Transportation

Ypsilanti Freighthouse looks at more renovations with grant money

By Newsroom

●

March 25, 2009

The folks trying to save the Ypsilanti Freighthouse are ready to do the heavy lifting required to breathe new life into the historic structure in Depot Town.The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has given a $100,000 grant to the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse. That money will be spent on engineering and architectural drawings that will be used to collect bids for a full renovation project."It's the most important things that need to be done to open the doors," says Bonnie Penet, co-chair of the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse. "It will be from the foundation up."She hopes to have the drawings in hand within 12 weeks. The Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse are working to raise the rest of the money, at least $550,000, needed to complete structural repairs to the building."We could easily spend a million or more on everything we want," Penet says. "But to just get the doors open is $550,000."The Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse is applying for Federal Stimulus money through MDOT and its also trying to get a federal earmark similar to the one that Tiger Stadium received through U.S. Rep. John Dingell's office. The group is also lobbying the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments to use the building as Ypsilanti's station on the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line.All of that and probably more will be needed to bring the 130-year-old building back to its glory days. The Freighthouse was closed in 2004 due to a couple of significant but not insurmountable issues. For instance, the west wall is bowing out and needs to be repaired. A deck attached to the building needs to be rebuilt. The floor also needs to be refurbished to eliminate trip hazards. Some work has been done when the group got the surrounding grounds regarded so water will be directed away from the building's base.The 5,000-square-foot, red-brick structure was used a freighthouse for the Ypsilanti train station until right after World War II, when it was converted into warehouse. In 1979 the city bought it and turned it into a community center, where it made the state Register of Historic Places in 1997.Source: Bonnie Penet, co-chair of the Friends of the Ypsilanti FreighthouseWriter: Jon Zemke

Latest in Transportation

Is high-speed rail in Ann Arbor’s future?

By Newsroom

●

In The News

●

March 18, 2009

Could high-speed rail be on the fast track to Ann Arbor? It's a dream that's starting to cross over into reality.Excerpt:It's actually not that hard to envision: the University of Michigan's Michigan Stadium in the summer packed with thousands of screaming soccer fans who filter out of the venue after the game and visit local restaurants and shops. This is the kind of image Rich Sheridan sees when he discusses why a national investment in high-speed rail infrastructure could boost Michigan's economy.Chicago, for example, is vying to host the 2016 Summer Olympics - an event that always requires dozens of athletic venues, often many miles from the city actually "hosting" the Olympics.The construction of a high-speed rail line from Chicago to Ann Arbor to Detroit would revolutionize travel and introduce countless new visitors to the state. Olympic visitors, too, perhaps."Let's say Chicago does get the 2016 Olympics. Now all of a sudden you could actually have events maybe at Michigan Stadium because it would only be a couple hours away. That wouldn't be unreasonable for an Olympic venue to be a couple hours away," Sheridan said.Read the rest of the story here.

Where to put the train station in Ypsilanti?

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

March 18, 2009

Ypsilanti is gearing up to make a decision on a project that has enormous potential to improve the city’s prospects both short- and long-term.City officials are trying to figure out which side of the tracks to put Ypsilanti’s stop on the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. The city’s Planning Commission is holding a public meeting on that subject Thursday, along with explaining the potential impact this stop could have on economic development."This is one of the best things that can happen in any city," says Brian Vosburg, director of the Depot Town and Downtown development authorities. "This will be a huge boost to Depot Town and Eastern Michigan University."Ypsilanti's leaders do know that the station will go in Depot Town. They’re trying to decide whether to turn the historic Freighthouse into the station or build a new station on the parking lot on the other side of the tracks at the end of Maple Street. The meeting will be held at Haab Health Building, 111 N Huron St. There will be an open house of the plans between 4-7 p.m. A formal presentation of the plans and the options will be held at 7 p.m. For information, call (734) 483-9646.Source: Brian Vosburg, director of the Depot Town and Downtown development authoritiesWriter: Jon Zemke

Meeting focuses on roundabout plans for U.S. 23/Geddes

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

March 18, 2009

The devilish details are about to come out of the roundabouts planned for the U.S. 23 / Geddes Road intersection now that the Michigan Department of Transportation will release the details about the project at a public meeting March 25.The plans call for three roundabouts for the freeway exit on Ann Arbor's east side. They will replace traffic lights at the on/off-ramps for the exit and the intersection of Geddes and Earhart Road. Roundabouts, a.k.a. traffic circles, are seen as the most cost-effective way to improve flow and relieve congestion at the intersection without expanding it. The project is also looking at improving the intersection by providing places for pedestrian and bicyclists, while also improving drainage, lighting, utilities and landscaping in the area.Roundabouts have been popping up like dandelions around Ann Arbor in recent years. A pair of them were installed at the Maple Road exit for M-14 to accommodate increased traffic from nearby Skyline High School. Another is at the intersection of Nixon Road and Huron Parkway.Modern roundabouts include a central island to guide the vehicular traffic and splitter islands at each leg of an intersection. One-way traffic moves around the central island where entering traffic must yield to the traffic already in the roundabout.Traffic circles slow and calm traffic, resulting in fewer accidents. They also decrease delays and cut down on the number of idling vehicles, reducing air pollution.They are common throughout Europe and have been appearing more frequently in North America in recent years. More common on the coasts, roundabouts and traffic circles have been popping up in southeast Michigan's suburbs in recent years.The meeting will be held between 7 – 9 p.m. in Concordia University's Student Union Riverside Room, 4090 Geddes Road. For information, contact City Project Manager David Dykman at ddykman@a2gov.org or (734) 794-6410, ext 43685. Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor orders new solar-powered parking meters

By Newsroom

●

Development News

●

March 18, 2009

You might not like paying for parking in Ann Arbor but at least it's about to become a more sustainable endeavor. The city’s Downtown Development Authority has order a pilot set of solar-powered parking meters.The DDA ordered 25 solar meters and expects to install them within the next six weeks. They will be placed on Main, Liberty and State streets as the first test phase before replacing all of downtown’s 1,500 parking meters."They’ll be in the most visible places so people get used to using them," says Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.Right now traditional parking meters stand vigil over those spaces. Pollay hopes to eventually swap out the vast majority with the 175 solar-powered meters. One meter station can cover about half a dozen parking spaces. The poles for the traditional meters will remain to help mark the parking spaces for each station.The solar-powered parking meters come equipped with a solar panel that enables them to remain entirely off the grid. These stations can accept coin and credit card payments. They will also allow patrons to plug their meters from any of the stations in the city. The DDA is spending $400,000 to install the sun-powered parking meters. They cost $325,000 to buy and the DDA set aside another $75,000 for installation.Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor racks up millions in federal earmarks

By Newsroom

●

Development News

●

March 18, 2009

When it comes to federal dollars in Washtenaw County there is "Stimulus" cash and "Omnibus" cash. Right now the difference is we know where the Omnibus money is going and Ann Arbor is one of the big winners.Omnibus is short for the Omnibus Appropriations Act, which is the budget bill that Congress passes each year. These are notorious for earmarks, federal dollars set aside by members of Congress for projects back in their districts, which make up a fraction of overall bill (this year's earmarks total approximately 3%). What some talking heads like to decry as pork turns out to be valued funds for getting stuff done outside the beltway. That means $2.5 million in projects that will directly impact Ann Arbor. The big winners include: $950,000 for the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail project $951,500 for a wind generator for Ann Arbor's water treatment plant $381,000 for facilities and equipment upgrades at the University of Michigan Health System $237,500 for the Allen Park GreenwayThe Omnibus bill also includes language directing the Federal Transit Administration (the agency that doles out funds to build mass transit lines) to give "priority consideration" to the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. That project is expected to come on line in the fall of 2010.Source: Offices of senators Carl Levin and Debbie StabenowWriter: Jon Zemke

Downtown and Underground

By Jon Zemke

●

Community Development

●

March 11, 2009

Parking in SE Michigan usually means surface lots, driveways and the occasional garage. Ann Arbor's leaders are turning local conventional wisdom on its head, choosing to store cars underground and out of sight as a way to grow development, commerce and urban vibrancy.

MASTERMIND: Eli Cooper

By Leia Menlove

●

Economic Development

●

March 11, 2009

Google "Eli Cooper" and you're bound to get lots of transportation references. Then there's the inevitable and unofficial moniker: "Czar". As Tree Town's Transportation Program Manager, however, Cooper's title and catchy sobriquet do little to explain his passionate mission to help Ann Arbor rethink the meaning of transportation.

Ann Arbor looks to update, diversity its transporation plan

By Newsroom

●

Development News

●

March 4, 2009

The last time the city of Ann Arbor updated its transit plan it focused on just one form of transportation – automotive. Today city officials are looking to diversify that a little bit.The update calls for the city to implement more comprehensive plans for an integrated multi-modal system. This means the plan will meet the needs of all transportation users, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, mass transit users, commercial trucking and motorists. The plan includes eight goal statements and lists recommendations for short, medium and long-term investments. A significant new component in this plan is the better incorporation of transportation and land-use concerns. A more comprehensive outline of the changes can be found here.The city recently held a public meeting on this subject that will be rebroadcast on Ch. 16. For information, send an email to planning@a2gov.org or call (734) 794-6265.Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

University of Michigan, General Motors celebrate partnership to create electric car batteries

By Newsroom

●

Education

●

February 25, 2009

One of the worlds biggest universities is celebrating its relationship with one of the world’s largest corporations.Excerpt:The Chevrolet Volt, the plug-in electric vehicle that General Motors Corp. hopes will revive its sagging fortunes, will get a jolt from the University of Michigan.On Friday, GM executives and university engineers gathered on North Campus to celebrate a new partnership that includes the creation of a laboratory in Ann Arbor where U-M faculty and students will conduct research on advanced batteries. The batteries are seen as key to the success of the electric vehicle.Anticipated to open next month in space off Victors Way on the city's south side, the laboratory will be used to improve the durability and longevity of the lithium ion batteries. To meet consumers' expectations, the batteries will have to survive the daily stresses of driving and pounding from the elements, but they haven't been exhaustively tested, researchers say.Read the rest of the story here.