In the spirit of Google Maps now having bike directions I thought I’d create a Google Map with some suggested bike routes to downtown Ann Arbor. You can view the bike routes here.
Suggestions for bike routes to add? Email us info@getdowntown.org
The past two days in Ann Arbor have been a great reminder that the winter doesn’t last forever around here.
If you are a downtown employee, you might be considering dusting off your bike, filling up the tires and getting some exercise on your way to work.
If you like to bike to work, or are considering it for the first time, here are some resources from getDowntown (and others) that can help you on your way:
And Don’t Forget! Follow us on Twitter and become a Fan on Facebook to stay up to date!
Treehugger recently posted an interesting set of ideas for how to make your City more bike and ped friendly.
Their suggestions (in sum):
The interesting part about many of these ideas is that Ann Arbor is already doing many of them. The idea of no turn on red was suggested in the Ann Arbor Non-motorized plan. We have lots of parties downtown (Art Fair, Green Fair, the Car Show, etc), which I think definitely makes it more pedestrian friendly. Downtown people can’t really go more than 20 mph and I know the City as a whole has struggled with speed limits. We might not have a Tweed Ride but we do have the Ride Around Town (RAT–thanks WBWC!). Especially downtown, I think we are moving in the right direction on many of these items.
What do you think is missing from this list? What else could we do downtown and elsewhere to create a better environment for peds and cyclists in Ann Arbor?
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.
As long as it’s cold outside, we might as well enjoy it, right? That’s the thinking behind downtown’s first Winter Warrior event, happening on Saturday, Feb6th from noon-6pm. There will be special discounts on food and drinks, some special retail deals, plus we’ll be bringing out some of the on-street bike racks!
So if you bike or walk to work during the winter, reward yourself during the Winter Warrior event. More info is below:
Saturday, February 6, 2010 Noon to 6pm
Become a Winter Warrior! This community event is all about encouraging the community to get outside and enjoy downtown Ann Arbor at a time of year during which coming outside is not quite so inviting. Restaurants and cafes will be bringing out their sidewalk furniture, and those guests who sit outside will enjoy specials such as $2 draught beers and $1 hot drinks (tea, coffee, soda, etc.). Some businesses may also be offering food specials. Guests will receive a stamp on their receipt redeemable at participating downtown retailers for special warrior discounts. This is our way of saying, “Thank you for coming out and supporting our downtown businesses and community!”
Click here to view all of the Winter Warrior discounts.
Participating Downtown Businesses and Organizations Include:
Salon XL
Moosejaw
Jolly Pumpkin
Arbor Brewing Company
Cafe Felix
Salon Vox
Schakolad
Sole Sisters
Cupcake Station
BD’s Mongolian BBQ
Crazy Wisdom
The Blue Tractor
Grizzly Peak
Mighty Good Coffee
Acme Mercantile
Elmo’s T-Shirts
Carillon Chocolates
Ann Arbor Art Center
AnnArbor.com recently noted that Major Hieftje is considering a proposal to ban bikes on downtown Ann Arbor sidewalks. The 70 some comments after the article show that this truly a topic worthy of discussion.
This is an interesting issue–no one wants to be run over by bikes when walking down the street, and there are quite a few places in downtown where you can’t see around corners, making bike and pedestrian crashes more likely (heck, I was walking around a corner at Main and Huron the other day and crashed into a pedestrian!).
Of course, the issue of banning bikes on sidewalks brings up the perpetual question of how best to solve social problems. I think the Mayor is doing the right thing bringing a lot of people together to talk about this, including the DDA and the City’s Alternative Transportation Committee.
The question I have is, why are people biking on sidewalks to begin with? Some of the reasons I have heard is that people don’t feel comfortable biking on the street and think the sidewalk is safer. For others, it’s just faster to use the sidewalk than the street because you don’t have to deal with cars and traffic lights (I am not immune to this temptation–there have been times when I have ridden my bike on a one way street rather than taking the time to ride on the street to get going in the right direction).
Why else might people ride on sidewalks? Because bike parking is located there? Because they won’t get in trouble? Because they want to do what is easiest for them rather than what is best for everyone? The answers to these questions require different approaches–some punitive, some cultural.
Again, this brings up the issue of where bikes belong in Ann Arbor. Where is their place and how do we show people where it is ok to ride your bike and where it isn’t? And how do you deal with the fact that we have so much turnover of students? A ban on riding bikes on the sidewalks could solve some of these issues, but what about the others?
As you can see, I have a lot more questions that I do answers. I applaud the Mayor for bringing this issue up and will be interested to see where it goes.
If you’re a little hesitant about busing, biking or carpooling to work downtown, you’re not alone. The world of sustainable transportation can be a little daunting.
That’s where we come in. The getDowntown Program has experience with every commuting option you could think of (except maybe a pogo stick).
To make your life easier, we’ve created this handy Commuting Question form. All you have to do is type in your commuting question and we’ll send you a personal response. Please note, this service is only available for employees/employers in downtown Ann Arbor.
Click here to send us a Commuting Question.
Don’t have a question now? Our Commuting Question form is on our website whenever you need it: getdowntown.org/resources/commutingquestion.html
Attention Downtown Employees, Managers, Admin Assistants, and HR Directors:
Wish you had a packet of commuting information for your employees? Wish you could get all of your commuting materials delivered to your door? Wish granted!
You can now request materials from the getDowntown Program for all commuting options to downtown Ann Arbor. From AATA Ride Guides to bike maps to new employee orientation guides, we have it all.
And every order comes with a free getDowntown pen!
Please note: this service is only available to downtown Ann Arbor employers/employees
One of the great things about working in downtown Ann Arbor is that great restaurants are around every corner. There’s no need to get into your car to get a tasty lunch.
So why not grab a group of co-workers and sample some of the yummy offerings during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week?
Restaurant Week runs from Jan 17th-22nd. Click here to check out the menus.
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.
The beginning of a New Year is a great time to say goodbye to old ways of doing things and hello to new ideas and approaches. For many people, owning one or even two cars just doesn’t make sense anymore, especially living in such a pedestrian-friendly place as Ann Arbor.
So why not look at the advantages of a new concept—carsharing? Carsharing allows you to have a car when you need one without having to pay the expense when you don’t. The most popular carsharing business in the country is Zipcar. Currently, Zipcar has more than 20 cars in Ann Arbor, with 6 in downtown Ann Arbor and the rest on the University of Michigan campus. In addition, Zipcar has cars in cities all over the country.
What do people use Zipcars for? Zipcar members use cars for going shopping, attending meetings, popping over to events in other towns and much more. One couple even used a Zipcar to drive to their honeymoon after getting married!
To use a Zipcar, you just become a member at zipcar.com/annarbor (if you are affiliated with the UM, go to zipcar.com/umich). When you become a member, you’ll get a special credit-card sized zipcard in the mail. Then, all you have to do is go on the Zipcar website, reserve a car when you want to use it, go to the car and tap your zipcard on the windshield.
When the doors open, hop inside, grab the keys (they are already in the car) and go about your business. Need gas? Every Zipcar has a gascard inside that you can use at any gas station to fill up the tank. Hourly rates for Zipcars are as low as $8 an hour, and that includes the gas and 180 free miles!
Here are just a few reasons to become a member of Zipcar Ann Arbor
| Old Car Way | New Zipcar Way |
| Paying for a car (including gas, insurance etc) that spends most of the day sitting in your driveway or garage | Becoming a Zipcar member for around $50/yr and having access to 20+ cars for as little as $8/hr |
| Driving downtown and paying for parking because you think you might need your car during the day. | Walking, biking or busing downtown because you know you’ll have a Zipcar available if you need a car. Did I mention that parking for Zipcar is free? |
| Having to clean and maintain your own car. | Having someone else clean and maintain the Zipcars. |
| Worrying that your car is getting a little old and that it might break down. | Enjoying a variety of new cars, from a Mini Cooper to a Ford Escape, that are part of the Zipcar fleet. |
| Feeling guilty about your car’s impact on the environment. | Feeling great because you are sharing a car with others and thus reducing your carbon footprint. |
If you’re ready to try something new, visit zipcar.com/annarbor and sign up to be a Zipcar member today!
Attention Current Zipcar Members:
Help us think up more Old Way/New Way concepts. We’ll be tweeting Old Way/New Way ideas (and putting them on our getDowntown Facebook page) throughout the month of January. Share your ideas by tweeting, commenting on our page and posting to our blog.
