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.

Mike is the type of person you might not typically think of as a sustainable commuter. He’s the President and COO of a growing company. He’s a dad. And he has a free parking spot in the back of his building.

But don’t let those details fool you. From my interview with Mike it’s clear that commuting sustainably fits perfectly into his life and has some unexpected benefits. Mike Felkey works at Intersect Digital, a small web development firm with some big clients. Intersect has worked with such companies as Subaru and Saatchi & Saatchi. The company’s headquarters is in downtown Ann Arbor (on First Street) and they also have a location in New York (who doesn’t, really). Depending on the amount of work available, Intersect employs anywhere from 17 to 60 employees. Currently, business is on the upswing.

The first clue into Mike’s interest in sustainable commuting comes when we talk about the company’s culture. Intersect is very supportive of telecommuting for its employees. Since many of the company’s employees live in places like Southfield and Novi and since many of them are working mothers, this benefit really helps cut down on a stressful commute. As far as Mike’s concerned, as long as employees get the work done, it doesn’t matter where they do it. We then chatted a bit about Daniel Pink’s new book, Drive, which describes how the businesses of the future are finding ways to motivate their employees through giving them freedom rather than imposing tons of rules. And according to Mike, this philosophy really pays off.

So what about the employees who do commute to work? Since Intersect offers the go!pass to employees, some of them happily take the bus. Other employees walk or ride their bikes. As far as Mike goes, he likes to walk, bike or take the bus to work. His commute isn’t super short either. If he chooses to walk, it can take him about 40 minutes.

So what’s Mike’s motivation for walking, biking or busing to work? He’s got a free space out back, and could probably get to work by car in less than 40 minutes. A big benefit Mike sees in leaving his car at home is that walking, biking and busing are all great for his health. He gets to build some exercise into his day, which might otherwise be a challenge to find the time for. Now that there are Zipcars downtown (a couple just a block from him office), Mike can bike, walk or bus to work even when he needs to go to a meeting out of town.

As we start to chat a little about Mike’s kids (his son goes to Tappan and his daughter goes to Burn’s Park Elementary), I find out another great benefit of Mike’s commute. Both of his kids have grown up watching Mike walk to work and now they want to walk to school. With all of the current news about childhood obesity, the example that Mike is setting for his kids is really inspiring.

When I asked Mike what he might like to see improved about transportation in our community, he lists fixing the lights so they are more in sync, improving the parking downtown, and adding more bike lanes to make cycling safer. We also talked a little but about the possibility of light rail, which is a topic he’s really interested in. Mike even said he’d contemplate giving up his car if there were light rail, especially since there are Zipcars available.

Mike’s biking, walking and busing ways are not unique among leaders in downtown Ann Arbor. Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, frequently bikes to work. Grace Singleton, Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Deli, is also a bike commuter. Bonnie Valentine of the Whole Brain Group often takes the bus to work. Curtis Sullivan and Liz DellaRocco, owners of Vault of Midnight walk and carpool to work.

Any downtown commuter can join this great list of leaders. All you have to do is hop on a bus, grab your bike, or strap on your walking shoes. If you work downtown and would like some help figuring out which commuting option is best for you, getDowntown can help! Simply give us a call, check out our website or send us an email for personal commuting assistance.

A New York Times Blog recently posted that public transit ridership declined by 3.8% during the first nine months of 2009.  Not surprising given the lower gas prices and unemployment stats for 2009.   The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority experienced similar declines during that time.   Also of note is that transit ridership in San Francisco actually increased during this time.

One thing the blog post doesn’t consider is the change in automobile use during this time.  Were people also driving less because they didn’t have the money to go shopping etc?  Or maybe people were driving more because gas is cheap.  I am sure this stat is out there somewhere.

It would also be interesting to consider who stopped taking the bus.  Did people who always take the bus simply take the bus less?  Or did people who could choose between driving or busing choose to drive?  It’s not as if all transit riders are the same.  It would be very interesting to delve into this data as well.

For a somewhat basic breakdown of this concept, in the APTA report, it appears that ridership on Commuter Rail and Buses declined about 5% while ridership on Heavy Rail and Light Rail declined to a lesser degree (about 3% and 1% respectively) .  Trolley ridership actually increased by .6%   It would be interesting to see why the declines are different.  Any thoughts?

So I guess the take home lesson in all of this (which we’ve known here at the getDowntown Program for a while now) is that cost matters when it comes to transportation choices.  Most people will be more likely to change their commuting behavior when it starts to hit their pocketbook.  People are also more likely to change their commuting behavior when they live closer to where they work (within 4 miles or so).

As we enter a New Year and continue to have debates surrounding healthcare and global warming, how does transportation (and commuting in particular) fit into this picture?  What would our world look like if more people in Ann Arbor (and the US) used sustainable transportation?  What problems would this solve (or create)?

Like many of you, I am very interested in seeing the Ann Arbor to Detroit Commuter Rail project come to fruition.  There are tens of thousands of people who commute from Wayne County to Washtenaw County every day.  These folks have no other alternative but to drive.  Commuter rail from Ann Arbor to Detroit would be a great way to offer stressed-out commuters another option and also has potential for great economic benefits for the region.

As I said, I’m not the only one who wants this to happen.  Check out this blog post from Crain’s about an Ann Arborite who would love to commute to his job in Detroit via train.

Finally, if you’d like an update on the progress for the A2-Detroit Commuter Rail, click here. It’s a PDF report from SEMCOG.

As the Michigan Legislature looks to balance it’s budget for the coming year, transportation cuts are on the table.  It looks like $1.2 billion dollars in cuts were based by the Michigan Conference Commitee. These cuts will impact Amtrak, any activities related to the U.S.–Canada bridge crossing, and more.

Read about it here.

Not sure if this has any implications for this area.  If I learn anything, I’ll send it out.

In case you haven’t heard, there are two different Ann Arbor Commuter Rail proposals in the works.  Both the WALLY (Washtenaw Livingston Line) and the Ann Arbor-Detroit Line are slated to begin in the fall of 2010.

The AATA is helping to coordinate the WALLY project and has been leading meetings of interested folks for a while.  The last meeting was held on June 22nd.

While it looks like the rail cars and other details are going smoothly, there is still the issue of funding for the WALLY.  MDOT did not receive Stimulus funds for the project, and is now trying for something called TIGER funds (info on TIGER funds in the comment section).

If you want to read more about WALLY and view the presentation from June 22nd click here.

If you are trying to commute by bus to or in Ann Arbor, here’s an overview of your options.  This is also posted as a page on the getDowntown Blog and will be updated from there.

Taking the Bus to Work

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (The Ride) has buses that run throughout the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area.  Here are some resources to help you plan your commute:

• Bus Schedules: All of the Bus Routes are online as well as listed in the printed Ride Guide, which is available at the Blake Transit Center (at 4th Ave and Liberty in Downtown Ann Arbor), on any AATA Bus, at AATA Headquarters (at 2700 S. Industrial), at the downtown Library, at the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce, and many more locations!
• Live Tracking of AATA buses: Find out where your bus is on your PDA or wireless-enabled phone with AATA’s Mobile Ride Guide.
• Google Transit: You can use Google Transit to help plan your bus route.  It works just like driving directions.  Go to Google.com/transit, enter in where you are coming from and where you want to go, and it will show you a suggested route.
• Help from getDowntown: If you work downtown, getDowntown can help you plan your bus route.  Email info@getdowntown.org for assistance.
• Magic Bus for UM Buses: Want to see where all the UM buses are?  Check out Magic Bus.

Bus Passes

There are a bunch of different types of bus passes available to people who want to ride the bus:

• go!pass: available to employees who work in the DDA area in downtown Ann Arbor.  Gives you unlimited rides on all AATA fixed-route buses.  This pass is subsidized by the Downtown Development Authority.
• MCard: UM Employees, faculty and staff just swipe their MCard when they board AATA fixed-routes buses to ride the bus for free.  This pass is subsidized by the UM.
• WCC Transit Pass: This is a discounted pass for students get more info by calling 973-3536.  This pass is subsidized by WCC.
• Fare Deal Card: This pass is available for income-eligible persons and others.  For more info, please call 734-973-6500.
• A complete listing of all of the AATA bus passes and fares can be found here.

Which Bus to Take?

If you work downtown, you are in luck!  Almost every AATA bus comes to downtown Ann Arbor.  A lot of buses also stop on the UM Campus for those of you who work at UM.   Here’s a brief overview of some of the routes to take if you are coming from certain parts of town:

• Coming from the West Side of Ann Arbor: You can take the 8 Pauline, 9 Jackson-Dexter, 12A Miller-Liberty, 12B Liberty-Miller, 13 Newport, 15 Scio Church-W. Stadium, 18 Miller-University, or 609 Dexter-University.
• Coming from the Northeast Side of Ann Arbor: You can take the 1 Pontiac-Dhu Varren, 1U Pontiac-University 2 Plymouth, 2X Plmouth-Downtown/Campus Shuttle, 17 Amtrak-Depot St. or 22 Connector.
• Coming from the South Side of Ann Arbor: You can take the 16 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, 7 South Main-East, 36 Wolverine Tower Shuttle, 6 Ellsworth, 0r 5 Packard.
• Coming from the East Side of Ann Arbor, including the Ypsi area: You can take the 3 Huron River, 4 Washtenaw, 5 Packard, 6 Ellsworth, 7 South Main-East,  or 14 Geddes-E. Stadium.
• Bus Service to and in Ypsilanti: Routes 4 Washtenaw, 5 Packard, 6 Ellsworth, 10 Ypsilanti-Northeast , 11 Ypsilanti South, 20 Ypsilanti Grove-Ecorse and 33 EMU Shuttle provide service to and in Ypsilanti.

Park and Ride

The AATA has 4 Park and Ride Lots throughout Ann Arbor.  You can park at Park and Ride Lots for free and take the bus to work.  Lots more info on Park and Ride Lots is on the getDowntown website and on the AATA website.  Here is an overview of the lots:

• Coming from the Northwest Side of Ann Arbor (including  Scio, Pinckney, Dexter, Chelsea, etc:): Miller Road Lot (at Miller and M-14), served by Routes 18 Miller-University and 609 Dexter-University.
• Coming from the Northeast side of Ann Arbor (including Plymouth, Livonia, etc.): Green Road Lot (at Baxter), served by Route 2 Plymouth and Route 22 Connector.
• Coming from the  South or Southwest side of Ann Arbor (including Milan, Saline, Pittsfield, etc.): Pioneer High School Lot (at Pioneer High School on Main St), served by Routes 7 South Main-East,  14 Geddes-E. Stadium or 16 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.
• Coming from the South side of Ann Arbor (including Saline, Pittsfield, Milan, etc.): State Street Lot (at State Street across from Howard Cooper Honda), served by Route 36 Wolverine Tower Shuttle.
• Casual Park and Ride Lots: There are also many places throughout Ann Arbor where there are large parking lots adjacent to bus stops (Such as Veterans Park, Arborland, etc).  These are casual park and ride lots, which means you can park, but you park at your own risk.

Commuter Bus from Chelsea

A2Chelsea Express :If you live in Chelsea and work in downtown Ann Arbor or at the UM, the A2Chelsea Express may be the Commuter Bus for you.  The bus even has wireless!  Early morning trips leave the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea at 6:10 and 7:16am and arrive in Ann Arbor (downtown and at the UM Hospital) around 6:39 and 7:45am.  Return trips in the afternoon leave Ann Arbor at around 3:47 and 5:15pm and get to Chelsea at 4:15 and 5:44pm.  To learn more about the A2Chelsea Express, click here.

Late-Night Bus Service

There are a couple of Late-Night Bus Service Options in Ann Arbor:

• The Nightride Shuttle: The Nighride Shuttle is a free service provided by the AATA that runs in the late-night hours.  The service has a stop at Liberty Street and Fourth Ave.  The Shuttle picks you up at 11:15, 12:00, 12:45 and 1:30am 7 days a week and drops you off at the Pioneer Park and Ride Lot or at your home (if you live on the West side of Ann Arbor).  Click here for more details on the NightRide Shttle.
• Night Ride: Night-Ride is a shared-ride taxi service within the Ann Arbor City limits that operates when AATA fixed-route bus service is not operating.  Night Ride runs Mon-Fri 11pm-6am, Sat 7pm-7:30am and Sun 7pm-6am.  The fare is $5 per person.  Click here for more information.
• BTB Party Bus: The BTB Party Bus runs on vegetable oil and operates late nights in downtown Ann Arbor to get you home safely.  Click here to learn more.

Bikes on the Bus

Every AATA Bus has a bike rack for your bike.  Combining biking with riding the bus can save you time and give you a chance to get some exercise.  Click here for step-by-step instructions for putting your bike on the bus.

Bus Riding Hints and Tips

Here are some basic hints and tips to keep in mind when riding the bus:

• Plan your trip ahead of time: Make sure you have a good idea of your route before you go.  If you need help planning your route, contact getDowntown (if you work downtown), the AATA, or use Google Transit.
• Arrive at the bus stop early: Better to be at the stop early than to watch the bus pass you buy as you run to catch it.
• Give it a week or two: If your bus is late or something happens on the first day of your ride, don’t give up!  Try riding the bus for a week or two to really see if it’s right for you.
• Try it once a week: Make a commitment to trying to ride the bus once a week and compare it to your usual commute.
• Ask someone who rides the bus for advice: There are lots of people who ride the bus to work. Perhaps someone at your work is a Commuter Challenge Ambassador.  Either way, find someone at work who rides the bus to get a sense of the best route to take to get to your work.  If you work downtown, getDowntown can also help you out.  Just contact us!

Other Bus and Transit Services

• Complete listing of AATA Programs and Services.
• The LINK: The Link is a free downtown Ann Arbor Circulator bus that runs from late August to April in Ann Arbor. Click here for a PDF of the Schedule.
• UM Parking and Transportation Services: Information on UM buses and bus routes.
• The WAVE: AATA’s Route 9 connects with the WAVE at the AATA bus stop on Jackson Road by Wagner.  The WAVE provides service to Dexter and Chelsea.  Call 734-475-9494 for more details on this service.
• People’s Express: Flexible bus service on Jackson Rd.  Click here for more details.
• Michigan Flyer: Michigan Flyer provides service from the Four Points Sheraton to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, or to Jackson or East Lansing, Michigan.  Click here for more details on Michigan Flyer.
• MegaBus: Megabus provides bus service to Chicago.  Click here for more details.
• Amtrak Ann Arbor: The Ann Arbor Amtrak Station provides service to Chicago, Detroit, Jackson and more.  Click here for details.
• Get Me Downtown: Get Me Downtown offers periodic trips from Ann Arbor to Detroit and back.  Click here for details.

Other Transit Resources

• Information on the Washtenaw Livingston Line (WALLY) Commuter Rail from the AATA website.
• Information on the Ann Arbor-Detroit Rail Project from SEMCOG.
  
• Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS): Provides information on plans for transportation projects in Washtenaw County.
  
• Transportation Riders United: Advocacy organization to improve transit in the Detroit-Metropolitan area.
• Ann Arbor Transportation Plan study overview.
• Washtenaw Partners for Transit

FYI:

Town hall meeting on May 11, 7pm, Washtenaw Community College,  to focus on transportation projects

In May, Pam Byrnes will host a town hall meeting with U.S. Reps. John Dingell (D-Michigan) and Mark Schauer (D-Michigan) to provide an update on local, state and federal transportation projects aimed at improving roads in Washtenaw County. The town hall will take place on Monday, May 11, at 7 p.m. at the Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Building, located at 4800 E. Huron River Drive in Ann Arbor.

According to the Free Press, the White House is discussing investments in High-Speed rail throughout the country to improve transportation options for Americans.  The White House identified several potential rail corridors, including one in the midwest that would link Toledo and Detroit to Chicago, Milwaukee, and more.

According to the article:

Obama said the idea is to get states and local communities to put together plans for networks of 100- to 600-mile-long corridors, which will compete for the federal dollars. The federal grants could begin going out as early as September.

That’s exciting!  Some of us wonder if Ann Arbor might be included in these plans.  I would hope that whatever Commuter Rail is created from Ann Arbor to Detroit would link into this potential high-speed rail line.  Exciting stuff.

If you want to know what happened at the A2-Detroit Meeting in Ypsi last night, read on.  Daniel Demoss was there and here is his report:

Ypsilanti citizens and the city planning commission learned more details about the Ann Arbor-Detroit rail line Wednesday during a presentation from the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).

The SEMCOG presentation by Director of Transportation Programs, Carmine Palumbo, introduced the commission and citizens in attendance to the rail line and communicated more specific details about the service. Palumbo was on hand as a part of SEMCOG’s effort to include communities in which the new rail service will stop. He gave an overview of the vision for the service, an update of the council’s progress, and provided details about the proposed Ypsilanti stop.

The Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail line is proposed to serve five stops — Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Dearborn and Detroit. The council is negotiating agreements with the three railroads — Norfolk Southern, Conrail Shared Assets, and Canadian National — that own the rail lines, and Palumbo indicated talks are going well. The commuter train service will share rail lines with freight and Amtrak trains.

The Ypsilanti stop’s proposed location is in Depot Town along the tracks north of Cross street. Publicly owned land on both sides of the tracks would accommodate parking and boarding areas. The meeting included discussion about three options for a boarding location. A representative from the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse (FOYF) organization delivered a proposal for the old freighthouse to be used as a station. The freighthouse was used for the Ypsilanti farmer’s market and community events until it failed a number of building code requirements and was no longer allowed to be occupied. The FOYF organization was formed to repair and find use for the freighthouse. Another proposal was to purchase the old depot from its current owners and renovate it for use as a station. The final option was presented by Palumbo to build a 450-foot platform in the railroad right-of-way on one side of the tracks. The planning commission has been asked to make a final recommendation to SEMCOG for the location of a boarding structure and indicated the recommendation would come after more analysis and discussion at the April 15 meeting.

During his presentation Palumbo warned the project still has a long way to go and that there will be issues the project may need to work through.

“There are going to be some bumps along the road,” he said. “Funding is going to be a huge bump.”

SEMCOG is applying for state and federal funding and is planning on raising all the capital costs to get the project off the ground. Palumbo also indicated some of the money could come from the Obama administration’s stimulus plan allocation for high-speed rail projects.

All who spoke to the commission during the public comment period were in support of the rail line project. Some concerns were raised, however, about parking capacity, the environmental impact of the trains, locations of the boarding structure and safety at crossings in light of increased train traffic.

Planning Commissioner Gary Clark spoke in favor of the freighthouse station idea and urged the commission to continue to move forward with the commuter rail plan in spite of some concerns that had been voiced.

“I don’t want us to worry it to death,” he said. “We’re creative enough that if we step things along we’ll be able to handle it.”

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You can also check out Mark Maynard’s blog for info on the meeting.

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About Daniel Demoss

Daniel DeMoss is a young professional living in Ypsilanti and working in Ann Arbor. He enjoys urban living and likes riding the bus, cycling, and walking to get around town.

Daniel graduated from Eastern Michigan University where he earned a B.S. degree with a major in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. Daniel has a background in media relations and team building, having volunteered his time with several local non-profit and advocacy groups. He works for an international public relations firm, volunteers his time with the college ministry at his church and participates in community volunteer opportunities.

In his free time he enjoys skiing, lake surfing, hiking, and exploring urban architecture.