Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority

From AATA to AAATA

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Upon my arrival in Ann Arbor in July 2009, we immediately began the process to initiate a long-term transportation master plan. This planning process was completed and adopted in 2010 as our 20-year Transportation Master Plan, mapping a long-term strategy, followed by the shorter term Five-year Transit Improvement Program designed to turn strategy into execution of services.  As part of the planning process was a concurrent initiative to enlarge the service area to one that extended county-wide.  Despite extensive outreach and discussions with all stakeholders and members of the community, key elected officials did not approve the county-wide expansion. 

 

AATA took a step back to reexamine the plan, taking into consideration what we learned during our county-wide outreach activities and presented the option to reduce the expansion to an urban core configuration. It was this revised approach that set the stage for more comprehensive service to the community, more awareness of the value of transit and propelled the growth of “The Ride” in ridership to gain national recognition and achieve the highest ridership in the organization’s history, a 50% increase from 2010-2014.  From our extensive outreach and engagement process around the Transportation Master Plan, combined with the urban-core communities in the Ann Arbor area desire for more services, we initiated a change in the transit authority’s organizational governance. After being a historically single city board representing Ann Arbor only, it became the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority which includes board representatives from City of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township.

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We engaged prominent business leaders to participate on a Financial Task Force to evaluate financial viability of expanded service; we worked collaboratively with our local, state and federal legislators to ensure all funding and governmental options available to us were pursued. We regularly worked with our transit partners within the state, as well as the Michigan Department of Transportation, continually seeking partnerships and strategies that provide transit across boundaries.  We relentlessly engaged the citizens of our community through public outreach, educational workshops, community events and improved technology with an upgraded website that facilitates direct and immediate dialogue with our customers. The culmination of these efforts in outreach and engagement resulted in a dramatic increase in ridership and more demand for services, and approval of a .7% millage increase to fund service improvements. The plan provided for more frequent and direct service, earlier morning, later night, weekend and more service for the elderly and disabled, all designed to provide better mobility and access within the region. It increased the level of service by 44% over the five-year period and gained national recognition as fourth in the nation in ridership growth. This measure passed with a 71% approval vote.

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As we worked on the expansion of the service, we knew it was important to give the community concrete examples of what more and better service would look like.  Several of the improvements implemented prior to the passage of the ballot measure are noted in the following paragraphs.

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Air Ride

A shuttle service to the Detroit airport from Ann Arbor had been in discussion for years and was a service strongly supported by Board members.  The plan had languished following a failed attempt in the years prior to my arrival. 

Working with staff we discussed the obstacles, researched the demand for this service and how to deliver effective and efficient service between Ann Arbor and DTW (Detroit airport).  We formed a task force, engaged Board members and solicited an RFP for the service. I also looked at better positioning of the service in the downtown area working with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority to offer reduced parking to incent folks to use the shuttle service rather than to drive the 25 miles to the airport. After negotiating with the airport authority to grant access for the service into the terminal, we launched “Air Ride”, providing 13 round trips per day with the affordable rate of $12 round trip and a nominal parking rate of $2.00 per day.

 

This public-private partnership quickly became a resounding success, and is now entering its sixth year with the service self-sustaining through fare-box revenues, some state assistance and having a neutral financial impact on AAATA budget.

 

Other Services

Night ride and Dial-A-Ride services were both expanded providing additional coverage with increased frequency and extended hours later into the night.  These improvements addressed the needs of more citizens and the opportunity to use public transportation to expanded destinations.  We also initiated a Vanpool service, providing employers and employees the opportunity to utilize public transportation to get to and from work. This reduced the need for employers to build more parking, alleviate congestion during the heavy commuting times of the day and provided more mobility options while securing more Federal dollars to the AAATA.  The sum of these services added to the noteworthy growth in ridership and provided community support for the millage increase.
 

Blake Transit Center

AATA had identified the need for a new, upgraded and relocated transit center and were seeking Federal funds for the project. The existing transit center was inadequate and fraught with limitations for upgrades or expansion. By my arrival, the timeclock for the Federal money was running out and AATA needed to present the plan to deliver the completed project from plan to reality by the end of the 2009 Federal Fiscal year.

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Federal money had been secured for many years to build the transit center but no movement had taken place. There was concern that having requested and received approval for the Federal money and not delivering upon that request would have long term consequences when requesting federal funds in the future.  Retaining the Federal dollars and building the transit center was an immediate priority the Board set to insure the AATA would not lose the millions in federal money granted.  To save the approved grant funding for the Transit Center by the end of the Federal fiscal year September 2009 meant getting a contractor on board, engaging the public through outreach, finalizing the site location to ensure that the new center could provide the needed functionality and provide for the future possibility to build up and/or out.

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A task force was formed led by the AATA Manager of Facilities and maintenance, and through this group’s outstanding work to expedite the contracting of a qualified design/build firm, the new transit center was on its way to being realized.  Throughout all stages of the design and building of the center, we engaged the public through extensive outreach to ensure we delivered the functionality, the architectural appeal and compatibility with the community’s desire and that the structure be reflective of the Ann Arbor area and community.

This center opened in the summer 2014 providing amenities including updated technology, LEED Gold certified, heated sidewalks providing safety and lower maintenance costs during Michigan’s winter months.  The Blake Transit Center now stands as a hub for mobility and access inculturated into the fabric of Ann Arbor.