MichiganFlyer Service Funding Approved

Last week, the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission voted to include bus service between Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Detroit Metropolitan Airport in its Long Range Plan.  The new agreement includes four additional trips per day above the current 8, funded in part by a one time federal grant.  The service is provided by Michigan Flyer, an Indian Trails subsidiary.  The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) and Ann Arbor DDA work with Michigan Flyer to provide the AirRide service, which brings the Michigan Flyer bus to downtown Ann Arbor.  For more information, visit the Michigan Flyer website or the AirRide website.

Michigan's Transportation Funding Choices

The state of Michigan faces a simple choice on transportation funding, pay more now, or a lot more later.  Growth in transportation funding is outpaced by inflation and deteriorating infrastructure, and funding will only erode faster with the surge of fuel efficient and electric vehicles.  As the state congress evaluates methods for improving our infrastructure, MDOT published a series of reports and infographics to illustrate Michigan's dire need for solutions.  The report, The Road not Taken, examines the 1997 increase in the state's fuel tax increase, and explains why that increase was not adequate to sustainably fund our transportation system.  The infographics are included below.  If you are interested in meaningful solutions to solve Michigan's infrastructure crisis, visit justfixtheroads.com.

More than 8,700 motorists cited for not buckling up during Click It or Ticket

During a statewide effort to get motorists to buckle up, law enforcement agencies in 26 counties issued 8,701 seat belt and child seat violation tickets, nearly 600 more citations than during last year’s enforcement effort.

Preliminary reports from police agencies indicate 13,453 vehicles were stopped during the May 20-June 2 Click It or Ticket campaign. The enforcement is part of a national effort to save lives and reduce injuries by increasing seat belt use.

Following the state’s record-high rate of 97.9 percent in 2009, seat belt use declined to 93.6 percent in 2012. Every 1 percent increase in belt use means 10 fewer traffic deaths and 130 fewer injuries. In 2012, 225 people who died in Michigan traffic crashes were not buckled up.

“Motorists were warned about the enforcement through advertising on the Internet, television and radio stations and through the media. Those that didn’t heed the advice to ‘click it’ received a ticket,” said Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning Director Michael L. Prince. “The bottom line is seat belts save lives and motorists need to buckle up every trip, every time.”

In addition to seat belt violations, 15 drunk drivers were arrested during the enforcement period and 29 drug arrests were made. More than 1,000 tickets for uninsured motorists and 415 for suspended licenses were written.

In Eaton County, a seat belt stop resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine in the vehicle and the seizure of more than $30,000 in other drugs. Traffic stops in Taylor and Rockwood in Wayne County resulted in narcotics arrests and the forfeiture of more than $3,000.

Twelve people died in traffic crashes over the Memorial Day holiday period. Of those, three were not wearing a seat belt, two were motorcyclists, two were riding off-road vehicles along the roadway, one was riding a moped and one was a pedestrian. This is an increase from the 2012 Memorial Day holiday period when ten people were killed in traffic crashes.

Officers will again take to the streets working stepped up drunk driving patrols July 1-7 and Aug. 16-Sept. 2, during the heavily traveled July Fourth and Labor Day holidays. Seat belt enforcement will also be a part of the Labor Day effort.

ReImagine Washtenaw Online Materials and Survey

In May, ReImagine Washtenaw held a series of public meetings to share the status of their efforts to envision a new Washtenaw Corridor.  The workshop materials and evaluation forms from the meeting are now online.  Anyone can review this material and provide feedback.  Visit  the survey below if you did not have a chance to provide comment at the public meetings.

The survey closes on July 1st!

http://www.a2gov.org/services/pages/opencityhall.aspx

ReImagine Washtenaw Online Comment

Did you miss your chance to comment on the future of Washtenaw Avenue?  Don't Panic!  You still have a chance to learn about the future of the county's busiest commercial corridor and to provide feedback.  See the poster below for more information, or go to www.washtenawavenue.org

Mapping of dialectical differences through out the United Sates

Check out these 22 maps highlighting the diversity of the English language from region to region in the United States!







http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6#some-of-the-deepest-schisms-in-america-are-over-the-pronunciation-of-the-second-syllable-of-pajamas-9

The Connector Workshop June 2013 Public Input

As part of its continuing efforts to engage the public and stakeholders, and provide the latest information about The Connector project, on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, members of the public are invited to provide their opinions during a workshop event at the Downtown Ann Arbor District Library. The Connector is a developing plan for high-capacity transit in an arc from northeast to south Ann Arbor, connecting major destinations including downtown, University of Michigan campuses and medical center, and commercial areas.

During the June 18 workshop there will be several opportunities to provide feedback about The Connector. The workshop is open to everyone — residents, business owners, stakeholders and other interested parties are encouraged to attend.

The Connector June 18 Workshop Agenda

4:30-5:30 pm 5:30-6:00 pm 6:00-7:00 pm 7:00-7:30 pm 7:30-8:00 pm

Open House Presentation Breakout Groups — Connect The Connector Presentation Open House

http://www.aaconnector.com/get-involved.html#june2013

Longest Plastic Recycled Bridge

Made from 100% recycled plastics (80% post consumer and 20% car bumpers and dashboards), the bridge located in Logan County Ohio has been named the Onion Ditch Bridge. The bridge spans 24.6 ft, has an anticipated life of 50 years, and is impervious to insect infestation.




http://inhabitat.com/onion-ditch-bridge-longest-us-recycled-plastic-bridge-pops-up-in-ohio/

Commuting by Bike: Signaling, Common Intersections, and Traffic (Lifehacker article)

Lifehacker, a website dedicated to tips, tricks, and downloads for getting things done recently featured an excellent article about bike commuting on its Hackerspace.  In it, author Joseph Skeate covers basic hand signals, how a biker might handle complex intersections, and even how to be safe near a merging bus.  We recommend it!  Read the article at Lifehacker.

US-23 Nonmotorized Underpass Ribbon Cutting this Friday at 10am!

Local and County government officials, business leaders, and representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation have scheduled a ribbon cutting for Friday, June 7th, from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m., to celebrate the completion of a non-motorized path improvement. The 10 ft. wide path improvement provides an off-road path for bikers and pedestrians to more safely traverse the US-23 interchange at Washtenaw Ave. The new path runs from Yost near Arborland Mall under US-23 to Carpenter Road, and is between the City of Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township. The ribbon cutting will take place along the section of path nearest the Chili's Parking lot in Arborland. 

"We are thrilled to see this improvement completed, as this area was especially challenging for pedestrians to navigate. This is a good example of MDOT's commitment to the ReImagine Washtenaw vision to create a more safe, walkable corridor, by providing reasonable accommodation to non-motorized modes of transportation," said ReImagine Washtenaw Project Manager, Nathan Voght. "This ribbon cutting event will allow all ReImagine Washtenaw stakeholders to gather and celebrate the occasion." 

"The Michigan Department of Transportation is looking forward to continuing its collaboration with the ReImagine Washtenaw initiative, to ensure future improvements address both MDOT's needs, and also the community's vision for the corridor," says Mark Sweeney, MDOT Brighton TSC Manager. 

Also attending the ribbon cutting will be representatives from the newly formed association of businesses near this stretch of the corridor within the City of Ann Arbor. The new business association is called Washtenaw Avenue Merchant Association, or WAMA. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided by Hiller's, one of WAMA's founding business members. 

ReImagine Washtenaw is a multi-jurisdictional land use planning and public transit initiative to transform the corridor from auto-focused, to a safe, multi-modal, public transit-enhanced corridor, with new, high-quality mixed-use development, enhanced transit service and amenities, resulting in a corridor with sense of place. Professional staff planners and elected officials from the Cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti and Pittsfield and Ypsilanti Townships have been leading this effort. Additional partners, including the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Michigan Department of Transportation, Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study, are also collaborating to take the county's most congested and auto-centric road, and turn it in to a high-functioning, multi-modal corridor. For more information contact Nathan Voght, in the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development, at voghtn@ewashtenaw.org or 734-222-3860, or visit the Reimagine Washtenaw website.