The issue of Council election dynamics is a topic for a different thread.

Federal funding received for the BTC requires 1% spent on “enhancements” – which at that time included various items like better signage, better access for disability community, improved pedestrian or bicycle access, and public art. That’s why there will be public art at the BTC.

The more recent federal funding requirement introduced a new term for what formerly known as enhancements – called “associated transit improvements.” Public art is no longer on the list. Art can still be eligible under the new rules, if it’s integrated into the facility – like artist-designed floor or wall tiles. But procuring a sculpture for installation at a facility would not be eligible under the new rules.

From AAATA manager of community relations Mary Stasiak:

For many years, we have been required to spend at least 1% of our federal Section 5307 formula funding each year on “transit enhancements.” Public art at a transit facility has been an eligible transit enhancement. With MAP-21, the terminology was changed to “Associated Transit Improvements” but the 1% requirement remains. However, under MAP-21, public art is no longer specifically listed as an eligible category, but it is still eligible. More importantly for this discussion, the funds we are using for the public art project at the BTC were appropriated before MAP-21 under the previous authorizing legislation. As a result, AAATA is using these funds for a “transit enhancement” project which specifically includes public art.

FTA sheet on public art in transit projects: [link]

Excerpt from the most recent version, C90301F: [link]

We used to hold municipal elections in April; they were moved to November in order to increase turn out. One of the results of that switch was that it became harder to elect Republicans to local office – to the point where there are no no (self-proclaimed) Republicans in local government. I think this Herb’s point: the timing of elections does affect their outcome.

On paper, your point about “People get what they deserve” if they don’t show up makes perfect sense. The problem is, to many people it seems like less emotional work to vote with their feet and move 10 feet over the tax line, as happened in Detroit, than to spend energy engaging in local politics. It can be easy for those who vote in most elections to be smug about those who don’t frequently vote in local elections, but when taxes are not widely supported, bad things eventually happen to your community.

We need to make it easier for people to vote in local elections. Perhaps internet voting is a part of the solution to inconvenient elections; in the meantime, it seems to me that Herb still has a point about the timing of elections, and its affect on the legitimacy of outcomes. People do vote with their feet.

Jeff, the short answer is: It’s not a city public art project. BTC construction was funded with a substantial portion of federal funds, and I think the it’s the feds who are requiring some kind of public art as a part of it. I’ll work on getting you a longer answer.

Within Ann Arbor alone, 66% of respondents said that someone in their family had used AATA.

Interestingly, the percentage of 18-34 year-olds using transit decreased from 56% to 45% over the two surveys. Interesting, because we keep hearing that the transit urgency is directed at Millennials, per Lou Glazer.