’t go this far and there isn’t a Park & Ride Lot in the area. Can I park at a shopping center parking lot and take the bus from there?

getDowntown: This might be an option for you. The getDowntown Program can help by connecting with the manager of the shopping center to see if it is ok for you to park at that location.

Got a Commuting Question? I bet we have an answer! Click here to ask us a commuting question today!

We just got a call from someone wondering where the new AATA Plymouth Road Park and Ride Lot is located.

For a map of this location, please click here.

For more info on this and other Park & Ride Lots, you can visit getDowntown’s Park and Ride Lot page.

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.

There are some changes in AATA bus routes because of the new Park & Ride at Plymouth Road and other items.  If you work in downtown Ann Arbor and have any questions about these changes, please contact getDowntown.

FYI from the AATA:

On Sunday, January 24, The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will implement service changes to bus routes 2, 6 and 22.

The service changes will include improved service on Route 2 with connections to the new Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot, new routing on the inbound Route 6 to serve Research Park Drive and schedule and routing adjustments on Route 22.

Route 2 – Plymouth
Route 2 overview
Route 2: from Downtown map & schedule
Route 2: to Downtown map & schedule

Weekday service will now connect to the new Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot, and additional trips are being added at midday and peak commuting times. Route 2X has been renumbered as route 2C and integrated into the route 2 schedule. This route will provide service to the Glazier Way/Earhart Road neighborhood and will provide a faster connection to the Kerrytown/City Hall area and UM Central Campus without serving the UM Medical Center.

The service changes include renumbering of Routes 2 and 2X to Routes 2A, 2B and 2C as follows:

Route 2A: Plymouth via Nixon/Green

• Route 2A will connect the Green Road/Nixon Road neighborhoods and the new Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot to the UM Medical Center, UM Central Campus and the Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor.

Route 2B: Plymouth

• Route 2B will connect the Plymouth/Georgetown Road neighborhood and the Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot to the UM Medical Center, UM Central Campus and the Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor.
• Weekday morning and afternoon trips will travel to and from the new Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot.
• Evening and weekend trips will serve both the Plymouth Road and the Green Road Park & Ride lots.
• Service frequencies range from 15 minutes during the morning and afternoon to 30 – 60 minutes in the evening.

Route 2C: Plymouth via Glazier

• Route 2C replaces route 2X.
• This route will connect the Glazier Way/Earhart Road neighborhood and the Green Road Park & Ride Lot to the Kerrytown/City Hall area and UM Central Campus.
• The service will provide faster trips to the downtown area without serving the UM Medical Center. Trips to the UM Medical Center can be made by using Routes 2A, 2B or the UM Intercampus Route (which serves the Green Road Park & Ride Lot).
• Route 2C will provide service to and from downtown using Washington Street, but will not stop at the Blake Transit Center.
• Weekday service will operate every 30 minutes during peak hours and every 60 minutes midday.
• Weekend service to Glazier Way and Earhart Rd. will be provided on Route 22.
• Weekend service to downtown Ann Arbor can be made by using route 2A and 2B from the Green Rd. Park & Ride Lot.

Route 6: Ellsworth
Route 6: to Ann Arbor map & schedule

As a result of a collaborative effort between the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority and the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living (AACIL), all trips on Route 6 going to downtown Ann Arbor will serve Research Park Drive with new bus stops at the Social Security Office and the AACIL.

There will be no change on the trips to Ypsilanti. The portion of the route on Ellsworth west of Research Park Drive and on State Street south of Research Park Drive will be served only on trips to Ypsilanti.

Route 22: Connector
Route 22: North map & schedule
Route 22: South map & schedule
Recommended transfer boarding locations

Northbound trips will continue the long-term detour on Washtenaw east of Carpenter Road before heading west to the Arborland area to provide for safe transfers with other buses. Timepoint adjustments will be made at several places along Route 22. In addition, Route 22 will now serve the Glazier Way and Earhart Road neighborhoods on Saturdays. Direct service to the VA Medical Center will no longer be available on Saturdays.

• Northbound service will continue the detour east on Washtenaw to Glencoe Crossing before heading west to serve the Arborland area.
• Saturday afternoon trips will be extended beyond the Green Road Park & Ride Lot to serve Glazier Way and Earhart Rd.
• Adjustments will be made to multiple timepoints.
• Buses will not pull directly into VA Hospital on Saturdays. Boarding is available at bus stops along Fuller Road.

The latest information on AATA routes, schedules and detours is available at 734.996.0400 and on the AATA Routes and Schedules page.

1. Snow Suit.
2. Balaclava.
3. Warm socks and fuzzy boots.
4. Mittens.
5. Windproof, warm jacket.
6. A smile.

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