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Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority

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"AAATA" redirects here. For the beetle genus, see Aaata.

The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA), branded as TheRide, is the public transit system serving the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area in the U.S. state of Michigan. In fiscal year 2021 (October 2020 – October 2021), the system had a ridership of 1,725,797.

Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority
Commenced operation1969[1]
HeadquartersAnn Arbor, Michigan
Service areaWashtenaw County, Michigan
Service type
Routes30
Hubs
Fleet
Gillig BRT[2]

Nova Bus LFS[3]

Daily ridership24,900 (2014)[4]
Annual ridership6.3 million (2019)[5]
Fuel typeB12
Chief executiveMatt Carpenter[6]
Websitehttp://www.theride.org/

History

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Predecessors

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Bus service in Ann Arbor began in 1925, when streetcars of the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway were replaced by buses.[7] Multiple privately-owned bus companies in Ann Arbor faced financial difficulties beginning in the late 1940s. Great Lakes Greyhound ended its Ann Arbor services in 1957, and its successors faced financial ruin. St. John Transportation Company of Dayton, Ohio began service in 1968, with a guaranteed subsidy from the city. Even with its subsidy, St. John's costs proved higher than expected, and it ceased operations in January 1969.[8][9]

In 1969, the city of Ann Arbor directed the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to purchase and run its own buses.[10] This included $200,000 for their first fiscal year.

First AATA-run buses

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The city-wide buses began operation on 1 April 1969.[11] In January 1970, the AATA was granted a $429,275 federal grant for the purchase of buses.[12] By July, the system was predicted to carry 600,000 passengers in the next year, which chairperson George Bacalis called "exceptional."[13] By October, the AATA was requesting to provide input on all work on major roads in the city due to the impact road works had on bus service.[14]

Expansion

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In late 1973, Washtenaw Community College provided funds to run a bus service from Arborland Center to their campus in Ann Arbor Charter Township. The township government refused to provide its own funds towards the bus service.[15] That same year, the AATA offered their first paratransit line with a wheelchair-accessible van service within city limits.[16]

 
Dial-A-Ride bus in 1973

On 18 February 1974, the first AATA bus between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti ran, going from downtown Ann Arbor along Washtenaw Avenue to downtown Ypsilanti and into Ypsilanti Charter Township.[17] On-demand bus service branded as Teltran started later that year within the city limits of Ann Arbor.[18][19][20] By mid 1974, the AATA's bus system had over a million annual riders.[21]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the AATA under director Michael Bolton worked with the city and the University of Michigan to create a 20-year transportation plan. The American Public Transit Association gave the AATA its annual bus safety award in June 1991. Bolton left the AATA for Capital Metro in 1994.[22]

The AATA was the first transit authority in the United States to operate low-floor buses when, in early 1993, they took delivery of ten New Flyer D40LF buses. In terms of operation, only two Canadian authorities and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operated such buses prior to the AATA.

In November 2012, the AATA broke ground on the new Blake Transit Center, at a cost of $8.1 million.[23] The new 2-story, 12,019-square-foot downtown transit hub replaced a one-story structure built at the site at 328 South Fifth Avenue in the 1980s. The new Blake Transit Center was officially opened for use on July 7, 2014.[24] The D2A2 bus provides service from the Blake Transit Center to downtown Detroit.[25]

Rebranding and expansion

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In August 2013, the agency's board voted to change its name from the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) to the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA).[26] The name change reflects the addition of neighboring Ypsilanti to the agency board and the growing focus on regional services within Washtenaw County's urban core. In December 2013, the Ann Arbor City Council approved adding Ypsilanti Township as a charter member of the AAATA. Despite reduced bus ridership in other areas of Michigan, AAATA continued expanding its ridership throughout the 2010s through expanded bus service.[27]

 
TheRide bus in front of the federal building in 2005. The original Blake Transit Center is visible in the background.

Services

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Fixed routes

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Routes that travel east-west between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are numbered in the single digits. Routes that begin at the Blake Transit Center and serve Ann Arbor neighborhoods are numbered 22–34. Local services in Ypsilanti, originating from the Ypsilanti Transit Center, are numbered 42–47, and crosstown routes that do not serve either transit center are numbered 62–68.[28]

Current routes

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Effective August 25, 2024.[29]

# Name Termini Frequency (min) Notes
Mon-Fri Sat Sun
3 Huron River Blake TC Ypsilanti TC 30 30 30
4 Washtenaw Local Blake TC Ypsilanti TC 15-30 30 30
5A Packard Blake TC Ypsilanti TC 30 30 -
5B Meijer, Ypsilanti 30 - 30
6A Ellsworth Blake TC Ypsilanti TC 30 30 30
6B Briarwood Mall 30 - - Through service to route 67
22 Pontiac-Dhu Varren Blake TC UM North Campus (Pierpont Commons) 30 60 60
23 Plymouth Blake TC Plymouth Road Park & Ride 15 (daytime) - -
Green Road Park & Ride 30 (evenings) 30 30
25 Ann Arbor-Saline Blake TC Meijer, Ann Arbor-Saline Rd 30 30 30
26 Scio Church Clockwise loop through Blake TC, Scio Ridge 30 60 60 29 follows route counter-clockwise
27 W. Stadium-Oak Valley Blake TC Meijer, Ann Arbor-Saline Rd 30 30 30
28 Pauline Blake TC Maple + Pennsylvania 15-30 30 30
29 Liberty Counter-clockwise loop through Blake TC, Scio Ridge 30 60 - 26 follows route clockwise
30 Jackson Blake TC Meijer, Jackson Rd 30 30 30
31 Dexter Blake TC Jackson + Wagner 30 30 30
32 Miller-Maple Blake TC Maple + Pennsylvania 30 30 30 Select trips serve Skyline High School
33 Newport Blake TC Warrington + Newport 30 - -
34 Maple-Dexter Blake TC Miller Road Park & Ride 30 - - 11 trips daily; weekday peak only
42 Forest-MacArthur Ypsilanti TC MacArthur + Harris 30 30 30
43 E. Michigan Ypsilanti TC Holmes + Ridge 30 30 30 Through service with route 68
44 Ecorse-Tyler Ypsilanti TC West Willow Community Center 30 30 30
45 Grove Ypsilanti TC Grove + Harry 30 30 30
46 Huron-Paint Creek Ypsilanti TC Huron River Dr + Textile 30 30 30 Select trips serve Arbor Preparatory High School
47 Harriet-W. Michigan Ypsilanti TC Hewitt + Ellsworth 30 30 30
61 U-M Miller Central Campus TC Miller Road Park & Ride 30 - - Through service with route 65
62 U-M State Central Campus TC Wolverine Tower 12-15 - - Reduced service outside UM Fall and Winter semesters
63 U-M Pontiac Central Campus TC Food Gatherers 30 - - 8 trips daily, weekday peak only. Through service with route 64
64 Geddes-E. Stadium Central Campus TC Pioneer High School 30 - - 11 trips daily, weekday peak only. Through service with route 63
65 U-M Downtown-Green Central Campus TC Glacier Hills 30 - - Through service with route 61
66 Carpenter-Huron Meijer, Ypsilanti Green Road Park & Ride 30 60 - Select trips deviate to Golfside Rd or Glacier Hills to serve Huron High School students
67 Eisenhower-Golfside Blake TC Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital / Washtenaw Community College 30 (daytime) - - Daytime 67 trips provide through service to route 6B
Briarwood Mall Washtenaw Community College 60 (evenings) 30 30
68 Harris-Ford Gault Village Holmes + Ridge 30 - - Through service with route 43
104 Washtenaw Express Blake TC Ypsilanti TC 30 - - Limited-stop service

Major transfer stops

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The main hubs of the AAATA system are the Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor and the Ypsilanti Transit Center in downtown Ypsilanti. Both transit centers have an indoor waiting room with a staffed ticket window.[30]

AAATA buses serve multiple locations on the campus of the University of Michigan. On the university's Central Campus, the main transfer point is the Central Campus Transit Center on Geddes Avenue. All services to the university's North Campus stop at Pierpont Commons, and all services to the University of Michigan Health campus stop on Observatory Street. Connecting service is available to University of Michigan Transit services at these locations, and other locations across the University of Michigan campus.[31]

Additional transfer points in Ann Arbor include Arborland Center, Briarwood Mall, the Ann Arbor VA Hospital, and Traver Village Shopping Center. The Carpenter Road Meijer store, located in northeast Pittsfield Township, is a connection point for multiple bus lines in the Ypsilanti area.[31]

Special services

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TheRide provides paratransit services, branded as ARide, for individuals with disabilities. Since 2021, these services have been opearted by MV Transportation.[32] Microtransit services in Ypsilanti Township and Pittsfield Township, branded as FlexRide, are operated by Via Transportation.[33] TheRide operates shuttle services for special events, including the Ann Arbor Art Fairs and Michigan Wolverines football home games. TheRide also coordinates carpools and vanpools in partnership with major area employers.

Connections

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D2A2 Bus at the Blake Transit Center

AAATA service connects with University of Michigan Transit services at multiple points on the university's campus. These services are free to the public.[34]

Connections to western Washtenaw County are available via the Western Washtenaw Area Value Express from the western terminus of route 30. Service to northeast Washtenaw County and Livingston County is provided by People's Express, connecting at the University of Michigan Hospital.[35]

The Wolverine train service, operated by Amtrak, stops at the Ann Arbor station, which is served by lines 22, 33 and 65.[31]: 91  The Amtrak station is also the Ann Arbor stop for multiple intercity bus services, including Greyhound and FlixBus.[36]

The Michigan Flyer, which runs 12 daily trips from East Lansing via Brighton to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, stops at the Blake Transit Center.[37]

D2A2 is an hourly express service between Ann Arbor and Downtown Detroit.[38] In 2023 it added late-night summer buses from June to September, allowing Ann Arbor residents to leave Detroit near midnight.[39]

Park and Ride

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The AAATA provides ten free Park and Ride locations, mostly around the outskirts of Ann Arbor.[40][41] All park-and-ride lots receive frequent bus service at weekday rush hours, and some locations feature all-day and weekend service.[31]: 12–14  AAATA's "TheRide 2045" plan includes creating a second ring of park-and-ride lots for commuters further outside the city.[42]

Fleet

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2022 Nova LFS

TheRide currently operates a mix of Gillig Low Floor and Nova Bus LFS buses on its fixed routes.[43] The system's buses run on B12 biodiesel, and many are diesel-electric hybrid units. The AAATA has 55 hybrid electric buses in its fleet and, in 2007, became the first public transit operator in the Midwest to state its intention to convert to all hybrid electric buses, though these plans never came to fruition.[44]

In 2022, the AAATA began exploring a series of plans to replace its entire diesel-powered fleet with battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses by 2035.[45]

Fares

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AAATA 25th anniversary token

AAATA uses a fixed-fare system. Full fare on fixed-route buses is $1.50, payable by cash or tokens. Day passes are available for $3.00, and 31-day passes are $45.00. Mobile ticketing is available for IPhone and Android smartphone users through the EZfare app. Transfers are free, and are valid for unlimited connections to fixed-route buses for 90 minutes.[31]: 6–7 

Free fares are available for University of Michigan students, faculty, and staff; children under 6; registered seniors 65 years of age and over; customers with disabilites who are eligible for paratransit; and TheRide employees.

Reduced fares are available for customers including Medicaid recipients, K–12 school students, and seniors ages 60–64. All reduced fares are half the standard fare.[31]: 6–7 

Standard fare for AirRide services is $15 per adult, with discounts available for accompanied children and round-trip tickets.[46] D2A2 tickets are $8, with discounts available for advance bookings, seniors, and customers with disabilities.[47]

Projects

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Throughout its existence, the AAATA has worked on projects with other government agencies within Washtenaw county in order to improve transit service.

TheRide 2045

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The AAATA's current long-term project plan, called TheRide 2045, sets a high level vision for how the AAATA plans to expand service. Goals include reducing travel times, addressing equity gaps, and improving environmental outcomes. The plan was created with assistance of a public advisory group and after an 18-month public engagement process.[48] An early part of this plan is a new property tax for the AAATA service area starting in 2024 which, in addition to addressing a structural deficit, will increase hours, provide at least 30 minute headways on weekends, and add an express route between the Blake Transit Center and the Ypsilanti Transit Center.[49] Information specialists began staffing the YTC on 1 August 2023 for the first time since the center opened.

Transit Signal Priority

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In 1973, the city of Ann Arbor and the AATA agreed to a system that would provide a computerized traffic light system to provide buses with priority.[50][51] As of 2018, Transit Signal Priority options were still being studied.[52]

Zero-emission buses

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TheRide recommended to the AAATA board in October 2023 to pilot hydrogen fuel cell buses, with the AAATA contributing $1.1-1.5 million and federal grants paying an additional $4.4-6 million.[53]

Administration

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The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority is a special district under Michigan law, which has agreements with six municipalities in Washtenaw County to provide services. The City of Ann Arbor, the City of Ypsilanti, and Ypsilanti Charter Township are full members of the authority, and have the power to make appointments to the authority's 10-member board of directors. Pittsfield Charter Township, Scio Township, and Superior Charter Township receive services from the authority under purchase-of-service agreements, and do not appoint board members.[30]

Funding for the AAATA is provided by a variety of sources. As of 2023, passenger fares represent 7% of the authority's operating revenue. Other sources of funding include local property taxes, federal and state operating assistance, and purchase-of-service agreeements.[30]

Bus drivers, maintenance staff, and customer service agents at the TheRide are union members, represented by Local 171 of the Transport Workers Union of America.[54]

The AAATA is the designated authority for the proposed Ann Arbor-Howell commuter rail line.[55]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ann Arbor Transportation Authority ad". The Ann Arbor News. December 14, 1969.
  2. ^ Sherman, Steven (August 6, 2008). "The Ride: AATA Gillig Hybrid Electric Bus". Automobile Magazine.
  3. ^ "Nova Bus Service Bulletin" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Fourth Quarter & End-of-Year 2014" (PDF). Public Transportation Ridership Report. American Public Transportation Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  5. ^ Stanton, Ryan (February 14, 2020). "Ann Arbor transit CEO talks future: electric buses, service expansion". mlive. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  6. ^ "Executive Staff | Leadership | About Us | AATA - Ann Arbor Transportation Authority". Archived from the original on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  7. ^ Shackman, Grace (November 1995). "Ann Arbor's streetcars". Ann Arbor Observer. Retrieved 2024-02-20 – via Ann Arbor District Library.
  8. ^ "Transit Unit Trying To Cut Bus Costs". The Ann Arbor News. November 14, 1968 – via Ann Arbor District Library.
  9. ^ Ellsworth, Barbara (May 5, 1971). "Buses Struggle For Survival". Huron Valley Advisor. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  10. ^ "The Ride - Ann Arbor Transportation Authority". Archived from the original on 2009-12-02. Retrieved 2009-11-28. AATA FAQ page
  11. ^ "Busing Service Set For April 1". The Ann Arbor News. March 9, 1969.
  12. ^ Cordray, Ron (January 6, 1970). "City Awarded $429,275 U.S. Grant For Buses". The Ann Arbor News.
  13. ^ "City Bus Progress 'Exceptional'". The Ann Arbor News. July 21, 1970.
  14. ^ "Bus Officials Want Road Work Voice". The Ann Arbor News. October 22, 1970.
  15. ^ "Bus Fund Approved By WCC". The Ann Arbor News. July 31, 1974.
  16. ^ Harris, Glen (October 17, 1973). "Handicapped Get A Special Bus". The Ann Arbor News.
  17. ^ Wilkins, Lee (February 17, 1974). "Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Buses Start Monday". The Ann Arbor News.
  18. ^ Harris, Glen (November 29, 1973). "AATA Approves Bus Line To Ypsilanti". The Ann Arbor News.
  19. ^ Wilkins, Lee (July 11, 1974). "Teltran Bus Project Rolls Forward". The Ann Arbor News.
  20. ^ "Transit Plan Named 'Teltran'". The Ann Arbor News. February 23, 1973.
  21. ^ Wilkins, Lee (July 28, 1974). "Bus Ridership Tops Million". The Ann Arbor News.
  22. ^ Cobbs, Liz (April 30, 1994). "AATA director to leave for new job". The Ann Arbor News.
  23. ^ Stanton, Ryan J. (November 19, 2012). "AATA breaks ground on $8.1M new and improved Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor". AnnArbor.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  24. ^ Kline, Don. "Grand opening ceremony celebrates AAATA's new and improved downtown Blake Transit Center". theride.org. Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  25. ^ "D2A2 stops". Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  26. ^ "Just Say The Ride". Ann Arbor Chronicle. August 15, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  27. ^ Roelofs, Ted (June 28, 2018). "How Ann Arbor boosted its bus system, as other Michigan cities struggle". Bridge Michigan. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  28. ^ "Route Maps & Schedules Library". Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  29. ^ "Route Maps & Schedules Library". Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. August 25, 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  30. ^ a b c "TheRide Citizen Report FY2023" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  31. ^ a b c d e f "RideGuide" (PDF). Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. January 28, 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  32. ^ "MV Transportation Selected to Provide Paratransit Services for Ann Arbor Area" (Press release). MV Transportation. August 5, 2021. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  33. ^ "FlexRide". TheRide. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  34. ^ "Rider Guide". Logistics, Transportation & Parking. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  35. ^ "Commuter Route". People's Express. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  36. ^ "Affordable Bus tickets to Ann Arbor, MI". Flixbus. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  37. ^ "These Are the 20 Busiest Airports in the United States". AFAR Media. August 28, 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  38. ^ Lawrence, Eric D. "Hourly bus service between Detroit and Ann Arbor begins Monday". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  39. ^ Parlette, Sarah (May 28, 2023). "D2A2 bus adds late night routes for summer travel". WDIV. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  40. ^ "Park & Ride Locations | TheRide". www.theride.org. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  41. ^ "Free Parking". Logistics, Transportation & Parking. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  42. ^ Stanton, Ryan (November 20, 2023). "Park-and-ride commuting may be way of life for 10,000 Ann Arbor workers in the future". MLive. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10.
  43. ^ "Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority". CPTDB Wiki. Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  44. ^ "AATA Goes Hybrid". Arbor Update—Ann Arbor Area Community News. October 24, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  45. ^ Stanton, Ryan (October 21, 2022). "Ann Arbor transit system weighing pros and cons of electric buses". MLive. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  46. ^ "Michigan Flyer Bus Fares". Michigan Flyer. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  47. ^ "Fares". D2A2. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  48. ^ "TheRide's Board approves long-range plan, TheRide 2045". Mass Transit. July 27, 2022. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  49. ^ "Voters approve TheRide's millage request". Mass Transit. August 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  50. ^ "City Buses Could Get Green Lights Priority For $100,000". The Ann Arbor News. July 19, 1973.
  51. ^ Harris, Glen (July 26, 1973). "AATA Approves 'Fly' Plan". The Ann Arbor News.
  52. ^ "Washtenaw BRT Refinement Study — Transit Signal Priority Evaluation & Recommendations". September 27, 2018.
  53. ^ "TheRide makes recommendation for zero-emission bus pilot project". Mass Transit. October 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  54. ^ "Come RIDE with us at TWU 171". Transport Workers Union Local 171. October 27, 2016. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  55. ^ Shea, Bill (October 29, 2008). "Ann Arbor-Howell commuter rail line chugs ahead; authority named". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
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