Transportation

U-M, Ann Arbor chip in for new rail station near U-M hospital

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August 26, 2009

Half a million dollars from the city of Ann Arbor and University of Michigan has been invested to create conceptual plans for a new railroad-centric mass transit center on Fuller Road near University of Michigan Hospital."This enables us to take the next steps," says Eli Cooper, transportation manager for the city of Ann Arbor.The next steps include figuring out how many bike racks such a station would need, what the traffic projects would be and how best to connect the various modes of mass transit there. The city and university are working with Ann Arbor-based JJR, which is bringing in out-of-town experts in mass transit to make it work.The Fuller Road transit station would replace surface parking lots at the intersection of Fuller and Maiden Lane. It would connect the Border-to-Border Trail, AATA buses, the proposed Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line, Chicago-Detroit high-speed rail line and bus rapid transit/streetcar line to downtown."This facility is conceived to create that gateway that would replace the Amtrak station," Cooper says.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.Source: Eli Cooper, transportation manager for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Latest in Transportation

Mass transit round-up in Ann Arbor area

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Development News

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August 26, 2009

Mass transit advocates won one and lost one in Ann Arbor this month. Welcome the Canton Express commuter bus. Say goodbye to The Link bus loop through downtown.The Canton Express began operation earlier this week, connecting commuters from the Plymouth/Canton area to downtown Ann Arbor. The bus makes two trips from Canton's Independence Park in the morning and returns twice in the afternoon. It makes stops at the University of Michigan, U-M Hospital and downtown.The Canton Express is run on the same concept as an identical line between Chelsea and Ann Arbor. The Chelsea line started last year and has built a steady ridership. The idea is to help downtown and U-M workers make their daily commute more efficiently, allowing more people to use downtown without having to find homes for their cars.Gone is The Link downtown bus. The little purple busses connected downtown and far reaches of U-M's campus with a number of stops in between, similar to how The People Mover works in downtown Detroit. The Link, which has been around for most of this decade, never lived up to ridership expectations and was cut so the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority could maintain other bus services.Source: Ann Arbor Transportation AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

Bikes get equal footing with cars in Ann Arbor thanks to new in-street parking

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Development News

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August 19, 2009

Ann Arbor has struck another blow for bicycle equality this summer, making room for more bike racks in what are normally parking spaces for automobiles.The city is starting a pilot program this summer where bike racks will be placed in actual parking spaces that have traditionally reserved for automobiles. The three bike racks are in Kerrytown (in front of the People’s Food Coop), Main Street (Arbor Brewing Company) and State Street (Bivouac). The space that once made room for one car will be able to house up to 14 bikes. Seattle has instituted a similar practice of creating bicycle equality.The idea is to help promote non-motorized ways of transportation by making them more visible. The sight of a gaggle of bicycles occupying the same space once meant for a car is meant to send a message that bicyclists are welcome in Ann Arbor's downtown."They see they will have a premier parking spot n ext to the business they work or shop at," says Nancy Shore, executive director of getDowntown.It is also meant to help clear some room on Ann Arbor's sidewalks. Many of downtown's sidewalks are full of café seating, parking meters, newspaper boxes, planters and all manner of street furniture. Moving some bicycle racks to the street will help free up some much-needed sidewalk space."It also sends a message that bikes belong on the street," Shore says.Source: Nancy Shore, executive director of getDowntownWriter: Jon Zemke

Ypsilanti close to wrapping up non-motorized transportation plan

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Community Development

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August 12, 2009

Getting from Point A to Point B without a car is about to get a little easier in Ypsilanti. The city is putting together a transportation plan for non-motorized vehicles that should help pedestrians, bicyclists and other alternative transit get around easier."It should be done by the middle of October at the latest, if all goes according to plan," says Bonnie Wessler, a planning intern with the city of Ypsilanti.The plan will tackle all of the fun urban planning problems, like the lack of sidewalks, bike lanes and mass transit options. One of the big ones that has come up is the lack of continous sidewalk along Washtenaw Avenue."We're trying to identify gaps in the existing infrastructure," Wessler says.The plan will be also look at how best to tie these sorts of options into surrounding communities. It will also look at how best to implement the recommendations over the near- and long-term.Source: Bonnie Wessler, a planning intern with the city of YpsilantiWriter: Jon Zemke

AVL plans to create 40 jobs in 2 years in Ann Arbor

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Community Development

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July 22, 2009

Tax credits, vision and talent pool. Those are three of the main reasons why AVL Powertrain Engineering is establishing a hybrid and alternative fuel development center in Ann Arbor.The state is giving $298,559 in tax credits over five years to entice the multi-national corporation to expand its presence in Ann Arbor. It's a move that will create 40 new jobs within the next two years. Jobs the leadership at AVL doesn’t think it will have a problem filling from Ann Arbor deep technical talent pool."There is a technical expertise we're looking for," says Chet Ricker, vice president and CFO of AVL Powertrain Engineering. "These are high-tech positions for engineers."It also helps that Michigan has established itself as a leader in attracting advanced battery and hybrid technology development. AVL will invest $2.6 million to continue research on hybrid, electric vehicle and alternative fuel vehicle development, integration and testing services. Source: Chet Ricker, vice president and CFO of AVL Powertrain Engineering and Jerry Klarr, director hybrid programs for AVL Powertrain EngineeringWriter: Jon Zemke

Downtown Ann Arbor goes artistic with new bike racks

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Arts & Culture

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July 1, 2009

Scratching your head over the "Art" hoops appearing throughout downtown Ann Arbor. No idea what they are, where they’re coming from or who’s paying for them.Here's the short of it. They're bike racks coming from the Ann Arbor Art Center and paid for by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. They are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Ann Arbor Art Center and the 50th birthday of the Ann Arbor Art Fair this year.The "Art" in the middle of them is taken from the Ann Arbor Art Center's logo. They are also sponsored by local businesses and people who have a plaque placed at the base of the art hoops. "One couple bought one to celebrate where they first met," says Marsha Chamberlin, president and CEO of the Ann Arbor Art CenterThe art hoops cost $350 a piece. Regular bike-rack hoops cost $300 a piece.Source: Marsha Chamberlin, president and CEO of the Ann Arbor Art CenterWriter: Jon Zemke

Commuter challenge participation jumps in all directions

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Development News

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June 17, 2009

The numbers for Ann Arbor's Commuter Challenge continue to go up as more and more people double down on getting to downtown in something other than a car.The Commuter Challenge is a month-long initiative that encourages people who work in downtown to get to and from their jobs through alternative means of transportation during May. Last month was the third year for the challenge and there wasn't a statistic that didn't go up.The number of participating organizations reached 140 this year, up from 117 last year and 66 the year before. A little more than 1,800 people clocked in 20,391 commutes that covered 296,103 miles and eliminated 253, 433 pounds of CO2. Last year 1,482 participants logged in 15,407 commutes for 247,413 miles. The first year only 231 people took part, traveling 112,813 miles in 9,407 commutes."A lot of this is finding the right person at that organization and getting them excited about it," says Nancy Shore, director of getDowntown, which organized the Commuter Challenge. She adds that getDowntown used traditional marketing methods, along with things like social networking to find more the right people and get them excited about riding bikes, buses and shoe leather to and from work.Source: Nancy Shore, director of getDowntownWriter: Jon Zemke

A Main Street without cars in downtown Ann Arbor?

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Development News

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June 17, 2009

Main Street in downtown is arguably the most walkable place in Ann Arbor, but turning that thoroughfare into a place only for walking? The idea is being floated again by Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje. His proposal calls for closing Main between William and Washington streets (and perhaps even to Huron) for a couple of weekends next summer. Traffic would be rerouted around on nearby streets. That section is often closed for events both big and small during the summertime weekends when that stretch of downtown is filled with pedestrians. "I constantly hear from residents about how they love that," says Hieftje, who has brought up turning Main in downtown into a pedestrian-only corridor since 2002.This idea would test to see how keeping it closed from Friday evening to Sunday during non events would play out. It would allow restaurants and retailers to stretch further into the sidewalks or even the street, giving them more space to do more business."Restaurants could use the space for another 10 tables during a peak time," Hieftje says.Hieftje plans to lead the conversation between city officials, local residents and business owners about making this experiment happen over the next year. Source: Ann Arbor Mayor John HieftjeWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor connects to Canton with commuter bus

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Development News

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June 17, 2009

Ann Arbor continues its slow march to bring more people into the center of its city with fewer cars thanks to a $495,000 federal grant.The money will establish a commuter bus between Ann Arbor and Canton. The bus will make two trips in the morning and two more in the evening between Independence Park in Canton and downtown Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan's Central Campus and Hospital."This service will mirror the same service we have in Chelsea," says Mary Stasiak, a spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. AATA used a similar federal grant to set up the same type of service between Chelsea and Ann Arbor's downtown area. This and the Canton bus are targeting downtown workers and employees at the University of Michigan. The university estimates it has about 3,000 employees who live in the Canton area.The Canton commuter bus is expected to begin service sometime between the end of July and the end of August. The grant is expected to pay for that service for at least a couple of years as it establishes itself.Source: Mary Stasiak, a spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor Transportation AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

University of Michigan students ready solar car for its day in the sun

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Economic Development

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June 10, 2009

The latest version of the University of Michigan's famed solar car is getting ready to ride again. Excerpt:It's sleek, it's fast, and, yes, it's powered by the sun.University of Michigan students have high hopes for the latest solar car."To win the World Solar Challenge in October," said John Federspiel, who will be a senior in mechanical engineering in the fall and is the crew chief on the solar car project.The annual race across Australia, which draws college teams from across the globe, will be the first test of the car, dubbed Infinium.U-M has placed third three times, though it has won a similar race, the North American Solar Challenge, five times.Read the rest of the story here.