WATS Up: May 2021

May 2021

Welcome to the May 2021 edition of WATS Up, the monthly newsletter for Washtenaw Area Transportation Study! May is National Bike Month! Learn More

WATS Agency Updates

WATS is seeking public input for Route Ypsilanti, a tactical urbanism project with the City of Ypsilanti and St. Joe’s Ann Arbor. Community members can vote on potential street improvements through online surveys until May 26. Learn More

The statewide obligation authority is 95.6% for the local non-rural program and 78.9% for the local rural program as of May 13. Track the remaining statewide obligation authority here.

Applications have been accepted and are now under review for the RTA call for 5310 projects, which support planning services that address the needs of seniors and people with disabilities. Learn More

Development of the WATS FY 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is about to kick off! Stay tuned for updates.

Up On The Blog

Fri, May 21

Data Driving Equity - WATS and the Opportunity Index

BY: EMILY LAKE

Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) has released the updated 2020 Opportunity Index. Since the development of the 2045 Long Range Plan, WATS has been using the index

TAMC has published Michigan’s 2020 Road & Bridges Annual Report. “The 2020 report reveals the on-going challenges of maintaining Michigan’s federal aid eligible roads as the deterioration cycle of roads unfortunately shows a continued trend of Poor condition”, stated TAMC Chair Joanna Johnson.

The U.S. Department of Treasury released the highly anticipated allocations and eligible uses for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds as part of The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. Read More

Route Ypsilanti in the News: Ypsilanti officials to explore traffic calming measure on four major city roads. Read More

Partner Agency Updates

TheRide has proposed service changes to begin in August 2021. Learn More

Upcoming SEMCOG University Webinar: Using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Economic Development on June 9. Register Here

The Michigan Transportation Planning Association’s 2021 Annual Conference with be held virtually July 21 and July 22. Register Here

The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC) is interested in your thoughts about your experiences on the Border to Border Trail (B2B). Take the WCPARC trail user survey here.

Did You Know?

The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) offers funding opportunities for projects that improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, Safe Routes to School, or green stormwater infrastructure. Communities can apply to both SEMCOG and MDOT in a joint application.

Pro Tip: Non-motorized counters are an eligible cost for federal funds through the TAP program. Contact TAP coordinators at SEMCOG or MDOT to learn more.

Get Involved!

The United Way 21-Day Equity Challenge is an opportunity to expand your understanding of inequities in Southeast Michigan. Participants are emailed prompts every weekday from May 21-June 18 with articles, videos, and charts related to equity issues. Sign Up Here

Check out the WATS Calendar for upcoming meetings and webinars.