DDA Offers $14,417 for Ypsi-A2 Buses

At its Dec. 1, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority passed a resolution offering a $14,417 challenge grant to fund service improvements for the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Route #4 bus, which runs between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. The dollar figure for the grant is based on a total estimated price tag for the improvements of $180,000 and a Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) computer model, which estimates about 8% of riders on the #4 bus have destinations west of State Street in the DDA district. The DDA hopes the challenge grant will encourage other organizations to support the transit improvements, like the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, private property owners, other municipalities, and the AATA.

The improvements in service might include: increasing service frequencies to every 10 minutes; reducing travel time from 45 minutes to 38 minutes or less; or inclusion of a stop downtown before continuing to the UM Hospitals.

This brief was filed from the DDA offices on Fifth Avenue. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow.