WATS needs input on Public Participation Plan

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WATS needs your input on techniques that we can use to better engage the public.  Stop by one of our meetings or take our brief survey.  

Meeting Dates

  • Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority - Wednesday September 24, 2014:Location 150 South Fifth Avenue, Suite 301, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 from 4-6:00p.m.
  • Ypsilanti District Library - Whittaker Road Branch - Wednesday September 17, 2014:Location 5577 Whittaker Road, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 from 4-6:00p.m. in the Library Lobby.

Help Plan The Future of the Huron St. Bridge Over I-94→

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Help Plan The Future of the Huron St. Bridge Over I-94

Help shape the future of the Huron Street bridge over I-94 connecting Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township.  WATS is working with URS Corporation, local stakeholders and MDOT to create a variety of non-motorized crossing alternatives at Huron and I-94 for the public to review and comment on.  Take this brief survey to share your thoughts.

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Design Your Perfect Street

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Design Your Perfect Street

Last week, we featured a tool that allows armchair planners (or real ones) to design their perfect transit system.  This week, we found another tool from Code for America, StreetMix, which allows users to design their perfect street.  Anyone who has attended a complete streets meeting might be familiar with the exercise where citizens arrange variously widthed paper cutouts of streets (car lanes, bike lanes, etc) to build their ideal street.  StreetMix is similar, but all online and with precise flexibility for street and lane widths.

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HTF Running Low, DOT Shares Cash Management Plan

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HTF Running Low, DOT Shares Cash Management Plan

The Highway Trust Fund is running dangerously low.  The issue, can-kicked for years and avoided still, will require the US Department of Transportation will switch to a new cash management system.  This new system is the equivalent of paying bills paycheck to paycheck (gas tax revenue the paycheck), rather than having a savings account (the highway trust fund) with enough cushion to effectively manage bills bulked within a single season.  Instead of immediate reimbursement, states will be paid as funds become available. Below, a post from Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, which originally appeared on USDOT's blog, Fast Lane.

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MDOT Reality Check: Michigan Doesn't Know How to Build Roads

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It's easy to find examples of roads in Michigan that saw repairs just a few years ago and are falling apart again.  It's also east to see why drivers and taxpayers think shoddy workmanship is to blame.  Michigan follows nation design and construction standards, and is a leader in roadwork warranties.  MDOT can and does build quality roads, but Michigan's current investment in transportation doesn't support much more than short term fixes for our aging system.

Interactive SEMCOG map shows commuting patterns for Southeast Michigan

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SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, recently released an interactive map that shows commuting patterns for communities in the seven-county Southeast Michigan region (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties).

The new map answers the following questions for each community:

  • How many residents work in the community in which they live?
  • Where are additional workers commuting from?
  • What communities are residents commuting to?
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