The Connector Workshop June 2013 Public Input

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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

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

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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!

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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.

ReImagine Washtenaw on Bike Shop Show

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The Bike Shop Show, a local cyclist focused podcast, recently interviewed Nathan Vought from Washtenaw County's Office of Community and Economic Development.  The interview highlights the ReImagine Washtenaw effort, which is rethinking the County's busiest commercial corridor as a pedestrian and bike friendly place.  Listen to the podcast for more information.  To get involved attend an upcoming meeting for the project.  The first meeting is tonight at the Washtenaw County Service Center, we've included the flyer below.

Reimagine Washtenaw Avenue

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The Reimagine Washtenaw team will hold a series of public meetings to discuss the Washtenaw Avenue Corridor with you.  Meetings will be held at various locations along the corridor.  Participants will see a 30 minute presentation on Complete Streets and then participate in a series of stations where they can provide input on safe pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, transit, and pedestrian access along the corridor.


See the flyer below for more details and visit www.washtenawavenue.org to learn more about this exciting project.

On-Road Bicycle Facility Design Training

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The Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation, MDOT, Village of Dexter, and OHM Advisors are hosting a free educational course on the design of on-road bike facilities.  The course will familiarize professionals and officials with the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities.  Contact Kristen Delaney with the Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation at kristen@5healthytowns for more information.

More than 400 motorists arrested for drunk driving during recent statewide crackdown

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Law enforcement officers arrested 433 motorists for drunk driving during a three-week impaired driving crackdown March 13-April 8. Of those arrested, 72 were charged under the state’s high blood alcohol content (BAC) law with a BAC of .17 or higher. This is an increase from the 405 drunk driving arrests made during a similar enforcement effort in 2012.

Officers from 155 agencies conducted stepped up enforcement aimed at curtailing drunk driving during a time frame that included National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournaments, high school and college spring break periods and St. Patrick’s Day. This resulted in 12,296 traffic stops and 6,350 citations and arrests, including 296 for other alcohol- and drug-related charges such as open intoxicants.

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) coordinated the effort, which was funded with federal highway safety grants, in 26 counties.

“Motorists who choose to drive drunk endanger everyone on the roadway,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director. “Enforcement efforts like this save lives by putting extra officers on the road to stop and arrest impaired drivers as well as curtail other dangerous driving behaviors.”

One motorist was arrested with a .43 BAC by Kent County’s Kentwood Police Department. It was the driver’s third drunk driving arrest. In Wayne County, a driver was arrested for driving drunk with two children in the vehicle and was subsequently cited for child endangerment by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

Other enforcement activity included:

  • 1,091 speeding citations
  • 648 uninsured motorist citations
  • 556 suspended driver citations
  • 291 fugitive arrests
  • 186 misdemeanor arrests
  • 129 seat belt and child restraint citations
  • 55 felony arrests

Impressive Watercolor Map Base

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The map base below is one of the most creative uses of Google Maps we've ever seen.  The developer replaces the entire Google Maps image sets with custom water color images.  If you look carefully, you can pick out repeated patterns when zoomed out.  It is an impressive use of the API's that Google lets developers manipulate.  Check out the original post at Google's Geo Developers Blog for more information. Be sure to zoom in and out to watch how the colors and patterns change at various scales.