THE BOARD MEMBERS of the AAATA (formerly the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority) include individuals who live outside Ann Arbor. Most Board members have little experience in transportation policy. This is because rather than appoint members based on their transportation management expertise or qualifications, our local elected officials have appointed and confirmed individuals to serve on the AAATA Board who share a common political vision. Members of the AAATA Board may share a political vision, but it’s not a vision that includes providing cost-efficient, fast, convenient, reliable local transit to the residents of Ann Arbor who are assessed a perpetual 2 mill tax to fund the organization’s operating costs. This tax raises approximately $9 million dollars each year, or about 25 percent of AAATA’s total projected revenue in 2014.
What does the AAATA Board provide in exchange for that funding? Their organization provides hourly service on weekends, but not after 7 p.m. Take the bus to the Farmer’s Market and home again? Good luck if you spend too much time perusing the produce and miss your AAATA ride. You, your cranky kids and your wilting vegetables will be stranded for an hour. On weekdays, buses run every 30 minutes on most routes. Weekday service ends hours before downtown restaurants serve their last customers or an evening movie ends at the Summer Festival.
Over 6,000 downtown workers receive hefty taxpayer subsidies through the getDowntown program which is funded by the AAATA, Downtown Development Authority and the City of Ann Arbor. Bus passes for these bus riders cost $10 per year. Meanwhile, a local high school student pays $28 per month and adult residents who don’t qualify for a low-income or senior rate pay $58 per month for a Flex Pass.
In short, the AAATA Board provides expensive, infrequent service to its fixed route customers. Now, the AAATA Board tells us that more frequent service within Ann Arbor is but a small tax hike away. This isn’t the first time the AAATA Board has tried to sell improved service in exchange for a tax increase.
Between 2010 and 2012, the AAATA Board tried to sell a half a billion dollar county-wide transit scheme to county residents. The result was a costly political fiasco. County municipalities withdrew from the proposed plan in droves. Ann Arbor eventually withdrew from the plan, as well. Two long-time members of the AAATA Board who had pushed for the county-wide transit plan quietly ended their terms of service.
Now, the AAATA wants to serve the “urban core.” Urban core cities include Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township. In 2010, Ypsilanti voters approved a dedicated millage of 0.9789 mills to offset the cost of AAATA services. In June 2013, Ypsilanti was given membership in the AAATA and representation on the AAATA Board.
Since the passage of the dedicated millage in Ypsilanti, ridership on several routes between that city and Ann Arbor has actually decreased and total ridership fell slightly between 2009 and 2011. In Ann Arbor, ridership on 12 of the AAATA’s 27 fixed routes has fallen from 2009 levels. Overall ridership is up from 2009 levels, but by a slim 3.5 percent. Meanwhile, the organization’s total expenses have risen 16 percent over the past three years, and AAATA lost almost $1.8 million dollars in fiscal years 2012 and 2013.
AAATA’s management and board leadership have ignored critical indicators both financial as well as consumer. County residents rejected this Board’s vision for a county-wide transit plan funded by a county-wide millage. Now, Board members are marketing an “urban core” transit scheme funded by a tax hike of .7 mills. Ann Arbor taxpayers would pay a total 2.756 mill transit tax, Ypsilanti taxpayers a 1.6789 mill tax and for Ypsilanti Township it means a new .7 mill tax.
In return, AAATA once again promises expanded services, including expanded night-time and weekend services. Based on the operational and fiscal track record of the organization, we are not convinced that the AAATA has the fiscal discipline or managerial expertise to fulfil these promises.
Yet, the AAATA Board continues to spend local tax dollars meant for bus service on planning for the WALLY train to Livingston County, as well as on services outside the city, such as shuttles to Canton. Yet, Ann Arbor residents clamor for more robust local transit. Instead of providing it, Ann Arbor taxpayers are told they should support urban transit for the sake of economic development—public money for transit must subsidize private employers.
This is regressive political policy disguised as progressive concern for the poor and the environment. We’d rather see local, county and state pols support a county-wide living wage ordinance with some teeth. We’d also rather see getDowntown program subsidies for 6,000 gainfully employed adults ended and a new partnership with AAPS that provides $10 annual bus passes to K-12 students. We’d also like to see AAATA reverse the steep climb of overhead costs. This is public money, not Wall Street. AAATA has a poor track record of providing cost-efficient, convenient service within Ann Arbor. There’s little evidence to show this would change if taxpayers spent more money. AAATA must first provide cost-effective, excellent local service to local taxpayers.