by Dave Alexander

In 2014, local voters approved a new five-year transit tax, pumping an additional $21 million into the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s budget through 2019. The promise to voters was more buses, more places, more often. Voters were told that more buses running longer hours, making more frequent trips and reaching new destinations would mean more riders.

AAATA officials projected seven million passenger trips under the expanded service by Sept. 2015 but came up short. Ridership fell again after August 2015 service improvements that included expanded weekend service to go along with additional evening service hours.

In Jan. 2016,  AAATA CEO Matt Carpenter told the media lower gas prices were to blame.

“Low fuel prices are depressing ridership in transit agencies across the nation,” he said. “This is not a local phenomenon. It’s very much an artificial situation because of the price of oil, which we know is a very political situation that’s coming out of the Middle East. So, it’s a temporary situation,” said Carpenter.

Now, three years into the five-year tax, AAATA is proposing service cuts and adjustments on a dozen routes. “Very low ridership” is being blamed for many of the cuts.

The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) announced in April 2017 a public comment period for proposed service adjustments. The public comment period ends May 15. The adjustments are a result of a scheduled review and evaluation of services, including those implemented during the first phase of the Five-Year Transportation Improvement Plan. As part of this review, TheRide noted an increase in overall ridership year to date of 5.7% in fiscal year 2017 with the biggest gains coming from weekend ridership.

The proposal includes adjustments to both routing and schedules for 12 routes. Comments on the proposed adjustments are being accepted starting April 13, 2017 through May 15, 2017. Approved service adjustments will go into effect Fall 2017. This is a link to the originally proposed fixed route enhancements promised by AAATA prior to the approval of the new tax.

The routes being considered for service cuts and adjustments are highlighted:

• Route 5 – PACKARD: Change Sunday route to discontinue service on Platt and Packard east of Platt on trips from the Blake Transit Center
• Route 6 -ELLSWORTH: Weekday schedule adjusted on trips between Ypsilanti and Meijer
• Route 21 -AMTRAK-DEPOT ST.: Discontinue last weekday evening trip at 11:48 p.m. due to very low ridership
• Route 24 -S. MAIN ST – EAST:

—To improve reliability on trips from Washtenaw Community College, adjust weekday evening schedule and discontinue service on Northbrook & Oakbrook Streets

—Discontinue weekday evening trip at 11:06 p.m. from Washtenaw Community College and end 10:18 p.m. trip from the Blake Transit Center at Washtenaw and Pittsfield due to very low ridership

—To improve reliability, adjust Saturday schedule

• Route 25 -ANN ARBOR – SALINE RD.: On weekday evenings, end 11:03 p.m. trip from Blake Transit Center at Northbrook/Oakbrook at 11:14 p.m. due to very low ridership
• Route 31 -DEXTER: Adjust Weekday schedule at Jackson/Wagner to coordinate with Route 30 – Jackson
• Route 32 -MILLER – MAPLE:

—Revise route to serve Kroger store on S. Maple in both directions

—Revise route to serve Pennsylvania, Commerce and Federal Streets

—Adjust weekday times to improve spacing of trips on Miller Ave.

Discontinue weekend service to park & ride lot and Skyline H.S. on trips to Blake Transit Center

• Route 43 -E. MICHIGAN AVE.: Coordinate weekday service with Route 68 Harris – Ford at Ridge/Holmes
• Route 46 -HURON-TEXTILE:

—Add service on Hitchingham/Merritt/Whitaker Rd. and expand A-Ride service to include this area

—Change routing to two-way on Huron River Drive and Textile Rd.

—Discontinue Weekday and Saturday trip at 10:18 p.m. due to very low ridership

• Route 64 -GEDDES – E. STADIUM: Discontinue weekday trip from Pioneer High School at 7:20 p.m. due to very low ridership
• Route 65 -U-M -DOWNTOWN -GREEN: Adjust weekday schedule between 5:14 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.
• Route 68 -HARRIS-FORD: Adjust routing and schedule to coordinate with Route 43 E. Michigan Ave. and to create connection to Ypsilanti Transit Center

To learn more details about the proposed service adjustments, visit http://bit.ly/2pbNxOr or go to a drop-in session scheduled for Tuesday, May 9, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Ypsilanti District Library, 5577 Whittaker Road, Ypsilanti in the Library Room 1C.

Those who can’t attend the drop-in session, can share comments by May 15, 2017 by:

Email: TellUs@TheRide.org (use subject line: “Service Change Proposal”)

Fax: 734-973-6338 (use subject line: “Service Change Proposal”)

Call: 734-794-1880

Mail: 2700 S. Industrial Highway, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (ATTN: “Service Change Proposal”)