Transportation

U-M students team up with Ford on in-car cloud computing

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May 12, 2010

The University of Michigan and Ford have come up with a new way to help streamline the commute by combining some of the biggest buzzwords in the tech world – cloud computing, GPS and social media.Students at U-M taking a "Cloud Computing in the Commute" course developed a set of applications that combine social networks, GPS location awareness, and real-time vehicle data. The idea is to help commuters get from Point A to Point B in the most efficient way possible. "It allows people who are going to a common destination keep track of each other," says Jason Flinn, associate professor of Computer Science & Engineering for the University of Michigan. Ford Research & Advanced Engineering helped organize the course as part of American Journey 2.0 initiative, a joint research project where students could help mold the future of the in-car experience. The winning application, Caravan Track, runs on a Windows 7 PC in a Ford Fiesta research vehicle that will make a socially networked road trip from the university to Maker Faire, the world's largest do-it-yourself ideas festival in Silicon Valley, later this month.The students built the applications based on access to Ford's developmental operating system. They harnessed the power of social networks and accessed to vehicle performance data, networking services, voice recognition, social networking tools and other data. Think: taking a lot of information from lots of different sources to come up with one steady stream of knowledge that helps commuters avoid things like construction or accidents. "This is really an exploratory class," Flinn says. "The Ford folks gave us a really interesting sand box to play in." Source: Jason Flinn, associate professor of Computer Science & Engineering for the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Latest in Transportation

Ann Arbor stadium bridge groundwork to be laid this summer

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Community Development

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May 12, 2010

You won't be able to see the work being done on the Stadium Boulevard Bridges from State Street this year. All of that activity is taking place behind the scenes where city officials are finalizing plans and lining up funding for the spans above State. Last year city workers removed part of the 92-year-old bridge after one of the beams began failing. Now it is only accessible by two lanes of traffic on what has become one of the city's most obvious failing (but still safe for the time being) pieces of infrastructure. "When a structure gets to this point its very, very hard to say how much longer it's useable," says Homayoon Pirooz, a project manager with the city of Ann Arbor.The city held a public work session on the replacement span plans earlier this week. Another public meeting will probably be scheduled for later this year and right before construction is set to begin next year. Rebuilding the bridges (one crosses State and the other a nearby railroad line) will take approximately 18 months.Current plans call for more pedestrian-friendly bridges with aesthetic touches like historic lamp posts, benches and other accoutrement. Electrical lines will also be buried underground. The upgrades will be similar to what the Broadway bridges on the north side of the city underwent a few years ago. It will also include space for automobiles, bicyclists and pedestrians. The designs are expected to be finished by this summer.The price tag for the whole project is pegged at $23 million. Pirooz expects a combination of funding sources will pay for the project."There is potential for federal funds and state funds," Pirooz says. "We are hoping that when we begin most of the costs will be paid mostly by other sources."Source: Homayoon Pirooz, a project manager with the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Construction to begin this summer on Barker Road Trail in Whitmore Lake

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Community Development

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May 12, 2010

Northfield Township officials are finalizing plans for a trail along Barker Road and expect construction to begin with the start of summer.The township received a $120,000 grant from the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Dept. to build the first of three phases of the 8-foot-wide trail between Whitmore Lake Elementary School and downtown Whitmore Lake."We've had really widespread community support for this," says Deb Mozurkowich, supervisor of Northfield Township. "It has had a really positive reception here."The three-phase project will be put into place over the next three years. The first phase calls for building the westernmost third of the trail, that connects to Whitmore Lake Elementary. The second phase will be third between downtown and U.S. 23. The third phase will fill in the space between those two trail sections.The idea is to connect nearby neighborhoods, downtown and the school so pedestrians, bicyclists and other users of alternative transportation methods can safely travel, apart from automobile traffic. There will also be 260 feet of boardwalk over some local wetlands. Local officials hope to extend the trail to downtown, the township hall and the library. They also see connecting it to the Lakelands Trail and one day to a trail network that expects to connect both the eastern and western borders of Michigan.Source: Deb Mozurkowich, supervisor of Northfield TownshipWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor named great walkable vacation city

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Community Development

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May 5, 2010

Walking through Ann Arbor is something many of its residents enjoy everyday. Well, it's residents and quite a few tourists it turns out.Excerpt:This college town is a remarkably sophisticated small community and its downtown is concentrated in 10 square blocks, with the University of Michigan’s campus in the heart of it. Day and night, the streets, lined with old two or three-story brick buildings, are crowded with pedestrians dropping into the bistros, theaters, galleries, coffee shops and bookstores. There are frequent street festivals and other events. A free hop-on, hop-off circulator bus (which runs August through April) will take you around town, stopping at Ann Arbor’s four major shopping areas and connecting with the campus.Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor moves forward Fuller Road Transit Station plans

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Community Development

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April 28, 2010

The Fuller Road Transit Station is well on its way to becoming a reality, wrapping up the public input meetings next week and going through the city approval process this summer."In the coming weeks there will be a formal submission to the city planning commission," says Eli Cooper, transportation manager for the city of Ann Arbor.But first local leaders (a combination of city and University of Michigan officials) must hold the last public meeting at 7 p.m. May 6 in the City Hall at the corner of Huron and Fifth Avenue in downtown Ann Arbor. After that, look for those officials to submit designs to the city Planning Commission in May and then go before City Council by late summer or early fall. Full approval could be in hand by this fall, bringing the process full circle."We have been engaging with the community at large since last summer/early fall," Cooper says.So far the city and university have spend $500,000 toward creating designs for a new railroad-centric mass transit center on Fuller Road near University of Michigan Hospital. The new station would replace the Amtrak station on Depot Street and serve as the Ann Arbor stop for Amtrak, Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line, the proposed Chicago-Detroit high-speed rail line and bus rapid transit/streetcar line to downtown.It would also accommodate Ann Arbor Transportation Authority buses, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists. The Border-to-Border Trail would also connect to the station, which is being quarterbacked by Ann Arbor-based JJR.The Fuller Road transit station would replace surface parking lots at the intersection of Fuller and Maiden Lane with things like the transit station and a parking garage. This project is part of the Ann Arbor Connector Feasibility Study - a study that would call for creating a crescent moon-shaped line for either streetcars or bus rapid transit system or enhance bus service. The plans from that transit line are expected to be released in June."That is progressing nicely," Cooper says.Source: Eli Cooper, transportation manager for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Washtenaw Comm College expands transit options

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Community Development

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April 28, 2010

Leaving the Washtenaw Community College campus is about to become a bit easier this spring now that the college has signed an agreement with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to provide free bus rides for students and staff.Starting on May 10, any student or staff member of Washtenaw Community College will be able to leave the campus on an AATA bus for free with a swipe of their college ID card. Bus riders are still responsible for paying their fares to get to the campus.The new program is similar to one implemented by the University of Michigan a few years ago. However, that program provides free bus rides for students and staff on all AATA routes. The idea behind both programs is to lessen congestion around the respective campuses by providing more transportation options.Washtenaw Community College, a commuter based campus between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, has experienced a transportation crunch in the last year as enrollment has gone up. Overflowing parking lots have become a common sight during peak class hours during the work week. That has prompted the college's leaders to look for more answers beyond the traditional add more parking solution. Among those are a commuter lot, bus passes and helping facilitate more alternative transportation methods, such as bicycling. The college is also looking at building a parking deck, but those plans are moving slowly with no construction start date in sight."We're still in the design and planning stages," says Janet Hawkins, a spokeswoman for Washtenaw Community College.Source: Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to and Janet Hawkins, a spokeswoman for Washtenaw Community CollegeWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor to install permeable pavement this spring

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Community Development

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April 21, 2010

Workers will begin installing permeable pavement on the two blocks of Sylvan Avenue, east of Packard Road. Permeable pavement filters rain water, creating a surface that absorbs water instead of forcing it to runoff into storm sewers. "It's almost like a Rice Krispies treat that has been painted black," says Nick Hutchinson, project engineer for the city of Ann Arbor. "It has a lot of little holes in it so it looks like a sponge."The city will tear out the old road and rebuild its base so the water filers down into the ground like it would naturally. Most road are built on a clay surface that allows the water to pool under the pavement and create havoc on the road through freeze-thaw cycles.The $300,000 for the project is more expensive than just slapping another layer of pavement on the old road bed, but cost competitive with rebuilding the whole stretch of street and using regular, non-permeable pavement.Source: Nick Hutchinson, project engineer for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor’s Nixon traffic circle, Arb sewer projects win awards

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Community Development

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April 21, 2010

Who says local government does everything wrong? Two infrastructure projects in Ann Arbor have won awards from the Michigan chapter of the American Public Works Association.The first project singled out for applause is the traffic circle at Nixon Road and Huron Parkway on the city's northeast side. The second is a storm-water-improvement project at the Arboretum and Harvard Drain. "The Huron Parkway & Nixon Road Improvements Project was only one of the two forwarded on to the APWA National Office for competition at that level," Glenn Chinaware, spokesman for the Michigan chapter of the American Public Works Association, wrote in an email. "Not all APWA State awards are forwarded/endorsed for National Competition."Both projects hit the six mandatory criteria for the awards. That criteria include use of good construction management technique, safety, community relations, environmental impact and unusual/adverse conditions impacting construction. Source: Glenn Chinaware, spokesman for the Michigan chapter of the American Public Works AssociationWriter: Jon Zemke

Main Street Assoc suggests more parking ideas for Ann Arbor

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Community Development

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April 21, 2010

The Main Street Area Association has a novel idea for helping business in downtown Ann Arbor: Free parking.Well, that's an over simplification of the debate over reforming downtown's parking policy. Currently, there is a plan to extend the enforcement period from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., similar to what downtowns like Royal Oak have done. The association that represents downtown businesses is advocating for a free first hour of parking in any parking structure along with any extension of the enforcement period. Birmingham has a similar arrangement, offering two free hours but enforcing street fees until 9 p.m.."It's a great incentive to get people in the parking structures and keep more cars off the street," says Tony Lupo, a board member of the Main Street Area Association. "It keeps the street spots turning over."Street parking turnover is one of the primary reasons why the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority is proposing the enforcement period extension, along with other smaller reforms. The idea behind turnover is to help make more spaces available to newcomers to downtown so it's easier to do business in the city's center that has evolved to an almost 24-7 commercial center.Currently the DDA is proposing offering a free hour between 8-9 a.m., but Lupo brushes that off as a policy twist made of empty calories."No one is downtown from 8-9 a.m. to begin with," Lupo says. "There is no need for the turnover then."He adds that the free hour of parking structure parking would add a valuable marketing tool for downtown, which the association wants to be a part of. Lupo argues that Ann Arbor should be creating the perception that it's easier to do business in it downtown, not harder, through little things like parking policy."We believe we should be doing everything we can to get people to come to downtown," Lupo says. "We shouldn't be putting up barriers for people to come downtown."Source: Tony Lupo, board member of the Main Street Area AssociationWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor restarts work on Fifth/Division streetscape

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Community Development

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April 14, 2010

Construction is restarting this week on the streetscapes of Fifth Avenue and Division Street in downtown Ann Arbor.The $6 million project, partly funded by a $1 million state grant, will reshape the thoroughfares between Packard Street and the Broadway Bridge so they are friendlier to all kinds of transportation, including pedestrians and bicyclists.Construction began last year, significantly improving the intersection of Packard and Division in front of Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger."It has completely changed that intersection," says Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.The city will install bike lanes on both streets and add about 100 new parking spaces along the road. There will be bump outs at the intersections to shield pedestrians on the sidewalks. The city will also repair brick streets in Kerrytown, add bike rack hoops and replace trees where necessary. LED lights will be installed in the streetlights, too.Work is expected to wrap up this fall before the end of this year's construction season.Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke