Pedestrian safety concerns arise in aftermath of AATA bus stop's forced move from Arborland Mall
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority CEO Michael Ford has a nagging thorn in his side. It started just as he took the helm of AATA last month.
After 30 years of providing transit service at the Arborland shopping center, the AATA was kicked out when the mall's management decided to terminate the lease agreement that allowed for a bus stop and transfer location there.
“I'm doing everything I can to see if we can get back in there," Ford said. "We're trying to get a hold of people in corporate. I recognize some of the concerns. We were kicked out of there in July, so it's been a while, and I just see some pending issues that could exacerbate if we don't get back in there."
AATA officials have offered to resolve the mall's concerns that bus riders park too close to store entrances by posting signs designating commuter parking areas. AATA also said it will provide on-site staff to monitor the area.
But so far, no compromise has been reached.
Attempts by AnnArbor.com to reach the mall's management this past week were unsuccessful. Phone calls to the corporate office in Denver were referred to an office in Connecticut, which didn't return phone calls.
Left in the lurch are commuters forced to brave busy traffic, construction hazards and torn-up sidewalks to get across Washtenaw Avenue to a new makeshift Route 22 stop tucked away on Pittsfield Boulevard.
"It's really a very big concern. This is our major thoroughfare where people switch from one route to the next," said Carolyn Grawi, director of advocacy and education for the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living.
"People have to get off those buses where it isn't safe to get across the street to the (route) 4 or the (route) 7 before it leaves going into Ann Arbor. Or if somebody has gotten off the 4 or the 7 and needs to get over to the 22, they can't get back across quickly enough.”
Grawi said the relocation of the mall stop on Route 22 has been especially difficult for people with disabilities and limited mobility.
“See what it is like to take the 4 out to Washtenaw and catch the 22 and then try to come back on the 22 and catch the 7 into town," Grawi said. "It takes timing of the lights, energy and mobility to make the quick dash, and then you still might not make it safely before the bus has to leave. Next try it all again using a wheelchair."
Ford said AATA officials had no luck trying to reach out to the mall's property management firm or leasing agent in Farmington Hills. AATA officials now are reaching out to corporate owners with AmCap Inc. in Denver.
Ford says he's willing to fly to Denver to discuss the issue if that's what it takes.
“Whatever I have to do,” he said. “We're going to try every avenue available to us. But to even begin the dialogue, it's been a difficult situation."
Mary Stasiak, AATA's community relations manager, said she was able to finally make contact with Arborland's owners in Denver on Thursday.
"We were able to really talk about the concerns about the traffic congestion on Washtenaw as it exists today, and the impact of the buses moving out of the mall, and also about the mall's concerns with buses being in the mall area," Stasiak said. "I think that we'll probably be able to work out a solution. My hope is that we can come to some kind of agreement, whether it's short-term or long-term."
Stasiak added that she's met with most of the mall tenants and several of them have mentioned a decrease in business since AATA was kicked out. She said the businesses also told her employees use the bus service and have been affected.
Tim Hull, a University of Michigan graduate student and North Campus resident, called the relocation of the Route 22 mall stop a "huge problem."
"It seems to be kind of a mess," he said. "If you want to go to Arborland, you've got to cross over one street, then cross Washtenaw, then cross the other street, because for some silly reason there's not a direct intersection and about 50 percent of the people just cross Washtenaw where there's no crosswalk basically."
Ford said he wants to get the AATA back into Arborland before the school year starts to avoid safety issues involving students. In the meantime, AATA officials announced in recent days that they'll be adjusting the timing for many trips to Ann Arbor on Route 4 to compensate for the relocation out of Arborland.
"I know that AATA is doing everything they can, but we need to figure out how to put more pressure on Arborland's management," Grawi said. "Right now it just isn't safe. If the management at Arborland would allow AATA to be there, that would be the best solution."
Photos by Melanie Maxwell, AnnArbor.com:
Photo 1 - A bus pulls off after a stop on Washtenaw Avenue near Arborland Mall on Thursday.
Photo 2 - Reyanne Boyk of Ypsilanti makes her way to a bus stop after crossing several lanes of traffic on Washtenaw Avenue. "It's dangerous." said Boyk. "It's difficult when it's your only mode for transportation."
Photo 3 - Maxine Horn of Ypsilanti tries to cross Washtenaw Avenue near Arborland Mall.
Ryan Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Laura Bien
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 11:03 p.m.
As a biker and bus-er, I used to do most of my holiday/birthday/Xmas shopping at Arborland: cool books from Borders, nice discount clothes from Marshall's, occasional electronic doodad from (now-closed) Circuit City. With the bus stop removed, I won't spend any money there in the future. To those protesting the boycott and saying "it's not the stores' fault": you are amusingly naive. The only thing that talks is money. We won't spend a penny of ours at Arborland from this moment on, unless the bus stop is reinstated.
Marc Williams
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 3:07 p.m.
@kenUM This is strictly business. The mall management made a decision to discontinue their agreement with AATA. The better question is did the mall tenants know this was going to happen and were they consulted before the decision was made. The tenants of the mall pay for the space and services the mall provides. They are not bystanders caught between the bus-riding population and the caprice of mall management. If their business is threatened by customers not having easy access to public transit it is in their best interest to demand its return.
Rob
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 2:24 p.m.
Unfortunately it will take someone getting killed by a car on Washtenaw before the management company feels any pain at all and is forced to reverse their decision. Nothing like some negative publicity to draw media attention. Let's hope it does not come to that.
scarlet&gray
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 8:04 a.m.
Ann Arbor presumably has the power of eminent domain that it could exercise for the greater good of the community; why doesn't the city just appropriate an area of the huge parking lot to devote to bus use?
Jessica Knowlton
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 7:24 a.m.
I used to shop occasionally at Hillers when I needed to pick something up for dinner on the way home. I haven't shopped there in months now. I'm not sure the Arborland managers understand the impact on their renters or the community.
pk
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 7:20 a.m.
There is a vacant lot across from whole foods that used to be a care dealership. Why can't this be used for a tranfer point. I ride the bus and some AATA drivers agree it would be an ideal spot for a transfer spot.
KJMClark
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 7:16 a.m.
For those opposed to a boycott, there is a great deal of difference between saying to mall management, "I really wish you hadn't removed the bus stop." and, "My lawyer will be contacting you about the de facto change to my lease agreement and resulting material loss to my business of your decision to remove the bus stop." Are you saying the businesses have threatened to pull their stores due to loss of business? I really don't believe that. As consumers, the only vote we get is with our wallets, so I'll just shop elsewhere. With regard to pedestrian safety, this is a problem all over Ann Arbor, though this situation is clearly new and worse. Even at the new round-a-bout at Nixon and Huron Parkway, with crosswalk pavement markings, overhead crosswalk signs, rumble strips, and "Yield Here to Pedestrians" signs, you're risking your life crossing. Motorists only yield if they would hit you otherwise, they come at you full speed until it's clear you're actually going keep walking, and then they only slow enough to miss you by a few feet. My wife has had motorists yell at her for crossing in a crosswalk on a green signal, walking our kids to school, because they couldn't make a right-turn on red fast enough.
kenUM
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 3:48 a.m.
Ed, thanks for the info on the owners of Maple Village. For Mark and the rest of those advocating a Boycott of Arborland, I ask you: do you really believe that the present store owners and employees of the shops at Arborland are not, and have not been in contact with the parent company that owns Arborland? Don't you think that these folks recognize the importance of the bus service? So why should we put them out of business for something they have no control over? I agree, lets protest this decision and picket outside of Arborland along the sidewalks of Washtenaw Avenue rather then letting the stores close up and put more people out on the street unemployed. Just two other points to ponder over this: First, if Arborland closes then AATA suffers as well........loss of (additional)property tax revenue (the owners would probably just walk away) second, these blogs just give Arborland free advertising!
Marc Williams
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:49 p.m.
For those advocating not boycotting I must disagree. If supporters of public transit continue to shop at Arborland in spite of this decision the tenants have no reason to change the situation. The tenants pay the mall management company not only for the retail space but the rest of the infrastructure that helps bring in customers. If the tenants perceive this will hurt their business they will work to change it. They are just as responsible to help make change.
Mark Thompson-Kolar
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:31 p.m.
I'm sure I don't understand all the requirements AATA has for a transfer station, but why not move the transfer station about 1/2 mile east to the shopping mall where the Bistro is? There's plenty of space there, and it's still in the general vicinity. Also, please don't boycott the Arborland stores. They didn't cause this mess. Point your anger toward the mall management, not the stores that lease their space from the mall.
Sunshine
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:04 p.m.
I am going to Boycott. I don't even like that whole parking lot maze anyways, and know that have to put people in danger. How terrible and what is the purpose of kicking AATA out. No more Arborland for me.
Paul Taylor
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 10:07 p.m.
Thanks for the story. It is nice to hear that Arborland has seen a decrease in shoppers (like we all knew would happen). I suggest everyone with a Facebook account post the link to this story on their FB page. Nothing like a little publicity...
Angela Smith
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 8:21 p.m.
Please, Please, Arborland. Wise up, and take back the bus. Washtenaw Ave. is already suffering from congetive failure in that area!
Ryan J. Stanton
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 4:06 p.m.
Leslie, much thanks for the kind words. You can be sure we will continue to post updates on our Web site as we learn more about the AATA's ongoing negotiations with Arborland's corporate owners. From talking with AATA officials, they sound hopeful there will be a compromise reached soon, but they're not putting all their eggs in one basket and are looking at other alternatives that could provide a safer solution than the current scenario.
Leslie Morris
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 2:29 p.m.
Please don't boycott Arborland businesses as a way of promoting the return of the bus stop. These businesses did not cause the problem, and several have been trying without success to contact the Arborland management company and owner to ask that the stop be restored. Many thanks to AATA CEO Michael Ford for recognizing the serious safety problems of the current Arborland bus stop arrangements, and for giving high priority to the restoration of the stop to Arborland. And thanks to AATA community relations manager Mary Stasiak for work with the mall tenants, and for success in contacting the Arborland owners. As a regular user of the Route 22 mall stop, I am well aware of the problems Tim Hull observed there. Twice in the last week I have watched my bus pull away across the street while I negotiated the 3-step street crossings to try to reach it in time. Finally, thanks to reporter Ryan Stanton for some real digging and a great story!
Rob
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 1:52 p.m.
In good ole Ann Arbor tradition: I suggest we protest! Start Picketing Arborland! BOYCOTT ARBORLAND!
hroad
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 1:22 p.m.
One temporary solution to provide the safe transferring of passengers at the Arborland bus stop is for AATA to place all of these stops on the south side of Washtenaw Avenue at Arborland. The northbound route 22 bus travels from Washtenaw Avenue onto Yost Boulevard, to Parkwood Avenue, to the bus stop on Pittsfield Boulevard and then turns back onto Washtenaw Avenue. The inbound route 4 and route 7 buses could be redirected to follow the same route as the northbound route 22 bus. Since all of the stops would be located on the same side of the road, the transferring bus passengers would not have to cross the busy Washtenaw Avenue.
kenUM
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 12:22 p.m.
While this is truly an unfortunate situation; and a definate safety concern, the store owners at Arborland along with the employees have now been placed in the middle of everyone's anger. Remember, many of the employees at Arborland have been inconvenienced by all of this as well. We have enough unemployment and shuttered shops; we do not need to add more due to a boycott over the loss of direct bus service. Perhaps the suggestion that all but one route remain in the Arborland area be given strong consideration. At this point it may be more constructive that an alternative location be found rather than a boycott. As I recall; AATA was removed from Maple Village quite a few years ago; I believe that both complexes (Arborland and Maple Village)are owned by the same company. If this is true; then I believe that the problem is a personal one between AATA and the parent company, with no solution to be found.
Marc Williams
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:29 a.m.
The AmCap contact on the Arborland website is brokerage@AmCap.com.
Rici
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:29 a.m.
I have never seen a full parking lot at Arborland (although I haven't been there on the weekend after Thanksgiving when everyone is starting Christmas shopping!). If they feel like the bus stop is removing prime parking (e.g. near Borders), why not move the bus stop to the east, where it's never crowded? The situation at Maple Village seemed to coincide with Plum Market. That part of the parking lot *did* get crowded once there was a successful business there - but again, they could have moved the park & ride part of the lot south, over to the giant open space between K-Mart and Maple Road.
Marc Williams
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:28 a.m.
Contact Brittany.polen@freg.com at Arborland and let them know how you feel.
Michael Olsen
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:28 a.m.
Stating the obvious, this was a dumb decision by the property owners. However, AATA and, especially, the city bear some blame here: *Parking has been an issue here for years, so it should come as no surprise that this happened. *The roads and traffic routing around Arborland is inadequate for the volume of traffic in the area. There is plenty of area for road expansion and redesign. For instance of the three exits from Arborland, only one allows drivers to go east. The result is a constant stream of cars turning on to Pittsfield, entering the 'Dollar Store' parking lot, then exiting east. *The pedestrian crossing before all this happened was dangerous and inadequate. This should have been addressed long ago, instead it is now an 'issue' because it affects more people. The whole traffic/pedestrian layout around Arborland has been a nightmare for years and should have been addressed long ago.
Rbud
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 11:07 a.m.
It is unfortunate that this has happened---again. The Maple Village Owners did it a year ago. Bus users now have to board from the stop across the street. It's muddy and NOT accessible for disabled riders. In the winter the stop is completely inaccessible. Parking in the Maple Village lot did not interfere with the businesses. It was a very nice covered shelter. Users could/would shop in the stores. I guess me and the rest of the disabled community don't count. ADA be damned! It's a sad state of affairs for our once proud city. Public transportation is poor. Our once award-winning newspaper stinks! Those of you that may have thought about retiring to AA. Think again!
Tru2Blu76
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 10:40 a.m.
Not having a car, I've tried getting to Arborland mall by bicycle and by bus - several times. As one would expect, arriving at a conveniently located bus stop on the Arborland property (safe from rain, snow and ice) is much preferable. I do not need a car for anything but infrequent trips out of the city - so buying a car would be a huge cost factor for me (versus simply renting a car once in a while). One of the great things about Ann Arbor is its "live-ability" and most merchants and landlords understand that. But I agree that AmCap Inc. has the right to determine such things as commuter parking: provided they have actual studies which show that commuter parking has been damaging lease-holding stores on the property. So far, I haven't seen evidence that AmCap or any other entity has done a study. I mean a balanced study - now that merchants at the mall have apparently experienced a drop off in business under the "no bus stop" decision of the mall owners. I, like others, have given up the idea of traveling to Arborland Mall because of the added risk and inconvenience created by the forced removal of the AATA bus stop ON the property. I don't go to any of the local malls for "fun" - I go to make purchases which I really want and need. This might be a good time for the city administration to strike back for downtown merchants: make it easier and more affordable to have department stores, appliance stores and other kinds of "handy" merchants to bring back customers to the downtown area. As it is, even people who want to support downtown merchants have little recourse because we've lost those department stores and other retailers (and pharmacies, etc). In any case: I think we should support AATA's efforts to return a bus stop to the mall property. If the mall management knows what's in their ultimate best interest, they'll probably agree.
Robad1
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 9:34 a.m.
Maybe a boycott of Arborland would help. Get the businesses who pay rent to the mall owners complaining and the $$$ might make them more receptive. There are some wonderful stores in Arborland and I would hate to make them suffer for the owners greed but maybe they would be more receptive to the business that keep them alive.
Mike D.
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 8:12 a.m.
I hope the mall reconsiders, but what about moving the major routes to Packard, where there's more vacant space for connections and less traffic (there's no highway interchange right there)? Is there any substantive reason one Washtenaw route couldn't go back and forth to Ypsi, and then all the other biggies could run to Packard?
auntiemmmm
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 7:53 a.m.
The whole traffic situation around Arborland is crazy. Now this is adding to the confusion. What will transfering from bus to bus be like this winter when the snow banks are 3 feet high? I hope there is a solution to this problem but it seems "corporate" doesn't really care. Typical.....
Ann Arbor Resident
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 7:25 a.m.
This is a very shortsighted decision by the mall owners. I stopped patronizing that mall when that made that decision. I will continue to do so until they reverse this unfortunate decision and I recommend others do the same.