The AATA board takes a vote at its June 20, 2013 meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

In the last two weeks the city councils of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor had voted unanimously to support the changes to the articles. The vote on the AATA aboard was also unanimous among the five members who were present. Sue Gott and board chair Charles Griffith were absent.

The change to the articles will also expand the board to nine members, with one of the two additional seats to be appointed by the city of Ypsilanti. The name of the authority will now reflect the fact that the geographic boundaries extend beyond Ann Arbor by changing the name to the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA).

While the change in governance does not in itself have any financial implications, the goal of the governance change is to provide a way for the two cities to generate additional revenue supporting transportation – in addition to the local millages that the cities already levy, which are specifically dedicated to transportation and transmitted to the AATA. An additional millage could be levied by the AAATA – a statutory right also enjoyed by the AATA, but never exercised. The AAATA could put a millage proposal on the ballot, but it would require voter approval.

The board does not have a meeting scheduled for the month of July, but CEO Michael Ford indicated that one might be convened, to handle some routine items as well as next steps related to the addition of Ypsilanti to the AAATA. That would need to be noticed to the public as a special meeting under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act.

In other business, the AATA board agreed to raise fares for its commuter express service from Canton and Chelsea. The increase in fares, in combination with a one-time agreement with the University of Michigan to defray costs of the fare increase for its employees, allowed the Canton service to continue. Fares were also increased on a certain subset of rides taken on the AATA’s NightRide – a shared taxi service that operates after the AATA regular buses stop running. The fare for NightRide will remain $5 for all rides except those that have origins and destinations both in Ann Arbor, and for those that are made with an advance reservation. However, if a ride has either an origin or destination outside Ann Arbor and no reservation is made in advance, then the cost will be $7. The board also approved a number of other route scheduling changes.

In addition, the board approved the purchase of battery refresher kits for up to 20 of its hybrid electric buses. And the board authorized the sale of an older bus to the Ann Arbor Community Center for one dollar.

The board held a public hearing on its federal program of projects, and received updates on several items. Board members also heard an update on the delayed deployment of the AATA’s new website, an optimistic report on the possibility that around $800,000 of state funding would be restored, and a status report on the connector project. The connector project is still in the planning stages, and could result in high-capacity transit along the corridor that runs from US-23 and Plymouth Road through downtown southward to Briarwood Mall.

The board also took care of some internal housekeeping items at the meeting, electing Eli Cooper as treasurer, who replaces David Nacht. Nacht recently ended his 10 years of service on the board.

Admission of Ypsilanti to AATA

The board was asked to give the final approval necessary to add the city of Ypsilanti as a member municipality of the transportation authority. As part of the move, the name of the organization will be changed to the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.

The geographic footprint of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority is shown in green: the two cities of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. The city of Saline and the townships of Pittsfield and Ypsilanti have also been part of recent active discussions about committing to a more stable funding mechanism for existing service and expanded service.

The change to the articles of incorporation also gives Ypsilanti the right to appoint a member of the board – which will expand from seven to nine members. The city councils of the two cities had already approved the change. The Ann Arbor city council voted on June 3, 2013 to approve the change in governance, while the Ypsilanti city council took its vote on June 18. Both councils voted unanimously to support the move. [.pdf of new AAATA articles of incorporation] [.pdf of old AATA articles of incorporation]

While the change to the articles will affect the governance of the AAATA, the goal of the governance change is to provide a way to generate additional funding for transportation. The AAATA could, with voter approval, levy a uniform property tax on the entire geographic area of its membership – something the AATA does not currently do. The cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti now levy their own millages, which are transmitted to the AATA. However, Ypsilanti is currently at its 20-mill state constitutional limit. A millage levied by the AAATA would not count against that 20-mill cap.

Based on information provided to Ann Arbor city council members for their June 3 meeting, the local share of Ypsilanti’s transportation services – the part for which Ypsilanti is responsible – would come to $325,983 for FY 2014. Ypsilanti’s dedicated millage, which is levied at a rate of 0.9789 mills, generated about $308,000 in FY 2012. So there’s some interest in establishing an additional funding source, just to maintain existing levels of service.

However, current discussions indicate that the intent is to increase levels of service – both frequency and the hours of operation – within the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti city boundaries. The additional amount of local funding for the planned increases in service would be the equivalent of around 0.6-0.7 mills. One mill is $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.

An AAATA millage proposal would require voter approval. There’s an outside chance for the AAATA to place a millage on the November 2013 ballot, but that decision would need to be made by late August. [Ballot language must be certified to the county clerk by Aug. 27, 2013.] The practicalities of mounting a successful millage campaign mean that a decision to make a millage request would likely need to come sooner than late August, however.

On a possible millage question, AATA staff and board members are currently having “feeler” discussions with some members of the community who have strong interests in transportation.

Regarding the name change, customary pronunciation of the current name is to sound out each letter: A-A-T-A. One possibility that’s been suggested for the new Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority is to pronounce the new letter sequence Triple-A-T-A. Another possibility is A-3-T-A.

The proposal to include Ypsilanti in the AAATA came in the context of a demised attempt in 2012 to expand the AATA to all of Washtenaw County. Since then, conversations have continued among a smaller cluster of communities geographically closer to Ann Arbor. The next such meeting is scheduled for June 27 at Pittsfield Township hall, starting at 4 p.m. [Previous Chronicle coverage: "Ypsi Waits at Bus Stop, Other Riders Unclear."]

Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber, responding to an emailed inquiry from The Chronicle, indicated that he hoped the Ypsilanti appointment to the AAATA board could be confirmed by the council by late July or mid-August.

Admission of Ypsilanti to AATA: Board Deliberations

Reporting out from the planning and development committee, Eli Cooper noted that Jerry Lax – outside counsel for the AATA – had attended the committee’s meeting that month. Lax had answered questions from committee members about the legal ins and outs of the move. There’s some continued interest on financial issues, which he’d keep an eye on as treasurer, Cooper said. The committee, however, was clear about the fact that the change to the governance was separate from the financial issue. The sense of the committee, he concluded, was that adding Ypsilanti is a positive step forward.

AATA board member Eli Cooper.

Cooper characterized the addition of Ypsilanti to the AATA as a “wonderful opportunity.” He pointed out that the AATA is an Act 55 transit authority, serving Ann Arbor since the 1970s. It’s really been an authority that has served the Ann Arbor area, he noted. The step of moving Ypsilanti into the AATA is a recognition of the regional nature of AATA’s services, Cooper said. He allowed that this is less than the countywide area that the authority had been pursuing last year, but it’s a recognition of the growth of the AATA and the Ann Arbor metropolitan area.

It’s one small step forward in establishing a footprint to serve the transit needs of the community, said Cooper, who also is the city of Ann Arbor’s transportation program manager. He hoped it’s the first of many similar steps, taken incrementally as other communities become interested in having a more formal relationship with the AATA. “Make no mistake about it: The city of Ypsilanti, by moving forward with a transit millage a few years back, is really a partner with us.” So he’d be voting in support of bringing Ypsilanti in and moving forward with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.

Roger Kerson echoed what Cooper had said. He called it a really good step forward in terms of regional thinking. Travel needs don’t stop at municipal boundaries, he noted. Kerson was especially looking forward to having representation from Ypsilanti on the board. He appreciated the fact that Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber, as well as Ypsilanti councilmember Pete Murdock, had attended recent meetings of the AATA board.

Kerson allowed that there’d been “fits and starts” in the effort to expand transit services. He was glad Ypsilanti had jump-started the process. Kerson was also glad the Ann Arbor city council supported the move. Kerson stressed that having Ypsilanti join the AATA doesn’t exclude anyone else, saying that other communities might also want to become full partners. He was very happy to support the resolution.

Eric Mahler echoed what Cooper and Kerson had said. He offered his compliments to the AATA staff and outside counsel Jerry Lax. It was nice to have a willing and full partner who wants to be a real partner. It’s one thing to have a relationship, but it’s another one to have a real partner, he said.

Before proceeding to a vote, Anya Dale indicated she agreed with Mahler, Kerson and Cooper.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the resolution adopting the revised articles of incorporation, admitting the city of Ypsilanti as a member of the AATA.

Admission of Ypsilanti to AATA: Next Steps

During his report to the board, Michael Ford told them that details of their availability had been requested in anticipation of a possible special board meeting to be held in July, in connection with next steps related to adding Ypsilanti to the AATA. Other items that might need board approval at a potential special meeting in July include a print job contract, relocation of a fire hydrant, and purchase of vans for the VanRide program expansion.

Meetings among nearby jurisdictions – including the cities of Ypsilanti and Saline, and the townships of Ypsilanti and Pittsfield – have continued after the end of an effort in 2012 to expand the AATA’s service and governance area to the entire county. The smaller group of government units has been presented with a set of increased services and various funding and governance options. Among those options was the possibility of Ypsilanti and other nearby jurisdictions joining the AATA. Previous Chronicle coverage: “Ypsi Waits at Bus Stop, Other Riders Unclear.”

The next meeting of the urban core group is June 27 at the Pittsfield Township hall, 6201 W. Michigan Ave., starting at 4 p.m. At the AATA board’s June 20 meeting, Ford announced that the June 27 meeting would include an unveiling of the “build out” of a plan and analysis of the urban core. The information will be for informational purposes only, Ford said, to inform stakeholders. Any funding proposal would eventually come before the AATA board for deliberation, he noted.

Ford also reported that the AATA is considering fielding an opinion survey to follow up on one that was conducted in November 2011. The previous survey had focused on the idea of countywide service, but this new one would focus on the “urban core” communities, Ford said.

Fare Increases: NightRide, Express

The board was asked to approve fare increases for two of the AATA’s services – NightRide and ExpressRide.

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 6:45 a.m.

The board was asked to approve a proposal that keeps costs at $5 per rider for any trips that have their origin and destination within the city of Ann Arbor. And the current $5 per rider will continue to apply to any rides taken with an advance reservation – a system the AATA will be implementing, using vans. However, a $2 premium – for a total of $7 – will apply to rides with a destination or origin that’s not within the city of Ann Arbor, if no advance reservation is made. The move was proposed as a result of increased ridership on the service, after the AATA expanded the service to include the city of Ypsilanti.

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. Many downtown Ann Arbor restaurant workers live in Ypsilanti. Ridership increased dramatically.

Chart showing NightRide ridership for fiscal years 2008 into 2012.

That increase in ridership resulted in higher costs – due to an adjustment in the contract between Blue Cab and AATA, which the board authorized on July 16, 2012.

At its June 20 meeting, the board was also asked to approve fare increases for express services – from Canton and Chelsea. The proposal was to raise fares from $99 to $125 for a monthly pass; from $40 to $62.50 for a 10-ride ticket, and from $5 to $6.25 for a single trip. According to documentation on that fare increase provided to AATA board members, the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority have agreed to split the cost of subsidizing the fare increase. UM already subsidizes fares for its workers to ride the service.

At its March 6, 2013 board meeting, however, the DDA declined to include the requested $18,000 subsidy that AATA had requested for Canton and Chelsea express service support. That request had come in the context of AATA requests for other support – for the go!pass program for downtown commuters. The DDA board did agree to $610,662 of support for that program.

The fare increases will be effective in August 2013.

Fare Increases: NightRide, Express – Meeting Deliberations

In introducing the NightRide item to the board, AATA manager of service development Chris White described the service as a “victim of its own success.” He stressed that there are no changes proposed within the city of Ann Arbor. The premium fare applies only to those rides that have either an origin or destination outside of Ann Arbor – and are not made with an advance reservation.

In reporting out from the performance monitoring and external relations committee, Roger Kerson made clear the Canton service had been “on the chopping block,” but UM had provided the resources necessary to continue the service. In his remarks, Kerson stressed that financing the express services for out-of-town commuters did not rely on any Ann Arbor taxpayer dollars. The funding from UM is for only a year, and the AATA is hoping that the new southeast Michigan regional transit Authority (RTA) – which includes Washtenaw County – would provide funding in future years.

During his report to the board, CEO Michael Ford made a special note of the fact that the university had agreed to cover the cost of the express ride service to Canton, which avoided eliminating the route. A formal request had been made to the regional transit authority (RTA) for support of the commuter express ride services. The RTA couldn’t meet that request, because the new authority doesn’t have funds for operating transit at this time. Ford said he was very appreciative of UM’s willingness to step up and offer its support for the Canton service.

Kerson said UM’s last-minute provision of the resources to keep that service going indicated the value that UM places on reducing congestion and parking needs. The riders are paying some of the extra cost, Kerson pointed out, through the fare increase. At the end of the day, the AATA still provides the service but no local taxpayer money is used to subsidize out-of-town commuters, Kerson stressed, saying he knew that had been a concern.

AATA board member Eric Mahler.

A question from Eric Mahler later in the meeting clarified that the commitment from UM was for one year only. Ford indicated that in future years, the AATA hoped to continue the discussion with the RTA. Ford characterized the situation as the UM contribution giving a little bit of a reprieve, but the AATA will continue to work diligently to identify funding sources.

Chris White noted that the proposed change had included the potential for eliminating the Canton service. But that turned out not to be necessary. The fare increase was the result of working on a financing plan, White said, which had included conversations with riders about their willingness to pay an additional fare. Riders are “anxious to maintain the service” and are willing to pay some of those costs, he said.

So the issue the AATA faced was increasing fares versus losing riders, White explained. The increase comes to about 25% increase. The great majority of riders – more than 90% – have half their fare paid by UM or by the DDA through the getDowntown program, White said. So instead of a $26 increase, it works out to a $13 increase per month for those riders, he concluded.

Eli Cooper moved for approval, saying that it’s important to note that both the Chelsea and Canton services were new – when introduced using federal demonstration funding. He’d recalled the debate and the compromise that had been reached on the appropriate fare. The services have been years in developing ridership, he said.

Cooper recalled that when he served his first term on the board in 2005, he used to say: “I can get anywhere in Ann Arbor, but I can’t get outta here. And if I’m not here, I can’t get in here unless I have a car.” The express services respond directly to that challenge, he said. Combined with AirRide, the express services give the AATA a metropolitan area reach. The fact that AATA staff, employers and riders have come together to find stable financial footing for at least the next year reflects a real value that the service represents to all stakeholders, he said.

Cooper was also pleased to hear the RTA accepted the AATA’s request, but just doesn’t have the funding available. The AATA needs to continue to work with the RTA to understand the positive working relationship that can be established to give benefit to Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority riders, he said. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work over a number of years, Cooper noted. It’s not serving the largest number of riders, he allowed, but it’s a new service. He looked forward to continued marketing and expansion of the service as the community grows.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the fare increases and the service changes on three separate votes.

At its June 20 meeting, the AATA board also approved several non-fare-related service changes to different routes. All except one was considered minor. The major change was to Route 12 in Ann Arbor, which changed its departure times from Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor.

“Sale” of Bus to Community Center

The board was asked to approve the sale of an older bus to the Ann Arbor Community Center. Under Michigan Dept. of Transportation guidelines, a transportation authority can sell a bus to a nonprofit at a cost of $1. That’s what the AATA board was asked to do.

AATA board member Roger Kerson.

The vehicle was a 1999 Gillig low-floor bus originally purchased by the AATA in October 1999. That means the bus has served its minimum 12-year useful life. According to AATA manager of maintenance Terry Black, the bus had about a half-million miles on it. The AATA had previously sold a bus to the community center in 2008 – also for $1. However, replacement parts for that bus are difficult to find.

Roger Kerson noted that buses reach a point where they go out of service and can’t be used by the AATA. But the Ann Arbor Community Center won’t use it that much, compared to the number of miles the AATA would put on it.

No transit authority would be able to use it, given the number of miles on it. It’s a way to support an organization that’s provided support to the community for 90 years, Black said.

Eli Cooper got clarification that the bus would receive a paint job (purple), making it clear that the vehicle was not an AATA bus. Susan Baskett indicated her support for the move, and felt that the community center is grateful for the support.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the sale of the bus.

Hybrid Bus Battery Refreshers

The board was asked to approve the purchase of refresher battery kits for up to 20 hybrid electric buses at a total cost of $675,000. The board had discussed the item at a previous meeting, on April 18, 2013.

At the April 18 meeting, the board lamented the fact that no U.S. company, and more specifically no Michigan company, had bid on the AATA’s request for proposals to replace the battery kits for its hybrid electric buses. But board sentiment was that a larger purchasing consortium for such kits might eventually be achieved through the newly-created southeast Michigan regional transit authority (RTA) – which includes the transit agencies in Washtenaw, Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. And that larger consortium might make it worth the while of a Michigan company that’s part of the state’s nascent battery industry to invest in the capability to produce bus battery kits.

The board delayed voting on the item in April due to the non-U.S. source – because board members wanted to be certain that federal funds could be used. The only bid had been from W.W. Williams of Dearborn, Mich., which distributes a product sold by Allison Transmission. The kits are fully assembled in Japan by Panasonic, but are programmed by Allison for use in the energy storage system used in AATA buses. So Allison was pursuing a Buy America waiver from the Federal Transit Administration – as its existing waiver had expired.

The AATA also inquired directly with the FTA. From the AATA staff memo on the results of that inquiry:

AATA requested clarification from the FTA on April 16, 2013 and received approval on June 4, 2013 from the FTA to purchase the battery refresh kits using grant funds. Approval from FTA came as a result of a determination that while the energy storage system (ESS) is a component of the Allison propulsion system, it is comprised of many subcomponents e.g., battery sub packs, relays, fuses, pre-charge resistors, etc. In the FTA’s opinion, components (ESS) of the propulsion system must be manufactured in the United States without regard to the origin of its subcomponents. In the FTA’s determination subcomponents may be of domestic or foreign origin. The purchase of the battery refresh kit is not a purchase of the entire ESS component, but a purchase of a subcomponent that does not require a waiver to be eligible for purchase using grant funds.

In the fleet of 80 AATA buses, 52 use hybrid battery technology.

Reporting out from the performance monitoring and external relations committee, Roger Kerson commended AATA manager of maintenance Terry Black. Kerson noted that AATA was an early-adopter of the technology for its buses. It’s easy to say, “Go buy a hybrid,” but it’s not easy when you’ve never run that kind of bus, and nobody actually has done that before.

In introducing the item for a vote, Kerson reiterated that it’s necessary to maintain hybrid bus batteries to keep them on the road. It’s being done in advance of the failure of any battery packs, he noted, so the AATA is addressing this proactively.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the hybrid electric bus battery refresher kits.

Board Organization

The AATA has three officers – chair, treasurer and secretary. Absence of board chair Charles Griffith at the June 20 meeting, and the recent departure from the board of treasurer David Nacht, meant that some housekeeping activity was required at the start of the June 20 meeting.

Due to the chair’s absence, board secretary Anya Dale presided over the meeting. But that meant an acting secretary needed to be appointed. Eli Cooper served as secretary for the duration of the meeting.

The two standing board committees were also set. The planning and development committee (PDC) will consist of: Sue Gott (chair), Eli Cooper and Eric Mahler. The performance monitoring and external relations (PMER) committee will consist of: Roger Kerson (chair), Anya Dale and Susan Baskett.

Because Nacht had left the board after 10 years of service, his position as treasurer needed replacement. Dale, presiding over the meeting, called Nacht’s replacement “in position only.”

Kerson nominated Cooper for the job. Kerson noted that Cooper was now in his second term of service on the AATA board. Cooper has a great deal of professional experience in transit, Kerson continued. He said that based on conversations on the board and off the board, Cooper is a “dedicated and rigorous guardian of public funds.” The AATA board and the taxpayers would be well-served with Cooper as board treasurer, Kerson said. Baskett seconded the nomination.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the appointment of Eli Cooper as treasurer of the AATA board.

Federal Program of Projects Application

The AATA held a formal public hearing on its annual federal program of projects.

Federal Program of Projects Application: Background

Chris White, AATA manager of service development, explained the background of the federal program of projects. A public hearing is a required component each year for the AATA’s application to the Federal Transit Administration for grants. But the public hearing is the last step of the public input process, White said. Earlier opportunities for public input are provided in the planning process that includes development of a long-range plan – working with the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), White said.

The next step in the development of AATA’s transportation improvement program is a four-year program. In order to be included in the FTA grant application, White said, a project must also be included in the long-range plan and the four-year plan. The public has also had previous opportunity to weigh in on the capital and categorical grant program – which is adopted each January. The capital and categorical grant program is a five-year program – which forms the basis of the application for the FTA grant funds.

The AATA receives funds from different formula sources, White explained. The primary source of funds is from Section 5307 (Urbanized Area Formula Program), which totals a little over $6 million this year, White said. The AATA had also received about $700,000 in funds from a new program – Section 5339 (Bus and Bus Facilities Formula Grants), which is a capital-only program. On the list is also about $1.15 million for CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) funds for the replacement of two buses. Other funds on the list include some from the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) program and the New Freedom Program – which helps fund transportation for people with disabilities.

After describing the sources of the funds, White then ticked through the items on the list. The items, sorted by the amount of federal funds requested, is as follows:

Federal Share  Project  
=================================================
$1,680,000     Preventive Maintenance 
$1,474,000     Operating Assistance    
$1,156,320     2 Large Buses (replacement)  
$1,046,400     Blake Transit Center (final funding)      
$1,040,000     2 Large Buses (service expansion) 
  $500,000     25 Vans (vanpool)  
  $400,000     Ypsilanti Transit Center   
  $320,000     Planning  
  $311,760     Job Access Transportation
  $256,000     Bus Components  
  $240,000     Subcontracted Service  
  $151,724     New Freedom Mobility Transportation   
  $120,000     Computer (hardware, software)   
   $72,000     4 support vehicles  
   $64,000     Bus Stops (shelters/benches)

-

The two buses for service expansion are to be used on Route 5, where service was expanded in January 2013. The Blake Transit Center fund is the “last shot of funding” for the BTC reconstruction. The funding for the Ypsilanti Transit Center is called “rehabilitation” by the feds, but White would call it “renovation.” Design will be done this year (2013) with construction planned for next year (2014). The YTC is about 23 years old, White said, and is in need of some renovation.

The bus stop improvements are mostly shelters. White highlighted the “operating assistance” item, and pointed out the AATA had not been eligible for federal operating assistance for about 15 years. But now that the urbanized area for the AATA has a population of over 200,000, in combination with the MAP 21 rules, that means AATA is now eligible for operating assistance. So the AATA is applying for $1.47 million of operating assistance.

Later in the meeting, Roger Kerson asked what the AATA was planning to spend the additional $1.47 million on. White explained that this money is for FY 2013, the current budget year, so it’s already been budgeted.

The JARC funding, White explained, will be used to continue the NightRide service, and the trip assistance program AATA operates, called MyRide. JARC and New Freedom are programs the feds are looking to help leverage private funds, White said. So the AATA is looking to form partnerships with other agencies to help leverage those transportation funds.

White noted that the comments from the public hearing will be included in the public record, and would be included as part of the grant application.

Federal Program of Projects Application: Public Hearing

Thomas Partridge said he was there to advocate for the members of the community who need and deserve vital transportation, who aren’t well served currently. He was concerned about the lack of funding to meet the needs of seniors and disabled people.

Partridge asked that the application “go back to the drawing board” before it’s submitted to the federal government.

Allison Stroud introduced herself as a public policy intern for the summer at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living. She appreciated that the AATA is trying to make the transit system accessible to everybody with disabilities. But there are many more improvements that can be made. So she asked the board to give consideration to additional improvements, in those areas where the distance to a bus stop is too far, as an example. She also suggested additional transit options, and keeping the bus fares as low as possible so that everyone can afford the services.

Connector Update

During his report to the board, CEO Michael Ford gave an update on the public engagement process for the connector study.

Rick Nau of URS, the consultant that’s conducting the connector study, presented information at a June 18 session held at the downtown location of the Ann Arbor District Library. (Image links to the poster Nau is holding)

By way of background, the AATA is currently conducting an alternatives analysis study for the corridor running from US-23 and Plymouth southward along Plymouth to State Street, then further south to I-94. The alternatives analysis phase will result in a preferred choice of transit mode (e.g., bus rapid transit, light rail, etc.) and identification of stations and stops.

A previous study established the feasibility of operating some kind of high-capacity transit in that corridor. A key finding of the feasibility study was that the demand for high-capacity transit is clear in the “core” of the corridor – primarily between the University of Michigan’s north campus, medical facilities and central campus. The demand was found to be less intense on the corridor’s “shoulders.” That basic finding is now evident in the color shading on the draft route alignment map for the current phase of the study, which indicates the density of trips.

At the June 20 AATA board meeting, Ford relayed a point of information that had also been conveyed at a public engagement session held on June 18 at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library: the alternative of an elevated guideway system is not longer among the mix of options that the consultant is considering.

A final report on a locally preferred alternative is expected for this phase of the study sometime in the winter of 2014.

Communications, Committees, CEO, Commentary

At its June 20 meeting, the board entertained various communications, including its usual reports from the performance monitoring and external relations committee, the planning and development committee, as well as from CEO Michael Ford. The board also heard commentary from the public. Here are some highlights.

Comm/Comm: State Operating Assistance

During his report to the board, CEO Michael Ford gave an update on supplemental state funding that is on its way to the governor’s desk for signing. By way of background, for the current budget year, the AATA’s anticipated local bus operating assistance from the state of Michigan was about $800,000 less than anticipated, due to the application of a formula governing the allocation of such funds.

AATA was not the only transit agency negatively impacted, and the state legislature took action to make an additional appropriation. Ford said that initial calculations indicate the AATA will receive about $887,000. That could be subject to change.

Reporting out from the performance monitoring and external relations committee, Roger Kerson said that if the funding comes through, it would put the AATA’s budget in better shape than it was a couple of months ago. The AATA had dipped into reserves to fund expanded service on Routes #4 and #5, he noted, without an identified funding stream. The restored funding is not finalized, and “Lansing is an exciting place,” he allowed. But if it does get done as expected, he said, it would put the AATA in much better shape.

Comm/Comm: Website Launch

CEO Michael Ford advised the board that the launch of the AATA’s new website has again been delayed. “Surprise, surprise!” he quipped. The project has been delayed for several months.

From left: Jan Hallberg, AATA information technology manager, and Chris White, AATA manager of service development.

The problem is in integrating real-time information with the rider tools. The AATA is working closely with the developer to resolve the remaining issues, he said. “We’re almost there,” and the website is really dynamic. In another month or so, it would be ready, he ventured. When it’s launched, Ford added, it will bring a lot of benefit to riders.

Later during the meeting, Eli Cooper asked for some further clarification on the delay of the website. Jan Hallberg, AATA’s manager of information technology, provided more detail. The AATA has routes that start in the morning and continue all day, she explained. So the route makes several “trips” in a day. At the end of a trip and the beginning of a trip, it’s difficult to see the change in status. For example, if Route #4 is arriving at Blake Transit Center, you can see that the direction of the bus is “to Ann Arbor.” But if its status stays “to Ann Arbor” until it leaves the BTC, at that point it’s too late to tell the rider that the bus is headed back to Ypsilanti. So what they’re currently working to fix, Hallberg explained, is to make sure the real-time information changes to “to Ypsilanti” while the bus is still waiting at BTC. The AATA’s previous developer was never able to fix this, and now Hallberg wants to make sure that the issue is addressed before the website is launched.

Comm/Comm: Ridership

CEO Michael Ford gave an update on AirRide service, between downtown Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro Airport.

Reporting out from the performance monitoring and external relations committee, Roger Kerson said that the AATA is again on pace to have a record number of riders this year. The projection right now is for a 2% increase over last year’s record year.

Comm/Comm: Regional Transit Authority

Regarding the southeast Michigan regional transit authority (RTA), CEO Michael Ford reported that the RTA had recently drafted a master agreement between the RTA and local service providers. Ford characterized the language of the draft agreement as similar to and in the same spirit as a proposed memorandum of understanding that the AATA had drafted earlier. Staff from all the transit providers had given feedback on that at an RTA committee meeting earlier in the week. The master agreement will officially make the RTA the designated recipient of funds per state statute, and outlines the working relationship between transit service providers and the RTA, and the maximum local bus operating assistance the RTA would receive from the state.

Comm/Comm: Blake Transit Center Construction

CEO Michael Ford gave an update on the new transit center construction in downtown Ann Arbor – north of William, between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Utility work continues, and steel is being erected. The beams are expected to be placed in July. The first floor concrete is expected to be poured in the next few days.

Comm/Comm: LAC Report

Rebecca Burke reported from the AATA’s local advisory council (LAC), a group that provides input and feedback to AATA on disability and senior issues. The group had reviewed the A-Ride application and the User’s Guide, and discussed those two documents at its meeting.

Comm/Comm: Ad Litigation

At its June 20 meeting, the board voted to go into closed session to discuss pending litigation connected to its advertising program. A status conference with the court was held on June 17, and another one is scheduled for June 27. Nothing has happened since the court’s latest ruling, in early June. Recent Chronicle coverage: “Judge: No Anti-Israel Ad on Bus for Now.”

Comm/Comm: Thomas Partridge

During public commentary at the start of the meeting, Thomas Partridge told the board he has been a long-time advocate for open and transparent AATA meetings – as far as holding the meetings at sites that can be recorded and broadcast. He asked that all the committees also meet at a similar location so that they can be broadcast. He followed up with a turn of public commentary at the end of the meeting, reminding the board that it’s the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s visit to Detroit.

Present: Eric Mahler, Susan Baskett, Eli Cooper, Roger Kerson, Anya Dale.

Absent: Sue Gott, Charles Griffith.

Next regular meeting: While no regular monthly meeting is currently scheduled for July, CEO Michael Ford indicated at the June 20 meeting that a special meeting might be called sometime during the month. The next scheduled regular meeting is Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listings to confirm date.]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already on board The Chronicle bus, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

From left: Jesse Bernstein, AATA CEO Michael Ford, Charles Griffith and Roger Kerson. Bernstein, Griffith and Kerson are AATA board members. (Photos by the writer.)

Based on discussion at the board’s Sept. 27 meeting, it was the AATA’s expectation that the articles would be filed as soon as Oct. 3, and the wording of the AATA’s resolution indicated that the filing should take place “immediately.”

And according to Washtenaw County clerk staff, that’s what happened. Representatives of the AATA were authorized as couriers by the clerk, and they conveyed the physical documents to Lansing.

Letters that included a notice of intent to file had been sent on Sept. 27 to every jurisdiction, and to every elected official in the county.

At the Oct. 2 meeting, board chair Charles Griffith and former chair Jesse Bernstein expressed thanks to staff and community members who’ve worked over the last two years to get the process to this point. The basic theme of most of the remarks was in the spirit of the long journey ahead.

The long journey begins with the entity that’s created by the filing – which will initially have no assets, staff, or ability to operate transportation service in the county. A 15-member board composition for the new authority is already reflected in the membership of the board of the pre-incorporated board (called the U196 board), which has been meeting already for a year. Some of those board members attended the Oct. 2 meeting – David Read (North Middle District), Bob Mester (West District), Bill Lavery (South Middle District) and David Phillips (Northeast District).

Districts that include multiple jurisdictions appoint their representatives under inter-local agreements made under Act 7. In the case of the city of Ann Arbor, the appointments to the new transit authority need to be made through the city council’s confirmation of mayoral nominations.

To make the transition from the AATA to The Washtenaw Ride, under terms of a four-party agreement, voters would need to approve a funding source adequate to pay for the proposed expanded service plan. The four-party agreement is between the AATA, the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and Washtenaw County.

The five-year service plan for expanded service includes: (1) countywide demand-responsive services and feeder services; (2) express bus services and local transit hub services; (3) local community connectors and local community circulators; (4) park-and-ride intercept lots; and (5) urban bus network enhancements. For Ann Arbor, the program includes increased bus frequencies on key corridors, increased operating hours, and more services on weekends. According to a Sept. 5 press release from the AATA, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti will get a 56% increase in service hours compared to current levels.

The AATA has indicated that a possible funding scenario is to ask voters in Washtenaw County to fund the new transit authority with a property tax of 0.584 mills – in an election that could come as early as May 2013. For a house worth $200,000, with a state-equalized value of $100,000, an 0.584 mill transit tax would cost that property owner about $58 per year. For an Ann Arbor resident with a $200,000 house, adding the 0.584 mill tax to the existing city transit tax of roughly 2 mills works out to a transportation tax burden of about $258 a year.

Also under the four-party agreement, the two cities’ transit taxes would become part of The Washtenaw Ride’s funding.

The transition would potentially not take place at all, if a majority of voters don’t approve it. Under the terms of the four-party agreement, a voter-approved funding source for the expanded services must be identified by the end of 2014.

Washtenaw County’s role is limited to the filing of the articles of incorporation for the new transit authority. The act of incorporation will include by default all jurisdictions in Washtenaw County. However, filing of the articles opens a 30-day window for jurisdictions to opt out of the arrangement. That can be accomplished through a vote of a jurisdiction’s governing body.

Michael Ford, AATA’s CEO, said at the Oct. 2 meeting that he hoped to schedule the first meeting of The Washtenaw Ride’s board for Oct. 11.  Although it’s a fair assumption that the current AATA board members will be nominated by mayor John Hieftje to serve as Ann Arbor’s representatives to the new transit authority, there’s no council meeting scheduled between now and Oct. 11 when the council could vote to make those appointments official. 

Requesting Act 196 Incorporation

The only business transacted at the AATA board’s special meeting related to the resolution on incorporating the new transit authority. [.pdf of board resolution]

Charles Griffith presided over the meeting in his first session as board chair, having been elected at the board’s previous meeting. With no staff reports and no one from the public who wanted to address the board, he began the discussion by saying “We’ll just get on to the item at hand.”

Griffith said the reason for the meeting was to discuss moving forward on the AATA’s transit master plan. It reflected a lot of hard work by many staff, those who’ve been working with the staff, board members, and district representatives, he said. Griffith singled out former board chair Jesse Bernstein for his leadership on the issue. [Bernstein had served the last two years as chair.] Griffith indicated that Bernstein had told him he wouldn’t stop, but would just be sitting at a different spot at the table.

Griffith also thanked members of the broader community for their cooperation, saying he felt that it really shows how much can be accomplished when people sit down and work together. Good transit builds strong communities, he said. It provides more mobility, with less traffic. There’s less pollution. “Everybody wins in this deal,” Griffith said.

He concluded his opening remarks by asking for a motion. That was delivered by Bernstein, who then read the complete text of the resolution aloud. The motion was seconded by David Nacht, who had preceded Bernstein as board chair.

By way of background, the possibility of transitioning to a countywide authority is an idea with a long history. By 2008 there was active discussion, but with little substance behind it, at the AATA board table about the possibility of putting a millage on the ballot. But without a chief executive officer – former AATA CEO Greg Cook had resigned in early 2007 – and without a specific service plan to offer, the AATA essentially paused that kind of talk.

In 2009, the AATA board hired Michael Ford as CEO and tasked him with leading a transition to an authority with a broader governance and service area. The approach was to develop a transit master plan that reflected a 30-year vision and then to set about implementing that vision. In early 2010, then-board chair Bernstein characterized it as a “ready, aim, fire” approach. It was Bernstein who made the motion on the resolution at the Oct. 2 meeting.

“It’s time,” Bernstein began. The AATA had spent two years talking to lots of folks, he said. A structure had been set up to include everybody in the county and to start having people seated at the table with the current board [an allusion to the U196 board and the district representatives who attended the Oct. 2 meeting]. Bernstein characterized the incorporation of the Act 196 authority as formalizing the Act 196 board so that everyone can sit together and discuss the policy issues. There are a lot of options that need to be discussed openly and clearly, Bernstein said.

Bernstein hoped that a first meeting of the incorporated board could be scheduled for sometime in October. He noted that the incorporation also says to local units of government: “It’s serious; and it’s time.” He was glad there is a 30-day opt-out period. But given the timing, Bernstein felt, there would be several more months during which discussion could continue about the possibility of opting back in. “I think this is the right time to do it. I think it’s time to move forward, and I’m very honored to have made this motion.”

Roger Kerson noted the success of the process of bringing all the jurisdictions together. He joined Bernstein in looking forward to expanded discussion with a “voice and vote for everybody at the table.” At a lot of levels of government, he said, there’s gridlock. And people don’t seem to be able to get anything done, or solve problems. The communities of Washtenaw County are different from that, he said, with different populations and different constituencies, needs and interests. The cooperation that’s been achieved so far, he said, attests to a lot of hard work by a lot of people. There’s a lot of work yet to do, and he was looking forward to increasing mobility for all.

Griffith addressed the possibility of opt outs, by saying that everyone knew that some jurisdictions will not feel ready at this time to join in this effort – but that’s okay, he said. What’s important is that we give it our best shot to provide an opportunity to everyone. He said the AATA had come up with the best that it could to meet the needs that had been identified and expressed through communities across the county. “If, for whatever reason, we didn’t get that right, we can keep working at it,” he said. He characterized this step as the beginning of the journey, not the end. He hoped that as many jurisdictions would cooperate as possible.

Eli Cooper characterized it as “quite a journey.” He recalled in 2005 when he first arrived in the Ann Arbor metropolitan area, he found a “wonderful world-class transit operator that served the city of Ann Arbor and its immediate environs.” However, in the Seattle area – similar to other metropolitan areas where he’s lived in the course of his life – a seven-county regional transportation network connected things. He realized that although there was excellent local service, Ann Arbor was not connected adequately to the surrounding communities.

Cooper described a “marathon” effort dating back several years to overcome some of the barriers associated with various governance structures. But over the last two to three years, he said, with an increasing emphasis and effort and a collaborative “can do” attitude, the AATA’s organization and staff – by reaching out and responding to the communities around Ann Arbor – have fashioned what he thinks is a “winning proposition.” People who need to get to the doctor, or to the store, or have a visit with friend won’t be required to have an automobile to have to meet those most basic needs.

Cooper said he would fully support this important step. He hoped people understand there’s a lot of work ahead of us. It’s another step in the journey, and it’s been a long time in coming, he said.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution requesting the filing of the articles of incorporation of The Washtenaw Ride.

After the vote, Michael Ford – CEO of the AATA – indicated that the goal was to schedule a first meeting of the Act 196 board for Oct. 11.

Ford thanked everyone for their help and support – the countless meetings, late nights, weekends, holidays. He also thanked the district representatives for their help, support and participation, saying he wanted to continue that relationship going forward. He also thanked the current board of the AATA.

Kerson drew out the fact that the existing AATA board would continue to meet, because it would continue to have business to conduct. Two separate structures would persist for some period of time.

Nacht noted that the current AATA board would still need to vote in order to do anything involving funds. Only the AATA board can vote on those funds, so the AATA board [incorporated under Act 55] would need to continue to meet.

Public Comment

Carolyn Grawi of the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living introduced herself as a Washtenaw County resident. She described herself as excited to be moving down the road of countywide transportation. She looked forward to working with the existing board and the future Act 196 board. The community needs to get involved, she said, by reading the material that’s available on the website and attending meetings of the district advisory committees and participating in the future of transportation in the county.

Vivienne Armentrout urged the board to achieve some clarity on how they’ll manage the transition of governance. She was uncertain about what she was hearing, but she said it sounded like the entire Act 196 board would be seated, even if some communities opt out. She thought that in order for the Ann Arbor public to have faith in what the board was doing, the public needed to have a sense that “true representation” is being provided.

Composition of the New Authority’s Board

Armentrout’s remarks during public commentary were an allusion to a resolution discussed, but ultimately withdrawn, at the board’s Sept. 27, 2012 meeting the previous week.

The articles of incorporation, now filed with the state, provide for a 15-member board structure in eight districts. Some of the districts include a single jurisdiction – like the city of Ann Arbor (7 representatives), the city of Ypsilanti (1 rep) and Pittsfield Township (1 rep). Those jurisdictions are almost certain not to opt out of the Act 196 authority. But other districts include multiple jurisdictions. For example, the Northeast District includes four townships: Northfield, Superior, Salem and Ann Arbor. Some, or even all, of those townships could theoretically opt out.

The intent of the AATA board’s Sept. 27 resolution was to give reassurance that a first response by current AATA board members to the opting out of other jurisdictions would not be to reconfigure the new authority’s board structure. They discussed how such a reconfiguration would become important at the point when a millage question is put before voters – because they did not think a situation of “representation without taxation” would be reasonable.

The extreme case of opting out would occur if every jurisdiction in a board district decided to opt out. The articles of incorporation spell out what’s supposed to happen when every jurisdiction in a district opts out:

SECTION 4.02: BOARD MAKE UP REVIEW
The directors shall revisit the Board make-up if
(a) either Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti City reduces or fails to contribute its charter millage to the Authority;
(b) if another community levies a millage and contributes it to the Authority; or
(c) if all communities within one of the Act 7 districts withdraw from the Authority.
The Board make-up shall also be reviewed and be subject to change by two-thirds of the directors after each census to assure appropriate attention to population distribution.

The composition of the informal, unincorporated board isn’t automatically transferred to the incorporated Act 196 board through the act of filing the articles of incorporation. In a reply to an emailed query, assistant city attorney Mary Fales wrote to The Chronicle that:

The NEW TA Board under the Articles of Incorporation has 7 City of Ann Arbor members which must be appointed by City Council on recommendation by the Mayor. At the time the respective individuals are appointed their appointment terms will be established as well pursuant to Section 4.03 of the Articles. There is no provision for any other method of appointment.

The specific language of the four-party agreement – which governs the process of possible transition from the AATA to the new authority – describes the contractual consideration in terms of the city of Ann Arbor explicitly making appointments to the new transit authority’s board: “In exchange for the mayor’s nomination with council confirmation, of seven directors of New TA’s board, …”

The section on terms of appointment, to which Fales referred in her email, sets up initial terms that are staggered for the Ann Arbor representatives – from one through four years – which is a fairly common approach for the establishment of a new board. After the initial terms are served, all subsequent terms are for four years. The idea is to prevent wholesale board turnover all in one year.

The Ann Arbor city council’s regular nomination/confirmation process requires two meetings – one at which the nominations are put before the council, and a second meeting at which a vote is taken on confirmation. Three current councilmembers will not be continuing on council through November, either by choice because they didn’t run for re-election (Carsten Hohnke in Ward 5 and Sandi Smith in Ward 1) or due to defeat in the August primary (Tony Derezinski in Ward 2).

Before the change in the city council’s composition, the only opportunity to apply the regular process to the new Act 196 board appointments would be for the nominations to come at the next meeting of the council, on Oct. 15. The confirmation vote then could be taken at the council’s Nov. 8 meeting – held on the Thursday following the Nov. 6 election. The first meeting for new councilmembers is Nov. 19. Another possibility is to compress the appointment process to a single meeting, which the council sometimes does. But that requires an eight-vote majority on the 11-member body.

There’s a possibility that the new edition of the Ann Arbor city council would make a choice to appoint a set of seven members to the new authority’s board that is different from the current seven AATA board members. But if that happened, the current AATA board members would serve out the remainder of their terms as members of the AATA board. And they’d continue to be part of the governance of the only transit authority for Ann Arbor that currently has the ability to operate a transportation service.

Timing of the Filing

The AATA board’s Oct. 2 resolution was consistent with expectations about timing that had been expressed at the board’s regular monthly meeting on Sept. 27 – that the articles would be filed Oct. 3. About the articles, the resolution included “the request that they be filed immediately.”

A Washtenaw County board of commissioners’ resolution related to the filing, passed on Aug. 1, 2012, raised the possibility of a slightly delayed timing sequence. The resolution more generally ratified the four-party agreement between the county, the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and the AATA. As conditions to the filing, the board of commissioners’ resolution stipulated that the county administrator had to ensure several conditions were met, including the following notifications:

2. Letters of notice will be sent to each city, village and township elected official in the county at their address of record alerting them to the County’s intention to file the Articles of Incorporation on a date certain. Those letters shall indicate
a. Whether or not the jurisdiction represented by that official is included in the boundary of the New TA;
b. The process by which that jurisdiction may either withdraw or join the New TA; and
c. The date on which the Articles of Incorporation will be filed and, if relevant, the date by which the New TA must receive official notice from the jurisdiction if that jurisdiction votes to opt-out of the New TA.

Responding to a phone query, Washtenaw County clerk staff told The Chronicle that certified letters had already been sent on Sept. 27 to the clerks of all jurisdictions in the county of an intent to file the articles of incorporation on Oct. 3. Letters were also sent to all elected officials in the county. Information included in that communication was the last day to opt out of inclusion – Nov. 2 – as well as sample resolutions that could be used by a jurisdiction’s governing body to decide the opt-out question. [.pdf of sample letter] [.pdf of sample resolutions] Included in the information packet was a set of FAQs about transit and a set of FAQs about Act 196 incorporation. [.pdf of FAQ about transit] [.pdf of FAQ about the Act 196 filing]

After the vote by the AATA board on Oct. 2, Washtenaw County administrator Verna McDaniel determined that the county board of commissioners’ resolution requiring publication of the service plan and notification of intent had been satisfied, and then notified the county clerk of that. Then on Oct. 3, representatives of the AATA were authorized as couriers by the county clerk to physically convey the paperwork to Lansing.

Present: Charles Griffith, David Nacht, Jesse Bernstein, Eli Cooper, Sue Gott, Roger Kerson, Anya Dale.

Next regular meeting: Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listings to confirm date]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already on board The Chronicle bus, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, revisions include: (1) changes in ethics policy to include annual disclosure requirements for board of directors, CEO, deputy CEO, senior staff and procurement staff; (2) addition of a vendor contact form as directed by the auditor, which requires a CEO or deputy CEO approval for all new vendors; (3) addition of MITN (Michigan Intergovernmental Trade Network) as a resource to maintain AATA’s current list of vendors; (4) addition of The Davis‐Bacon Act for construction projects – also a recommendation of the auditor; (5) inclusion of the AATA’s living wage policy, which was approved by the board on June 16, 2011; and (6) an increase in the small purchases threshold from $2,500 to $3,000 – as directed by the Federal Transit Administration.

The procurement manual was last revised on March 19, 2009.

This brief was filed from the Holiday Inn Express, 600 Briarwood Circle, where the AATA board held its monthly board meeting, which it combined with a retreat. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link]

McCormick was replaced by Eli Cooper, city of Ann Arbor transportation program manager. And Robben was replaced by Sue Gott, university planner at the University of Michigan. Gott was unable to be present at the board’s March meeting, so the April 19 meeting marked the first meeting she attended.

With the election of Nacht as treasurer, the board is again settled into a complete committee and officer structure. Officers are now: Jesse Bernstein (chair); Charles Griffith (secretary); and David Nacht (treasurer). The planning and development committee consists of: Anya Dale (committee chair); Sue Gott; and Eli Cooper. The performance monitoring and external relations committee consists of: Charles Griffith (committee chair); David Nacht and Roger Kerson. The governance committee consists of the board chair and the two committee chairs.

[See also previous Chronicle coverage: "AATA Resets Committee Membership"]

This brief was filed from the downtown location of the Ann Arbor District Library at 343 S. Fifth, where the AATA board holds its meetings. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Compared to a corresponding four-week period in February 2011, ridership on Route #4 was 26% greater. That compared with a system‐wide ridership increase of 12% for the same period – an increase attributed primarily to very good weather. Chris White, AATA manager of service development, is still cautious about drawing conclusions from the initial data, writing in an email to The Chronicle, “It is very positive, but please note that the service has not been in place long enough to judge the results.”

The on‐time performance of Route #4 increased from 74% in 2011 to 95% in 2012. System‐wide on-time performance increased from 85% to 91%.

The initial report on Route #4 ridership, one week after more frequent service was offered, showed an increase of 8% compared to the previous week and compared to a systemwide ridership decrease of 0.6%.  The AATA board authorized the increased service on Route #4 at its Nov. 17, 2011 meeting.

The planning and development committee will consist of: Anya Dale (chair), Eli Cooper and David Nacht. The performance monitoring and external relations committee will continue to consist of Charles Griffith (chair) and Roger Kerson. The board’s governance committee consists of the board chair (Jesse Bernstein) plus the chairs of the two other committees.

Robben resigned from the board in November 2011, but served through the January 2012 board meeting. McCormick resigned around the same time, but her last meeting was December 2011. The nomination of Cooper – who serves as Ann Arbor city transportation manager – was confirmed by the Ann Arbor city council in December 2011. [For coverage of the resignations and Cooper's appointment, see "Cooper Confirmed for AATA Board" and "AATA Board Bids Farewell to Robben"] At the city council’s Jan. 23, 2012 meeting, mayor John Hieftje told the council that he hoped to bring a nomination for Robben’s replacement to them at the council’s next meeting, on Feb. 6, but he did not nominate anyone at that meeting. The AATA board does not currently have a treasurer, pending appointment of a replacement for Robben – McCormick had served in that office.

At its Sept. 15, 2011 meeting, the board had elected the same slate of officers that had served the previous year: Jesse Bernstein (chair); Charles Griffith (secretary); and Sue McCormick (treasurer). Bernstein noted that as the AATA contemplates a transition to a countywide focus, it was felt that it would be good to have some continuity. The committee structure was also carried over from the previous year. At that time, the planning and development committee consisted of Robben (committee chair), Nacht and Dale. And before McCormick’s departure, the performance monitoring and external relations committee consisted of Griffith (committee chair), McCormick, and Kerson.

The transition to a system of governance for the AATA that is based on a geographic area that could include most of Washtenaw County, instead of just the city of Ann Arbor, is currently being debated by the Ann Arbor city council, in the context of a four-party agreement – between the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County and the AATA.

This brief was filed from the fourth-floor boardroom of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave, where the AATA board holds its meetings. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Last year, Ford’s contract, which is renewable each year on October 1, paid Ford $160,000 a year. Ford did not receive a raise last year, but was given a one-time additional payment equal to 4% of his annual salary .

At the board’s May 19, 2011 meeting, the AATA board had approved a new employment contract with Ford, who was hired in the summer of 2009. [For a report on Ford's April 2009 final interview: "AATA, CEO Candidate Start Talks"]

On Thursday, board chair Jesse Bernstein praised Ford’s work as one of the best experiences Bernstein had ever had in hiring someone.

Ford’s personnel evaluation took place at a special meeting held Dec. 5, 2011 at the AATA headquarters, and was conducted in a closed session in accordance with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. Closed sessions are permitted for a variety of reasons, including the regular performance review of personnel, if the employee requests a closed session. When asked by the board at the Dec. 5 meeting if he did request a closed session, Ford confirmed he did, making plain that the OMA requirement for closed sessions was met. The session lasted well over an hour, some of which was conducted with Ford present.

This brief was filed from the downtown location of the Ann Arbor District Library, where the AATA board holds its meetings. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

The “resolved” clause, as it currently appears on the agenda, simply records the view that those voting in the affirmative are opposed to such appointments: “RESOLVED, Those council members voting in the affirmative to this resolution oppose Mayoral nominations of City of Ann Arbor employees to office appointments.”

Update: As of Friday, Dec. 16, the resolved clause has been revised to read: “Therefore be it resolved, That Council opposes Mayoral nominations of City of Ann Arbor employees to office appointments.” Sabra Briere (Ward 1)  has also been added as a fourth sponsor.

Reasons cited in the “whereas” clauses include the possible appearance of conflicting interests and commitments, as well as a clause in the city charter that might be construed as limiting the rights of city employees who are appointed to boards or commissions: “The personnel of the City, other than the elective and appointive officers, shall be deemed City employees.” [.pdf of resolution on mayoral nominations of city employees to boards and commissions]

The resolution comes in the context of mayor John Hieftje’s nomination at the council’s last meeting (on Dec. 5, 2011) of a city employee to serve on a board. Hieftje nominated the city’s transportation program manager, Eli Cooper, to serve on the board of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. On confirmation by the city council, Cooper would fill the vacancy on the AATA board left by another city employee, Sue McCormick.

The council will be asked to vote to confirm Cooper’s nomination at its Dec. 19 meeting.

McCormick is leaving her post at the city of Ann Arbor as public services area administrator to take a job as head of the Detroit water and sewerage department. McCormick’s last day on the job is Dec. 16. City administrator Steve Powers announced at the Dec. 5 meeting that the city’s head of systems planning, Craig Hupy, will fill in for McCormick on an interim basis. Powers reported that Hupy had no interest in the permanent position.

Cooper’s city position as transportation program manager falls under the city’s systems planning unit. The council previously appointed Cooper to serve on the AATA board on June 20, 2005. He served through June 2008, and was replaced on the board by current board chair Jesse Bernstein.

When Cooper previously served on the AATA board, along with McCormick, their service prompted an op-ed in The Ann Arbor News criticizing the appointment of city employees to citizen boards. [.pdf of "Let's Stick With Autonomous Appointees for Citizen Boards"]

McCormick is leaving her post at the city of Ann Arbor as public services area administrator to take a job as head of the Detroit water and sewerage department. McCormick’s last day on the job is Dec. 16. City administrator Steve Powers announced at the Dec. 5 meeting that the city’s head of systems planning, Craig Hupy, will fill in for McCormick on an interim basis. Powers reported that Hupy had no interest in the permanent position.

Cooper’s city position as transportation program manager falls under the city’s systems planning unit. The council previously appointed Cooper to serve on the AATA board on June 20, 2005. He served through June 2008, and was replaced on the board by current board chair Jesse Bernstein.

There is not a spot reserved for a city of Ann Arbor employee on the AATA board. When Cooper previously served on the AATA board, along with McCormick, their service prompted an op-ed in The Ann Arbor News criticizing the appointment of city employees to citizen boards. [.pdf of "Let's Stick With Autonomous Appointees for Citizen Boards"]

This brief was filed shortly after the council’s meeting concluded, around 12:30 a.m. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

AATA's CEO Michael Ford presents an overview of the transit master plan to members of a financial group that will be making recommendations on funding options for countywide transportation. (Photos by the writer.)

The AATA fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. The budget approved by the board calls for expenses of $30,410,616 against only $29,418,995 in revenues, for a deficit in the coming year of $991,621. At the meeting, members stressed that the nearly $1 million deficit was due to one-time expenses associated with the planned transition to a countywide service. They also stressed that even by using unrestricted reserves over the next year to cover the planned deficit, the AATA would still be left with more than three months’ worth of operating expenses in its reserve.

Incurring a deficit this year was characterized as a way to “catapult” the organization forward, allowing it to pursue an aggressive work plan for the coming year, which was also approved at the meeting. Highlights of that work plan include reconstruction of the Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor. Design for the station is expected to be complete by the end of the year, with construction to start in spring 2012.

In terms of increased service, next year’s work plan includes a focus on: establishing the AATA as a vanpool service provider; establishing service to the Detroit Metro Airport; improving work-transportation connections between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti; and continuing work on commuter rail. Also related to enhanced services, the AATA is also holding rider forums in October to get feedback on proposed increased service on Route #4, between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.

Related specifically to commuter rail, the board received an update at the meeting on the Washtenaw Livingston Line (WALLY) project, a proposed north-south commuter rail connection between Howell and Ann Arbor. The board expressed some caution about the project by passing a resolution that requires the board’s explicit approval for the expenditure of the $50,000 in next year’s budget allocated for station designs.

In other business, the board approved the selection of Plante & Moran as its new auditor. A new auditor rotation policy put in place by the board earlier this year made the previous auditor, Rehmann Robson, ineligible for the contract. The AATA board also approved a contract with an outside vendor to begin offering vanpool service.

In business that could be described as housekeeping, the board opted to keep its same slate of officers for the coming year and to keep the same meeting schedule – the third Thursday of the month. Jesse Bernstein was elected chair last year, and will continue in that role.

Also at the meeting, other members of the financial review group were announced. That group will be analyzing funding options for an expansion to countywide service. Previously, it had been announced that McKinley CEO Albert Berriz and former Washtenaw County administrator Bob Guenzel would co-chair the group. Their first meeting was Friday, Sept. 16, the day after the AATA board met. Berriz stated at that first meeting that the group will meet three more times, and will produce a white paper by the end of this year.

Related to that countywide effort, the initial board for an unincorporated transit authority – a precursor to an eventual formal authority – could be seated by Oct. 20, the date of the AATA board’s next meeting. It would include representatives from Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and other districts throughout the county.

AATA Work Plan

Highlights of the 10-page work plan for fiscal 2012 include reconstruction of the Blake Transit Center (BTC) in downtown Ann Arbor. During his report to board members, CEO Michael Ford said the acquisition of a six-foot-wide piece of land on the southwest border of AATA’s BTC parcel would be on the city council’s agenda for Sept. 19. (At that meeting, the council approved the AATA’s purchase of the land for $90,000, which will facilitate reconstruction of the BTC starting in the spring of 2012.)

In terms of increased service, the work plan includes a focus on: establishing the AATA as a vanpool service provider; establishing service to the Detroit Metro Airport; improving work-transportation connections between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti; and continuing work on commuter rail.

Related to Detroit Metro service, Ford told the board that work on getting airport service in place had continued and that in the last three weeks he’d worked with Wayne County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) on the issue. He said follow-up work was being done on the definition of public transportation as it relates to airport service. [Detroit Metro Airport charges access fees to private transportation operators.] Ford said the AATA would try to select a private-public partnership soon – in November.

Related to improvement of work-transportation service between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, on Dec. 1, 2010, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority offered a challenge grant of $14,417 to support that kind of service improvement. A description of the grant from The Chronicle’s meeting report:

Before the DDA board was a resolution that would offer 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.

Before the Sept. 15 board meeting, the AATA held a rider forum on the proposed service enhancements to the Route #4 bus service. It was attended by around a dozen people. Additional drop-in sessions with AATA staff on Route #4 service improvements include:

• Thursday, Oct. 6, 5-7 p.m. at Glencoe Hills Apartments clubhouse, 2201 Glencoe Hills Drive, Pittsfield Township.
• Tuesday, Oct. 11, 9-11 a.m. at University Hospital, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor. Classroom #2C108, across from the gift shop and cashier’s office.
• Tuesday, Oct. 11, 1-3 p.m. at Michigan Union, 530 S. State St., Wolverine Room AB, Ann Arbor.
• Wednesday, Oct. 12, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Dom Bakeries, 1305 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti.
• Tuesday, Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m. at Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor.

More information about the proposed changes is available online, along with details about how to give input.

The 2012 work plan also calls for continued work on AATA’s information technology, including its website as a communication tool, and improved point-of-sale systems to allow people to pay for their fares. [.pdf of work AATA 2012 work plan]

2012 Work Plan: Board Deliberations

As part of his report from the planning and development committee, Rich Robben reviewed next year’s work plan, calling it “very aggressive.” He described how it includes development of countywide networks and improvements to current service.

Service improvements highlighted by Robben included: adding service between Ann Arbor and the Detroit Metro airport; adding vanpool services; improving service between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti; upgrading the AATA website; expanding the bus storage facility at the South Industrial headquarters; expanding night ride service to Ypsilanti; and reconstruction of the Blake Transit Center.

During deliberations, Anya Dale characterized the work plan as challenging, but said she thought the AATA can accomplish it. Roger Kerson gave credit to AATA staff for being able to accomplish the goals in this year’s work plan.

Board chair Jessie Bernstein called it an active, committed, dedicated past year on the part of the AATA, saying that there’s another active plan for next year.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve its FY 2012 work plan.

AATA 2012 Budget

The board considered a resolution to approve its operating budget for the 2012 fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

The budget calls for expenses of $30,410,616 against only $29,418,995 in revenues, for a deficit in the coming year of $991,621. That shortfall will be made up by drawing on the fund balance. According to the budget resolution, the AATA’s fund balance policy requires it to maintain reserves equal to at least three months’ worth of operating expenses. And the AATA expects to have $1.2 million more in its fund reserve to start the year than the minimum fund balance policy requires.

So the projected deficit – which the budget resolution attributes partly to one-time expenses associated with the transit master plan – is within the $1.2 million excess beyond the minimum three-month reserve, which the AATA holds in its fund balance. [.pdf of AATA 2012 operating budget]

In the most significant categories, the AATA’s revenues break down percentage-wise as follows: 31.4% local transit tax; 29.4% state operating assistance; 18.6% passenger fares; 12.8% federal operating assistance. The AATA also receives some revenue from surrounding municipalities that get transit service through purchase of service (POS) agreements. [2012 AATA revenue pie chart]

In the most significant expense categories, the AATA’s expenses break down percentage-wise as follows: 54.7% employee compensation; 18.2% purchased transportation from other providers; 9.3% other purchased services; 5.7% diesel fuel and gasoline. [2012 AATA expenses pie chart]

2012 Operating Budget: Board Deliberations

Reporting out from the planning and development committee earlier in the meeting, Rich Robben ticked through the figures from the 2012 operating budget. He said the budget will maintain and improve service, and will support the work plan and the transit master plan (TMP).

He acknowledged the roughly $1 million deficit, and described it as stemming from some one-time costs with development of the TMP, such as an improvement program for each district of the county, plus the governance structure. The deficit would be funded from unrestricted net assets, he explained. Even though unrestricted assets will be used, the AATA will still have 3.1 months of operating expenses in reserve after those assets are used in the course of the year, he said. By board policy, the AATA must maintain a reserve of at least 3 months of operating reserves.

Robben led off deliberations by saying it’s not a sustainable budget. But he said it would catapult the AATA towards a transition to countywide service. It’s aggressive, he said, but not taken lightly that the AATA would operate at a deficit. It’s also not AATA’s responsibility to build bank accounts, he said, so it’s appropriate to use the funds for this type of purpose.

CEO Michael Ford (right) talks with AATA board members Rich Robben and Anya Dale after the Sept. 15 meeting.

Anya Dale noted that many of the expenses that are causing the deficit are one-time costs. Now is the time, she said.

Roger Kerson said the budget reveals AATA’s next challenges. Planning was for this past year, he said, and next year is the financing challenge. It’s the right thing to do, he said, and he was looking forward to feedback from the financial review group that will be making funding option recommendations.

Board chair Jesse Bernstein said he was seriously concerned that the deficit year be a one-time commitment. He picked up on Kerson’s mention of the financial group, and noted that McKinley CEO Albert Berriz and former Washtenaw County administrator Bob Guenzel were co-chairing that group. It’s composed of people who understand financing and the politics of funding public activities, he said.

Bernstein called the AATA’s efforts at a transition to countywide service not an empty transition, but a real transition. The budget deficit, he said, should be recognized as unusual and unique, for one year only.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved AATA’s fiscal 2012 budget.

WALLY Commuter Rail

On the agenda was a resolution that expressed general support for continuing to work with surrounding communities on the Washtenaw and Livingston Line (WALLY) project. WALLY would provide commuter rail service on a 26-mile route between Ann Arbor and Howell. Relevant entities identified in the resolution include the state of Michigan, Livingston County, the city of Howell and the Ann Arbor Railroad.

However, the one “resolved” clause requires that funds allocated for WALLY in the 2012 budget – $50,000 – cannot be spent, except with the explicit consent of the AATA board.

WALLY: Background

At the Sept. 15 meeting, the board received a status report on the WALLY project from Michael Benham, a special assistant for strategic planning at AATA. Benham was hired in 2009 to handle the WALLY project. Since then, he’s become responsible for directing the development of the countywide transit master plan (TMP), which the AATA has developed over the last year.

Highlights from Benham’s report included the fact that starting in 2008, AATA has spent a total of $102,853 on the WALLY project, while other partners have spent a total of $225,000. That money has been spent primarily on a study and public education efforts. As part of the AATA FY 2012 budget, the AATA has included another $50,000 for the project. That money would be put towards station design.

Benham’s report identifies $16 million already invested by the Michigan Dept. of Transportation in track improvements, with $19 million worth of work still needed. Another $6 million in optional capital improvements is also identified.

Benham’s report projects that after the necessary capital improvements are completed to operate the commuter service, annual operating costs would amount to $5.4 million. Fares would be expected to cover $2.1 million of that, with another $1.4 million coming from the state’s Comprehensive Transportation Fund. That would leave another $1.9 million of local funding still to be identified.

Benham pointed board members to an appendix in the report with comparative data on WALLY. He characterized WALLY as “right in the ballpark” with other similar projects – at the low end of the range for capital costs. For similar commuter rail connections already in place, he said, the average time from idea to actual service was 10.5 years. So if people ask why WALLY is taking so long, it’s not actually taking so long, he concluded.

[.pdf of WALLY status report (to reduce file size, does not include scans of letters of support)]

WALLY: Board Deliberations

Rich Robben said he wanted to make the observation that the board had some concerns about the viability of the WALLY project. That’s why the presentation had been requested from Michael Benham – to make a reassessment of financial issues and to look at the prospects of closing remaining gaps in funding.

Roger Kerson also noted that board member David Nacht (who did not attend the board meeting) had raised some concerns at a committee meeting. Kerson characterized WALLY as a challenging project, but said, “We’re up to the challenge.” Kerson said the AATA was changing the eco-system by making transit a priority. Traffic is real, and congestion is real, he said. Having an alternative to US-23 will be welcome. He said he was glad to be going ahead in a measured way. Board chair Jesse Bernstein said he couldn’t imagine a clearer statement of moving forward in a careful way.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution requiring board approval for any expenditures associated with WALLY.

Auditor Rotation

The board considered a resolution authorizing a one-year contract with Plante & Moran for auditing services.

A policy adopted by the AATA board on June 16, 2011 limits contracting with any one auditing firm to a total of eight years. That meant that the auditing firm the AATA had previously used, Rehmann Robson, was not eligible to provide auditing services.

The request for proposals (RFP) was sent to 19 public accounting firms. Plante & Moran’s proposal was judged to be the best of the three proposals received by the AATA.

Auditor Rotation: Board Deliberations

Roger Kerson reported from the performance monitoring and external relations committee that the AATA had received three bids from the 19 solicitations they’d sent out. The AATA evaluation team had ranked Plante & Moran as the best of the three bids, and the committee supported that recommendation.

When the board deliberated on the issue, AATA controller Phil Webb described how the RFP was sent to 19 CPA firms. The 19 were picked from a list of firms in southeast Michigan that did similar work. Technical abilities were 60% of the evaluation score, he said. The cost part of the bids were opened later and counted for 40% of the evaluation. The evaluators were Webb, board treasurer Sue McCormick, CEO Michael Ford.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve selection of Plante & Moran as the AATA auditor.

Vanpools

A resolution on the agenda called for authorizing a contract with VPSI Inc. for vanpool services that is not to exceed $6,600 per year for each AATA owned/managed van. Vanpools are arrangements in which a vehicle is provided through the service, but is driven by one of the members of the pool. Riders pay for operational costs. Currently, the MichiVan program, operated by VPSI, provides such a service in the Ann Arbor area.

However, through fiscal year 2012 MichiVan will only continue to provide vanpool service for existing vanpools in the Ann Arbor area. It’s AATA’s intention to provide service for any additional vanpools that people might wish to create.

Vanpools: Board Deliberations

Reporting out from the planning and development committee, Rich Robben described how in a vanpool, the monthly cost is paid by riders. The capital cost will be paid by a federal grant.

Chris White, AATA manager of service development, told the board that AATA had been working on the project for a while now. [It was one of the service initiatives discussed at an Aug. 10, 2010 board retreat.] MichiVan will continue to operate (with about 100 vanpools) but there’s no ability to expand that number of vanpools. So AATA is looking to be a provider for expansion pools. It allows AATA a chance to get some experience before taking on a larger volume. The eventual goal, White said, is to assume operation of all of the vanpools in the county. This is an opportunity to do that gradually, he said.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to authorize a contract with VSPI Inc. for vanpool service.

AATA Housekeeping

The board handled a number of housekeeping items.

Housekeeping: Board Officers

The board elects new officers every year. This year, board chair Jesse Bernstein said at the Sept. 15 meeting that the current officers have agreed to continue. As the organization contemplates a transition to a countywide focus, it was felt that it would be good to have some continuity, he said.

AATA board officers are: Jesse Bernstein (chair); Charles Griffith (secretary); and Sue McCormick (treasurer).

The committee chairs are: Rich Robben (planning and development committee), and Charles Griffith (performance monitoring and external relations).

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to maintain the same slate of board officers.

Housekeeping: Board Meeting Schedule

Also on the agenda was the approval of the full board’s meeting schedule, as well as the schedule for its committee meetings. Board meetings fall on the third Thursday of the month. [.pdf of board and committee meeting dates] AATA board meeting information packets are generally available before the meetings on the AATA website.

During deliberations, Anya Dale asked if there was an opportunity to talk about holding meetings earlier in the day. CEO Michael Ford told Dale that there had not been a discussion about that, and he said that staff can be open to changes or modifications. Board chair Jesse Bernstein said he’d be very open to discussing times, once dates are firmed up.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve its meeting schedule.

Housekeeping: Local Advisory Council Appointments

Reporting out from the AATA’s local advisory council (LAC), a co-chair of that group, Jody Slowins, reported that terms were coming to an end, and that members would need to be reappointed. The LAC is a body that provides advocacy for seniors and disabled people.

Gloria Kolb had submitted an application, Slowins said, and the LAC welcomed her graciously.

Slowins said she’d been involved with the LAC for the last 12 years, and she’d never seen such a good group. The AATA’s paratransit coordinator, Brian Clouse, is strongly supportive of the LAC, she said.

Recommended for appointment to the LAC were: Gloria Kolb, Cheryl Weber, Clark Charnetski, Mary Wells, John Kuchinski, Lena Ricks, Eleanor Chang, and Stephen McNutt.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the appointments to the LAC.

Countywide Transit Finance Group

At the board’s August 2011 meeting, Ford had announced that McKinley Inc. CEO Albert Berriz and Bob Guenzel, retired Washtenaw County administrator, will be co-chairing a panel of financial and funding experts. They are tasked with reviewing a report on funding options and making recommendations that will form the basis of a governance proposal for countywide transit.

That governance proposal is expected to come from an as-yet-unincorporated board of an Act 196 transit authority (U196) to establish a countywide transit authority under that state statute. [Michigan's Act 196 of 1986 provides a mechanism for establishing a transit authority that includes a larger range of entities than just cities. In contrast, the AATA is formed under Act 55 of 1963]

The funding report to be reviewed and analyzed by the group is the third volume of the transit master plan (TMP). [.pdf of Part 1 of Vol. 3 Transit Master Plan Funding Options] [.pdf of Part 2 of Vol. 3 Transit Master Plan Funding Options].

CEO Michael Ford’s written report to the AATA board for its Sept. 15 meeting included a partial list of members in the group tapped to review the funding options report for the countywide transit master plan. At the meeting, an updated list was circulated.

Besides Berriz and Guenzel, members of the group include the following: Patrick Doyle (CEO, Domino’s Pizza); Ric DeVore (regional president, PNC Financial Services Group Inc.); Mary Jo Callan (director, office of community development, Washtenaw County); Mark Perry (director of real estate services, Masco Corp.); Andy LaBarre (vice president of government affairs, A2YChamber); Tim Marshall (president and CEO, Bank of Ann Arbor); Norm Herbert (retired treasurer, University of Michigan); Adiele Nwankwo (senior vice president, PB Americas Inc.); Mike Cicchella (financial planner, Cicchella and Associates, and former Northfield Township supervisor); Leigh Greden (executive director of governmental and community relations, Eastern Michigan University); Conan Smith (executive director, Suburbs Alliance and chair, Washtenaw County board of commissioners); Jonathan Levine (professor, University of Michigan college of architecture and urban planning); Jason Lindauer (wealth management advisor, Merrill Lynch, and mayor of Chelsea); Mark Ouimet (state representative, District 52); John Thorhauer (president and CEO, United Methodist Retirement Communities); Jon Newpol (executive vice president, Thomson Reuters); Dennis Schornack (special advisor on transportation, Governor’s Office); Jim Kosteva, (director of government relations, University of Michigan); Paul Dimond (attorney, Miller Canfield).

The first meeting of the group was Friday, Sept. 16 – the day after the AATA board met. Most of the members were able to attend. The group received a presentation of some of the material they’d already been given in written form. They also asked for specific additional information and analysis, including: the specific economic impact of transit investments in communities of comparable size to Ann Arbor; and a measure of the costs that could be avoided through increased investment in transit.

While the amount and timing of a possible countywide transit millage received scant mention, a robust theme of the initial conversation was the potential for creative private-public partnerships in funding improved transit. Berriz called his and Guenzel’s selection as co-chairs of the group symbolic of the potential for private-public partnerships.

Berriz told members of the group at the Sept. 16 meeting that they will meet three more times, and will produce a white paper by the end of the year.

In his public commentary at the AATA board’s meeting the day before, on Sept. 15, Larry Krieg, with Wake Up, Washtenaw!, congratulated the AATA for the people it had assembled for the financial review. It’s an impressive list, he said. He asked that “out-of-the-box thinking” be tried.

Krieg hoped that among the funding mechanisms the group could identify would be original, significant public-private participation.

Communications, Committees, CEO, Commentary

At its Sept. 15 meeting, the AATA board entertained various communications, including its usual reports from the performance monitoring and external relations committee, the planning and development committee, as well as from CEO Michael Ford. The board also heard commentary from the public. Here are some highlights.

Comm/Comm: Governance, U196 Board

During his report to board members, CEO Michael Ford gave a brief update on progress with future governance issues connected with the entity that would eventually administer countywide transportation.

WEMU's Andrew Cluley interviews AATA board chair Jesse Bernstein after the Sept. 15 meeting.

By way of background, the basic approach the AATA is taking to expanding countywide transit is to transition to an authority formed under Act 196 of 1986. The AATA has been working towards encouraging townships in the county to strike inter-governmental agreements [under Act 7 of 1967] to have joint representation to the board of any Act 196 organization. It’s conceived as a 15-member board, with seven seats from Ann Arbor, two seats from the southeast sector (Ypsilanti Township and Augusta Township), and one seat each for the city of Ypsilanti, Pittsfield Township, and multi-jurisdictional districts in the northeast, north middle, west and south middle parts of the county.

As a precursor to the Act 196 authority, the AATA hopes to seat an unincorporated authority (U196) by Oct. 20, the date of the board’s next meeting.

Ford reported at the Sept. 15 board meeting that he’d met with AATA board chair Jesse Bernstein and Ann Arbor mayor John Hieftje about an inter-local agreement between Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County and the AATA.

Comm/Comm: Chelsea Express

Roger Kerson reported out from the performance monitoring and external relations committee that the Chelsea Express – a commuter service between Ann Arbor and Chelsea – is now near capacity. The AATA is now at the point of deciding what to do if the route meets capacity.

Comm/Comm: Website Development

Mary Stasiak, AATA director of community relations, said that one concern the staff is focusing on is to make sure the AATA “owns” everything that’s being developed for the site, given that some of it is being custom developed. The AATA has sent the initial designs back to the contractor for revision, because “we want to make it the best that we can,” she said.

Comm/Comm: Complaints

Thomas Partridge introduced himself as an Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County Democrat, an advocate for seniors and the disabled, and those needing and deserving of public services during this trying time in American history. He called for the election of a new chair of the board of the AATA to champion service that is friendly and caring in safe and ride-worthy vehicles. He questioned whether that’s been the case under current board leadership.

SelectRide should not receive the bid for the AATA’s A-Ride paratransit service, Partridge said. He called the vehicles that SelectRide puts on the road “jalopies” that have accumulated more than 200,000 miles before they are purchased by SelectRide.

Partridge also spoke at the second public commentary slot at the end of the meeting. He called himself an advocate for those who can’t attend the meeting. He said he had led the effort to get the board to meet in an accessible place. [Last year, the AATA moved its meetings to the boardroom of the Ann Arbor District Library from its headquarters on South Industrial Highway.] Despite those efforts, Partridge said, the board went ahead with their vote on the budget with three of its seven members absent. The budget items should have been deferred until the entire board could attend, he said.

He complained that AATA staff members got people to come to board meetings to salute their incompetence. The public is being cheated by publicly funding vehicles that should never be on the road, he said. SelectRide, the company that holds the para-transit contract with AATA, perpetuates discrimination against everyone, Partridge said, even their own employees.

His complaints have been whitewashed, Partridge contended, and he called on the board to elect new leadership.

Comm/Comm: Compliments

Carolyn Grawi spoke on behalf of the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living. She said she came to support the new local advisory council appointments. She also congratulated AATA for its work associated with the non-motorized Washtenaw Avenue walkway and the accessible crosswalk – AATA was among the many players on that project, she said. She also congratulated Mary Stasiak’s department for receiving an APTA AdWheel award, recognizing its billboard ads.

Present: Jesse Bernstein, Rich Robben, Roger Kerson, Anya Dale

Absent: Charles Griffith, David Nacht, Sue McCormick

Next regular meeting: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor [confirm date]

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