AATA Increases NightRide Contract

At a special meeting held on July 16, 2012, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board authorized an increase in its contract with Blue Cab, which the AATA contracts with to operate its NightRide service. The increase is from $28 to $32 per service hour for a contract that extends through 2013.

The NightRide is a shared cab service with a basic fare of $5, which is available weekdays from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and weekends from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Those are hours when the AATA’s regular fixed-route service does not operate.

Of the $4 per service hour cost increase in Blue Cab’s contract, $3 is analyzed by the AATA as based on compliance with the AATA’s relatively new living wage policy. The other $1 is analyzed as a general cost increase.

The geographic coverage area of AATA’s NightRide was expanded eastward to Golfside Road in March 2011 and further to downtown Ypsilanti in January 2012 – as part of a broader effort to improve work transportation between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Ridership has increased about 40% from last year – with about 25 points of that increase due to broader geographic coverage and the other 15 points due to demand in Ann Arbor. [.jpg of NightRide chart]

This brief was filed from AATA headquarters at 2700 S. Industrial Highway, where the special board meeting was held. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link]