I do not think it is morally right for taxpayers of modest means in Ann Arbor to be paying a big chunk of the transportation costs for well-off, privileged UM Students. Property taxes in Ann Arbor are already too high and they make it difficult for who are not getting big salaries or wealthy to live here and cope financially.

Does AATA expect these large subsidies for their business operations to continue indefinitely? This is a very important question that needs to be debated publicly and answered.

(b.) What I found startling when the WALLY station design was discussed at the PDC meeting was that the downtown station was now the top priority in design work. Barton would come second. Since no business arrangement for use of the tracks (let alone any funding, etc.) has been reached, I wondered what inspired this. The PDC notes quote Eli Cooper as appreciating the staff flexibility in prioritizing the downtown station. This implies that the decision was made in city hall. What is going on?

(c.)Anglin spoke on February 29? Remarkable.

Of interest to any discussion of WALLY, the author notes that she asked the Executive VP of Watco whether that company was interested in allowing commuter service on its AARR tracks. The Executive VP “provided little encouragement” for commuter rail. Reportedly, Watco is willing to listen.

That the Ann Arbor Observer knows this information but the AATA seems unaware reinforces the suspicion that AATA is incapable of responsible spending on its planning. This is all too reminiscent of AATA’s planning for the Countywide transit authority without knowing whether any other community was interested in contributing to the cost of the planned service.

The award of the study contract to SmithGroup JJR made by the board at its Aug. 16, 2012 meeting. From that meeting report:

The track from the Barton Road location southward is owned by the Ann Arbor Railroad, which has historically been uninterested in passenger rail use on it tracks. But in the fall of 2011, AARR indicated at least a willingness to entertain a “business proposition” on such use. Some kind of arrangement would be necessary in order to contemplate stations south of Barton Road – like downtown or the football stadium.

And since then a deal was announced late last year that Watco, a Kansas-based company, would be purchasing the railroad from AARR.

Last I checked in with AATA on the topic a few weeks ago, they hadn’t had yet had any substantive talks with Watco on use of the tracks for passenger rail.

Wouldn’t the First & William lot be a better location? It’s closer to Main Street, and the station could be built so it faces the right way. A station behind the Blind Pig would presumably have to face toward the City owned lot behind it.