AATA announces Blake Transit Center bus boarding locations to change beginning Monday
These will be the Blake Transit Center boarding locations for the various bus routes starting Monday as the AATA closes the transit mall for construction of a new BTC.
AATA
The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority announced that Routes 1, 5, 6, 7, 15 and 16 will board passengers along the west side of Fourth Avenue, north of William Street and next to the Fourth and William parking garage. To facilitate safe street crossings, a temporary crosswalk has been installed on Fourth Avenue near the existing transit center building.
Passengers are encouraged to use either the new crosswalk or the crosswalk at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and William Street to access the relocated stops.
A look at the planned transit center.
Courtesy of AATA
AirRide buses will continue to board passengers at the current location on Fourth Avenue, directly across from the transit center.
Several bus routes will be detoured during the construction with bus stops being missed as a result. An up-to-date list of boarding location changes, missed bus stops and corresponding nearest stops in service will be available at www.TheRide.org or by calling 734.996.0400.
Construction of the new transit center is being coordinated with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the Ann Arbor District Library to minimize disruptions to Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue in the area near the city’s new underground parking garage.
Updates on the progress, including photos, frequently asked questions and more, can be found at www.BlakeTransitCenter.com.
The new and improved transit center is slated for completion by fall 2013 and is expected to cost about $8.1 million, mostly paid for by state and federal funds.
Because the new building will take shape on a different section of the property, the current transit center will remain open until completion of the new one, at which time it will be demolished.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
pegret
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 4:25 p.m.
Thank you for posting the map with the bus numbers. It's helpful to have this info.
Tru2Blu76
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 11:57 a.m.
Mmm, tell me again why AATA needs a new building. Is it to serve passengers better - or is it to add office space? And from the "digital drawings" - it appears at least one version (whatever the final version is) will be facing on William Street. Great location though: it would be a good place to put up a YMCA building... oh wait. :-) This is a quasi-government operation. Obviously, second rate compared to the Private Enterprise / Capitalist Way. (We know this from reading the novel, "Atlas Shrugged" and seeing the movie of the same name.) So why doesn't Taggert Bus Service just take over AATA and provide the public with 100 mph buses which run on thin air - like Taggart Rail passenger trains are driven by John Galt's motors?? Oh wait, that's all 100% fiction, isn't it. ;-)
hermhawk
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 3:09 p.m.
I take it you have never been inside the Blake Transit Center. I use it often and it is a cramped, outdated facility that has long needed to be replaced. I have had enough of government cynicism. The voters last month made that clear. In case you or anyone else forget, AATA is one of the more efficient government services IN THE STATE, and among the best transportation system, perhaps the best in the state. Let's give AATA the benefit of the doubt.
talker
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 6:39 a.m.
I'm concerned about people who miss their buses because they don't have the information they need on time. The next print edition of the paper comes out on Thursday and many people don't check or can't check on-line for information. I notice the article was posted early Sunday afternoon, so it wasn't in the Sunday print edition. Also, some bus riders don't have access to the print edition or on-line news and depend on information posted at bus stops and given out by AATA staff.
Nancy Shore
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 2:29 p.m.
Talker, We also have flyers about the changing of the bus boarding locations posted at the Blake Transit Center so that people can see it the minute they get there. There will also be some drivers there on the first day to assist people.
Bear
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.
what type of blood does a pessimist have? B - . BTW, that is all I hear from people on this comment board, pessimists who need to be negative. Personally, I think the new parking structure by the library is nice, airy, clean and well planned. I especially enjoy the new street they have there between division and fifth. Well, the world wasn't created with any of you negative nillies in mind, thank you! If your ilk had their way, we'd still be using horse & buggies and smoke signals. I think the new station will be a vast improvement over the current one. I'm hoping the set up for the buses will be well planned out and designed for smoother operations. But that wouldn't happen if any of you naysayers had your way. This town is progressive, get used to it.
hermhawk
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 2:59 p.m.
I agree with you Bear. Many of those pessimists are what I call "haters" who find time only to criticize. How many of them have been inside the Blake Transit Center? It is a cramped, outdated building that needs to be replaced. Change is always needed and often for the good. By the way last month we had an election where voters for the most part rejected such pessimism. Let us move forward, not backwards.
Brad
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 1:18 p.m.
Yes, the planning on the parking structure was so great that 5th Ave was closed for many months longer than the "plan" called for, inconveniencing many thousands of people every day and causing very serious issues for the nearby businesses. But I guess that's OK because you have a nice "airy" structure to behold now.
JRW
Mon, Dec 10, 2012 : 1:59 a.m.
Not only will 4th/5th Aves be closed for several years, maybe they can add 10 or so stories on top of this building for ........a student high rise! Yipee! Seriously, I wonder if the new interior areas will be as bleak as the current Blake building, with ticket counters behind bullet proof glass, staffed by surly clerks.
UM Rocks
Sun, Dec 9, 2012 : 9:13 p.m.
They had better have some police precense at 5 p.m. helping to get people out of structure. They usually have one to assist busses turning south on 4th. Can't believe they are starting this so soon after we finally got 5th open.
Barzoom
Sun, Dec 9, 2012 : 8:11 p.m.
Forget about trying to get through on 4th Ave for the next several years. Maybe they can build the new transit palace 14 stories tall to match the rest of the new structures.
Brad
Sun, Dec 9, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.
I can hardly wait for the Fourth/Fifth Ave area near there to be impassable again. Great planning.