Ypsilanti looks to get people to downtown, Depot Town

Success often comes at a price, and in Ypsilanti’s downtown and Depot Town areas a big chunk of the tab is parking.

Ypsilanti’s two city centers have enjoyed quite a bit of rebirth in recent years as most of their buildings have been rehabbed into bars, restaurants, art galleries and shops. That means an increase in business and shortage of parking, prompting the city to start its own alternative transportation effort that is similar to Ann Arbor’s getDowntown program.

“We could have a huge parking problem,” says Brian Vosburg, executive director of Ypsilanti’s Depot Town and Downtown development authorities. “Parking is incredibly expensive to build. We’re talking $60,000 a space.”

Building more parking spaces means either razing existing buildings (erasing the corresponding tax revenue) or building parking garages, which is where the $60,000 number comes from. That has led city leaders to search out alternative transit options for about one third of the downtown’s workers who live within an alternative transit distance.

“Meaning they live within walking, biking or bussing distance of downtown or Depot Town,” Vosburg says.

The city is looking at installing artistic bike racks and building more bike lanes. Right now the city has plans for four new bike racks this summer and is raising money for more. It’s also working with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to provide improved mass transit options.

Source: Brian Vosburg, executive director of Ypsilanti’s Depot Town and Downtown development authorities
Writer: Jon Zemke