Selection of 'Smart Growth' transit plan marks beginning of AATA countywide expansion
Chairman Jesse Bernstein said at Thursday's Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board meeting that the selection of the Smart Growth transit scenario only marks the beginning of the process of expanding AATA transit services countywide.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
After months of gaining feedback from the community through public forums and online polls, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority officials say the verdict is clear: Washtenaw County residents are overwhelmingly in support of a robust plan to expand transit services.
The AATA's governing board voted unanimously tonight with one member absent to move forward with the most comprehensive and most expensive of three Transit Master Plan scenarios the agency had been considering in recent weeks.
The resolution approved by the board authorizes the agency to move ahead with implementing the “Smart Growth” scenario into the agency's long-term Transit Master Plan. AATA's Planning and Development Committee last week recommended the plan over two other options.
"I guess the way I look at this motion is that we're basically saying this is where we want to be in 30 years," board Chairman Jesse Bernstein said just before the vote.
"And in a way, that's almost the easy part, because once we accept that, then we've got to figure out how to get there," Bernstein said. "So this is the beginning."
What hasn't been determined is how to pay for the plan. Implementing it is estimated to require $465 million in capital costs over 30 years, and net operating expenses are estimated at $52 million annually. Not included is the current $27 million in base operating expenses.
The AATA is a creature of the city of Ann Arbor and is currently funded by a city millage paid by Ann Arbor taxpayers and through purchase-of-service agreements with outlying communities, as well as fares and other sources of state and federal funding.
AATA CEO Michael Ford gives a report to the board in which he said funding options for the Smart Growth scenario will be discussed next month.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
The transit master planning process now under way is part of a push to expand AATA countywide. AATA officials are considering going to voters, possibly in February 2012, to ask for approval of a new countywide millage to fund the expansion of services.
"We have had many, many meetings with many members of the extended community surrounding the county, so we're feeling pretty good about taking this action tonight and feeling like we have the strength of the broad community behind this effort," said AATA board member Charles Griffith. "So with that, I feel very satisfied that we can sort of concur with what we've been hearing, and say that we are in support of this more robust option."
No decisions about how that millage would be structured or how high a levy officials would seek have been made, but that's expected to be the subject of discussions in the near future.
"Work continues on the funding analysis for the Transit Master Plan and we'll be addressing that next month at the April board meeting," AATA CEO Michael Ford said.
AATA officials said the Smart Growth plan was favored by nearly three-quarters of respondents at forums and through polls. It beat out both the Lifeline Plus option, which would have improved basic transit services for the county’s most vulnerable residents, and the Accessible County option, which would have extended basic transit services throughout the county.
Included in the Smart Growth plan are investments in high-capacity transit corridors, which AATA officials say will help guide land use development, grow jobs, preserve green space and stem traffic congestion. According to the agency, implementing the plan will pump $275 million into the local economy and create 1,870 jobs over the next 30 years, while the area will benefit from cleaner air due to more than 700 tons of reduced vehicle emissions.
AATA officials also cite a statistic that trips taken during peak hours on Washtenaw County roads and highways would be reduced by 5.5 million per year.
The final Transit Master Plan is expected to be completed in April and will include a report on funding options and strategies for implementing the recommended solutions. The AATA will then work with community leaders to prioritize the transit solutions and develop a series of three- to five-year timelines and strategies for implementation.
The AATA is currently governed by a board appointed by the mayor of Ann Arbor. By creating a new countywide transit organization with an expanded board, AATA officials say the agency can ensure all parts of the county have a voice in the 30-year plan's implementation.
AATA officials plan to facilitate the development of a countywide transit organization by creating a committee of county elected officials that will be charged with determining how to move forward with the organization’s creation.
The AATA began developing the Transit Master Plan last summer. The process involved extensive public outreach, including more than 60 community meetings, workshops with 45 county leaders, more than 150 in-person interviews, and online and paper questionnaires completed by more than 900 residents, AATA officials said.
"We're really looking for the community to not only give us a signal, but help us make what is likely going to be the biggest decision a public agency can make, and that is how do we plan the future for the region for transit," said AATA board member Sue McCormick. "And it is very rewarding that, with all of the effort that staff made, we are getting that clear signal."
AATA officials used community meetings and demographic research to determine residents’ transit needs. Among the challenges identified were the growing population of aging Baby Boomers, increasing traffic congestion and the growing need to serve residents without cars.
Ford noted he has been in contact with local elected officials and state lawmakers like Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, and Rick Olson, R-York Township. He also has taken two trips to Washington, D.C., recently to meet with federal lawmakers to talk about transit funding.
"They all, in general, are very supportive of the Transit Master Plan and what we're trying to do, and very supportive of what we're putting together," Ford said. "They also were very supportive about the focus on the Fuller Road Station and offered to write letters in support of trying to get the environmental assessment moving forward, so they have been extremely helpful."
The Fuller Road Station is envisioned as an intermodal transit facility with accommodations for trains, bicycles, buses and pedestrians. The first phase is designed to be a five-level parking garage with bus, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
AATA officials say there’s a strong case for transit investment in Washtenaw County. Under the Smart Growth scenario, for every $1 spent, $3.2 in benefits are generated in the community, according to a chart provided in the board's meeting packet.
The Smart Growth scenario seeks to create a “backbone of transportation” along the area's busier corridors, which officials say will significantly increase compact development there. One of its main components is the creation of high-frequency service along the busiest corridors, which would require rapid bus transit, trams or street cars.
The AATA would also partner with planned regional rail lines — such as WALLY or the Ann Arbor-to-Detroit commuter rail line — to help with creating corridors of dense development.
The Smart Growth plan calls for five- to 10-minute ride frequency on core routes during peak hours and 20-minute ride frequency on non-core routes during peak periods. The hours of operation would be expanded, and an investment in bus stop improvements would mean more sheltered stops and real-time status updates at busier stops.
The AATA would create transit hubs serving as access points to public transportation in Dexter, Chelsea, Saline, Manchester, Milan and Whitmore Lake. The express service available for riders in Chelsea and Canton would be expanded to include cities with the transit hubs.
Additionally, Dexter, Saline and Chelsea residents would have local circulators connecting transportation points throughout their respective cities, and a new service similar to the discontinued Link program would connect “key destinations” in downtown Ann Arbor.
The plan would provide several services to connect everyone in the county to major transportation lines. Door-to-door service would be expanded for disabled and elderly riders. Officials also want to further develop a countywide flex-ride program, which picks up individuals at their homes and takes them to a transit line for an extra cost.
Also included in the plan are five new park-and-ride lots on the edges of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti; a significant expansion of car/van pool programs, which are now largely connected with the University of Michigan; and 20 miles of new bike paths countywide.
Of the $465 million in capital costs, high-capacity transit services account for $282 million, and a proposed airport shuttle and commuter rail represent $132 million. Roughly $30.5 million is earmarked for providing more routes, $5 million for transit hubs and $15 million for cycling.
But AATA officials said those figures represent a high-end estimate and some of the cost of rail service would be shared between counties.
Freelance reporter Tom Perkins contributed to this story. 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 e-mail newsletters.
Comments
Z-man
Sat, Mar 26, 2011 : 3:22 a.m.
In addition to the capital costs, has anybody noticed the $52 million in annual operating costs? It's nice in the ideal world to have extensive public transportation, systems, and Ann Arbor has a decent one, albeit at high cost. It's funded by a millage that the AATA gets every year to spend, rather than the AATA having to put forth and justify a budget. That's how we get all the latest technology CNG hybrid busses and such. But fares cover only about 3% of the total cost, so for every $3 the riders spend in Ann Arbor, the taxpayers pay $97. It would be cheaper to give everyone free taxi passes! So now they want to expand this extremely expensive AA system to the less densely populated areas of Washtenaw county? Really?
Andy
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 1:53 a.m.
Based on what I'm seeing in this article's comments, putting the millage on the ballot in February would be suicidal. Is it possible to put a millage vote on the November 2012 ballot? Turnout among key transit constituencies (the poor, minorities, students, anyone who is not elderly) will be much higher and more favorable. I really, really hope AATA is considering that.
CynicA2
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 8:57 p.m.
A2.com really should address the "vote early and often" feature of the survey attached to this article - I did so several times since this article came out, and the counter advanced each time I voted.
CynicA2
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 8:45 p.m.
More Hieftjeism at work - AATA is packed with car-hating Hieftjeites who never met a public spending boondoggle they didn't want to fund, regardless of costs vs. benefits. I hope their polling was more scientific than the one attached to this article - I've already voted 3 times in that joke of a survey, as have many others, I'm sure - so it is totally meaningless. I'm sure the Hieftje and his cronies will try to make sure their supporters vote early and often when the millage for this travesty appears on the ballot. Maybe A2.com should investigate the Hieftje for corruption... I bet his palm has been greased more than once since taking office - between all the shenanigans with tax abatements for Pfizer and other corporations, and doing the University's bidding, there has got to be some green in his waisteband. And a half-BILLION dollar boondoggle like this - the Hieftjeites are drooling at the prospect of all that money sloshing around in all those buckets, just ripe for the picking.
David Cahill
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 3:42 p.m.
With over 800 votes cast in the poll so far, 51% say there is "not a chance" that they will vote for a proposed countywide millage. People who vote in such polls tend to be the most politically active and interested. They are also the most likely voters in an actual election. The results of this AnnArbor.com poll, especially following a positive article on the millage, are not good news for its proponents. Typically, support for a millage tends to fall during a campaign. The proponents are already far behind.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
The VERY same logic applies to the opponents. Add to it that the bloggers on A2.com are far more conservative than the community at large. If they had their way, the city council would consist of Michelle Bachman clones. Good Night and Good Luck
ACLABT
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 12:04 p.m.
"County wide mileage".... for what? For the majority of the county to pay for a service that they will not use? Do you really think AATA will be beneficial to the folks out in Milan, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester or all the rural areas of ALL those cities? And they are the ones will be be stuck with the bill to pay for something that is already mainly funded by state dollars. Someone mentioned a cheap method of transportation to the airport. The Michigan Flyer is conveniently located at The Four Points Sheraton. Cheap airport transportation already exists. The ONLY way this would pass if ONLY Ann Arbor or Ypsi residents are allowed to vote. No person who lives in rural communities in their right mind would vote for something like this because all it is doing is shifting the burden of funding a bus system to them instead of the residents who may actually want to take an hour to get to work on the bus (instead of 20 mins in a car)
mugwump
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 12:03 p.m.
What about a 30 year plan to privatize this oversized money burning machine called the AATA? Let's find a more efficient way to move the 150 AATA bus users around the city. How about a couple vans and cell phones.?
Kai Petainen
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 3:37 a.m.
ann arbor chronicle mentioned the fuller station in an update... <a href="http://annarborchronicle.com/2011/03/16/pac-supports-grants-for-skatepark-gallup/" rel='nofollow'>http://annarborchronicle.com/2011/03/16/pac-supports-grants-for-skatepark-gallup/</a> "Further, she was concerned that a complete environmental assessment hadn't yet been conducted. As far as she knew, the firm JJR had done an assessment that was presented as a draft in June 2010. But a final assessment hadn't been done, nor had a public hearing been held on the issue." i have a comment on that issue... but the annarbor.com doesn't have enough room to shorten/sterlize the comment.
KJMClark
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 12:13 a.m.
You pick one of the more extreme densities on the planet, and anything less than that doesn't work??? Dane County WI has a population density of 355 per sq. mile, but they set up a regional transit authority in 2009. 355/sq. mi. in Dane County vs. 455/sq. mi. in Washtenaw County - looks like we should have set up a regional transit authority quite a while ago. Braggslaw - so for your sample, $10 per gallon will be no big deal. I'm not too concerned either, since I bike to work. But for the vast majority of Americans, even $5 per gallon is going to severely damage their household budget. Just $4 per gallon popped the housing bubble.
braggslaw
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 2:06 a.m.
Good for you and your subaru
Plubius
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 7:56 p.m.
What people seem to fail to realize is that the ONLY public transportation systems which are useful and do not suck huge amounts of tax payer dollars for annual support are those in areas with high population density. We do not have that! A county-wide mass transit system makes no sense what-so-ever. Just to put things in perspective: The population density of New York City is 27,000+ people per square mile. The population density of Washtenaw County is 455 people per square mile. Anyone notice the difference?
braggslaw
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 7:06 p.m.
It would be a better deal (for me ) to pay $10 a gallon for gas rather than pay a 1/2 billion for a bus system nobody will use.
Thomas
Fri, Mar 25, 2011 : 6:48 p.m.
Don't say no one will ever use it. There are plenty of people commenting here that say they'll use it and I know there are plenty of people not commenting that will use it.
Joe
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 3:03 a.m.
You're right. It does seem unfair to saddle you with the entire burden. How would you ever pay for that? Never mind.
KJMClark
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 5:58 p.m.
I'm in favor of this plan, but I sure wish AATA would get a handle on some of their lousy drivers. There isn't a week that I don't see an AATA bus driver flagrantly breaking some law - tailgating someone, not stopping for a crosswalk where someone's waiting to cross, obviously speeding near a school, passing dangerously, driving in bike lanes, etc. Complaining to them is an almost complete waste of time, but at least they have a complaint form. UM bus drivers are worse, and UM doesn't seem to want to know about their bad drivers. I think the people opposed to this are missing two things - gas prices are headed over $4 again, and over the next 30 years, you can direct development to transit routes. Where to put that apartment complex now that gas is $5 a gallon? How about on the express bus line to Ann Arbor? Gas $10 a gallon ten years from now? No problem, we had the foresight back in 2011 to expand the County transit system. Don't think gas is headed that high? Back in 2002, did you think it would get up to $4 a gallon? This week in 2002, the national average was $1.20 (look it up). Nine years later it's about triple that. What's triple $3.60 a gallon? $10.80 a gallon, coming to a pump near you in a decade.
Not from around here
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 4:21 p.m.
So a bus line that will provide service to primarily to residents of Ann Arbor and Ypsi will have to be paid for by the resident of th eentire county? Doesn't seem fair. I live on the Jackson/Washtenaw boarder and would not be able use the line to get to my job north of Ann Arbor. Why shoudl I have to pay? Make it a city tax or by usage.
Joe
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 3:02 a.m.
Actually, you would be able to use the system under this plan. That's the point of creating a countywide authority. You could drive to the first transit stop, perhaps in Chelsea, and then take the bus to work, thus saving time and money.
JSA
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 4:10 p.m.
Quite frankly I don't believe AATA as quoted in this article. Their polls have been a farce. Name the names of local politicians who say they support this joke so we can make them declare their support for the record. Quit feeding anonymous quotes. Saying you have contact with local officials is misleading as you have no evidence of their support for any millage. The Federal Government has allready rejected funding for the proposed rail line from Detroit to Ann Arbor rail line. No one supports WALLY outside of Ann Arbor's mayor and AATA. It should also be mentioned that they are looking for a February 2012 millage request being placed on the ballot. This is typical of Ann Arbor politicians and bureaucrats. Try to pull a fast one in an election with low voter turn out. Heaven forbid you do it in a presidential election when the turn out is at its highest.
Elaine F. Owsley
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 4:07 p.m.
Having grown up in Wayne County, I felt I had fallen off the edge of the world when we moved into Washtenaw County years ago. We hosted English college students at EMU for several years and were hard-pressed to explain to kids who could go anywhere in their country that they couldn't take a bus from Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor, unless they went by Greyhound. Let's join the rest of the world. If this kind of thing had been implemented a couple of decades ago, it would have been much cheaper. Don't diddle around while the price for civilized transport rises.
braggslaw
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 7:10 p.m.
It is not the taxpayer's job to make English college student comfortable.
braggslaw
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.
I am not for or against public transportation... I like to think I am pragmatic and realistic. New York, Chicago, Toronto good places for Mass transit... high population density, expensive and difficult parking, people willing to live without cars etc. Ann Arbor, Dexter, Whitmore Lake, Saline? Really? I doubt if over a few thousand people will ever use it... let's give AATA the benefit of the doubt and say 10,000 (more likely 3000) For 500,000,000 dollars we could buy every single person a car, pay their insurance and give them gas for 20 years. It is also a myth that buses are "green" and that CO2 will be reduced by the mass use of buses. The start stop on the diesel cycle (with the huge masses) and the scheduling of routes will generate more environmental green house gases than if everyone drove a compact.
drewk
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:50 p.m.
If this system really generates more dollars than it costs, does this mean that this line item on my tax statement will disappear? Seems like we have subsidized long enough.
sesomai
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:50 p.m.
I use the AATA for work five days a week and love the fact that it is very convenient and that I don't have to drive in Ann Arbor traffic, or pay for parking. However, not all routes are as awesome as the one I take. I don't understand why instead of focusing on improving routes the AATA is hellbent on embarking on such an expensive project. I, like many commenters here, wonder where the money will come from to fund this project. It's not like taxpayers aren't already paying out the nose just to keep basic services afloat.
Thomas
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:45 p.m.
The capital costs break down to $15 million a year. I'm sure that cost is going to be spread across the entire county and not just one or two areas. I have a car and I prefer to take the bus now, and have for a long time. I save so much money on gas and vehicle maintenance, that the extra 20 minutes it takes to get somewhere is completely worth it for me. Not to mention, my incidents of road rage have dropped significantly. As for that comment about Pearl Street in Ypsi, it's not the hot bed of crime you'd like everyone to think it is. I'm there twice a day multiple times a week and outside of rowdy teenagers making nuisances of themselves (hmm... never seen those outside of Ypsi!), I have felt perfectly safe. Congrats to AATA for putting forth the work to see what would work for us and for their long term vision. I hope things work out and I look forward to continuing to ride the bus and maybe the train in the future.
Jamie
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:38 p.m.
I think this is fantastic. I have been living in Washtenaw county for over 10 years, and have always felt the public transportation system was lacking, and that a better system could enhance an already awesome community. I have been waiting so long for improvements in the bus schedule and routes that will allow me to be more fully active and mobile in Washtenaw county, especially on weekends and evenings. With pollution and all of the bullshit worries cars bring, improved Public transportation is really the best answer for our community! Thank you for this awesome plan!
grye
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.
I do hope the expanded service will take me to look at all the green space my millage dollars have and will be buying. Nothing like looking out the window and saying "That's nice green space".
Rob T
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:24 p.m.
My first reaction to the proposal was incredulity, but when you consider that AATA is setting a goal for transit service 30 years in the future the proposal seems reasonable. If AATA continues to be well-managed, I have no doubt that our county and transit system can grow to achieve this goal.
grye
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:24 p.m.
I've tried the bus several times. Takes 3 or 4 times as long to get anywhere and with some destinations, 2 or more transfers. Bus systems work great when workers travel to a central location to work (great example is Washington DC) and live in the surrounding areas. That scenario doesn't exist here. Buses are needed for some people who don't have cars or can't afford the parking downtown. Until the routes and timing get better, I'd rather drive, walk, or ride my bike. Better yet, beam me there Scotty!
Stephen Landes
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:22 p.m.
I still do not see a plan for improving existing AATA service. As I have noted before, in 1981 I thought about selling one of the family cars and taking the bus from NE A2 to what was then then Bechtel Building (now 777 Building on Eisenhower). At the time it was a 40 minute bus ride versus a 13 minutes drive during rush hour. Needless to say I kept the car and drove to work. That same trip today, according to AATA's web site, is 67 minutes. That is more than a 50% increase in travel time over the last 30 years. This is not the kind of system "improvement" that will ever attract me or cause me to vote for a millage. What we need is an AATA plan to improve service within the current service area. To AATA I say "Make what you have the most attractive desirable service possible and then ask for approval to expand your service area."
ToddAustin
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.
As the parent of a young family, it's great to see our community moving forward with the creation of a transportation infrastructure that will support growth in opportunities, growth in incomes, expanded choice , and greater safety in our community. We made the unfortunate decision years ago to saddle ourselves with an inefficient and costly dependence on automobiles. We can now make a choice to make serious improvements to our transportation infrastructure that will pay off many times over down the road. I will be delighted to support Jesse, the AATA, and their many public and private partners in identifying public and private funding sources for the creation, maintenance, and operation of this new system. My tax money will be well spent on it, as the services provided by my dollars will save me far more than my share of the cost. The growth in opportunities for employment, shopping, and entertainment will also benefit my family and my community greatly.
Top Cat
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:02 p.m.
Put the millage on the ballot. Go ahead. Make my day.
logo
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 12:25 p.m.
This is truly a smart plan and just in time. Anyone paying attention must understand the cost of driving a car is only going to go up. Working people will need a new way to get to work or the economy with suffer. With 75,000 people from outside the city going to work in Ann Arbor every day and thousands going to the hospital there is in fact a sufficient density of commuters to support a robust transit system. If we want the economy of this region to grow, we need transit. Our roads and highways were built with public money and continue to be subsidized. With the cost of fuel going up and the world suffocating on CO-2, transit - buses and commuter trains, need the same support. With gas at $4.50 or $5 next winter, this will sail through.
SW40
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 12:17 p.m.
Lets face it the majority of people who are in favor of this will never use the system. The AATA hub in downtown Ypsilanti is a huge safety concern and a criminal haven. I have seen numerous arrests there in recent months. Detroit placeds police officers on city buses, if this plan is enacted we must do the same, and who is going to pay for that addition in resources. The AATA may provide good citizens with cheap transportation but it also provides criminal access to transportation as well. Why not move the AATA depot to West Willow, I'm sure many of the Washtenaw County Elite would love to make a stop out there.
sesomai
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:45 p.m.
I live just down the street from the AATA depot in Ypsi. It's a well-lit, clean, nicely maintained depot. I use it five days a week to catch the bus to work and feel completely safe doing so. I also catch the bus from Ann Arbor to Ypsi late at night when I've been out with friends and tend to ride all the way to the depot as I feel safer there than getting off on the street corner.
average joe
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 12:13 p.m.
"...the verdict is clear: Washtenaw County residents are overwhelmingly in support of a robust plan to expand transit services." It depends who you ask. A more accurate statement would read- "Washtenaw county residents who use the taxpayer subsidized AATA system are overwhelmingly in support of the smart growth option of the three options offered." "Under the Smart Growth scenario, for every $1 spent, $3.2 in benefits are generated in the community, according to a chart provided in the board's meeting packet." I'd like to see how they figure these $$ advantages. Are they saying that the people who use this new system would 'have a whole new world' open up that never traveled from the other communities to AA before? If these figures are correct, then lets spend a couple billion- look how much $$ we would have then......
clan
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 12:07 p.m.
Let us hope that this will not turn out to be just another subsidy of sprawl by Ann Arbor city taxpayers!
Joe
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 2:58 a.m.
The goal is actually to decrease sprawl and concentrate growth within Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and the other towns and villages in the county. Public transportation actually creates a disincentive to sprawl, as opposed to expanding highways and roads. Imagine you and your spouse get jobs in Chelsea and Ann Arbor, respectively. You can either live within Chelsea or Ann Arbor or live in one of the suburbs between Ann Arbor and Chelsea. A transit center in Chelsea linked to Ann Arbor could pull you towards one or the other, as opposed to a suburb along 94.
Brad
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 11:59 a.m.
$465 million at the current 85% taxpayer subsidy rate? Where do I sign up?? We don't need this here, people. It's just someone's grandiose experiment that they want us to fund. No thanks.
McGiver
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 11:55 a.m.
Someone needs to remind these folks that the "AA" in AATA stands for Ann Arbor. Keep your tax funded buses in your town. I'll drive my car, thank you. This is a textbook example of how government works, or should not work. Every program is deemed worthy and necessary by the people running it. Then , of course, the only natural thing to do is expand it. I can't wait to vote this one down.
braggslaw
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 11:21 a.m.
Most people will not use the system. Most people will vote against the millage. Some will complain when the millage does not pass.
EyeHeartA2
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 1:58 p.m.
Short Accurate. Good Post.
InsideTheHall
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 11:18 a.m.
Another ill advised pipedream. We can't afford it!
Cash
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 10:54 a.m.
Perhaps it would be a bit more palatable to give the elderly and working poor a tax increase if it was going to be used to provide things that would actually create more business friendly metro areas of Michigan with ideas like mass transit...where it's a win-win for taxpayers. In other words, if a mass transit plan like this one was part of the tax handout it would benefit the elderly, the working poor AND business.....more easily digested then the corporate welfare plan. Better to offer something of value to a community AND business then to just to hand money to business and assume they will suddenly start hiring. Corporate or personal welfare has never seemed to work well in America. But as it is, voters who are receiving a huge state tax increase and then asked to vote on a new millage will not have the money to pay it and will vote no.
Basic Bob
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 7:02 p.m.
When senior citizens can no longer afford cars, the bus will begin to look practical! The *working poor* already know this.
sbbuilder
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 10:54 a.m.
The numbers are simply too large for most people to put into perspective. After you get through the first hundred million or so, what difference does a few more hundred million make? AATA has shown precious little fiscal restraint over the years, and this is the result. I just wish they would hurry up with the millage vote so we can put this all behind us. Good grief.
Cash
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 10:39 a.m.
Lots of questions I think. But two obvious ones: 1. Do we need this mass transit? My answer would be yes, for a lot of reasons. This IS a metropolitan area and it's time we started behaving like one! Having 100,000 cars jamming into 3 college campuses locally (EMU,UM, WCC), alone makes mass transit a smart idea. If we want to be "business friendly" then part of that equation is transporting people. So, yes, I think transport around the metro area and to and from the airport is imperative. 2. Can we afford this mass transit now and would a millage pass? My answer is no. No millage is going to pass right now. Old people vote. They'll vote it down knowing they are getting a 100% (or more) tax increase. And the the working poor, who would be heavy users, are also receiving a big tax increase. So, no a millage won't pass. Just my opinion.
JSA
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 4 p.m.
This is NOT a metropolitan area. Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and other major cities are metropolitan areas. Your perspective is flawed badly.
AAresident
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 10:18 a.m.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a transit system like Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco. But Washtenaw county is not a major metro area. AATA figured people would support something called"smart", so they called their almost half-billion dollar plan the "smart plan". Is that a neutral study, or is that propaganda? AATA spent a lot of money on fancy presentations trying to persuade voters to support their expansion. I'd rather spend our transit money on better service in AA.
bob
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 6:03 a.m.
if you build it people will ride it. Many other cities, like Atlanta has a Marta train that works very well, and travels to the airport. It's about time to move forward on this project, the soon the better.
JSA
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 3:57 p.m.
I've got bad news for you Bob. I was in Atlanta when it was built and Atlanta has a much bigger population base, a major airport. Usually in the top 3 in passengers world wide. Many more corporations located there and a very large convention business. To try to compare Ann Arbor to Atlanta is delusional.
salinesal
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 4:04 a.m.
I would like to see a transit system run by highly paid union workers, funded by higher taxes on individuals and businesses. The higher taxes would make it so that citizens could not afford a car and would then depend on the tax subsidized transit monopoly to get around and to work and back. This dependence on the transit system would then put the unionized transit workers in a much better bargaining position because any threat of a transit worker strike would would cause so much disruption to the lives of the people that the politicians would have no choice but to grant all the transit unions demands. The transit workers would then have created such good jobs and benefits for themselves that they would be the only people able to afford their own cars and therefor not be dependent on public transportation. I can't wait, when does this get started? Maybe the transit workers union could help me get elected, that way I could make sure that I return their favor with a generous pension, cost of living allowance and vacation package.
Joe
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 2:52 a.m.
I'm guessing a functioning public transit system would precipitate an invasion by space aliens. And since we don't want that to happen, it's a bad idea to support expanded bus service.
Joe Hood
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 3:41 a.m.
Maybe this decision is somehow related to medical marijuana. The majority of comments on the various stories at annarbor.com blast the idea.
DonBee
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 3:23 a.m.
I want some of what they are smoking! A very unscientific survey and meetings packed with supporters. From this comes: "The people overwhelmingly support this" Wait until they ask for a county-wide millage.
Joe Manly
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 3:12 a.m.
where exactly is this money coming from? Definitely not from profits from the movie industry. When are we going to get a grip on reality when it comes to spending. We have already seen that you cannot borrow and spend your way out of debt. If you do not have it - do not spend it!
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 3:01 a.m.
I think the second part of this plan must be a counterfeiting ring to come up with the hundreds of millions of dollars required to pay for it. No sentient being, surely, could believe the taxpayers have the capacity to pay that kind of money. This is definitely an example of a public board that has lost sight of its mission.
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 8:40 p.m.
I'm not. No city this size in America has this kind of transportation scenario. And Ann Arbor is not projected to grow that much. We don't have the job or residential densities sufficient to support commuter rail. And we cannot perform the social engineering necessary to make this plan viable - governments must serve the people, not mold the people like some dictator's third-world experiments.
Rob T
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:28 p.m.
If AATA did this tomorrow, I'd say they're nuts. This is a thirty-year goal, though, and I'm confident that Washtenaw will be ready for the service they describe three decades from now.
Joe
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:40 a.m.
As a 22-year-old who's planning on spending the rest of my life and raising my kids in this area, I am so happy to see AATA moving forward with their Smart Growth plan. It's the first step to making our community more livable in the long run.
Basic Bob
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 2:17 a.m.
I'd like to see a Michigan Avenue bus from Ypsi to Saline, stopping at Walmart, Busch's, party store, etc.
Gretchen Ridenour
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 1:43 p.m.
Bob, I agree with you totally. I live off Michigan Ave in Pittsfield Twp and it costs about $6 in cab fare each way to get to Meijer to catch a bus. With all the traffic on Michigan Ave between 1-94 and Austin Rd, a bus could certainly cut-down on the traffic, and make Saline more accessible.