Counting Washtenaw County Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Over the past year, WATS has been working with communities in the urban area on pilot testing permanent bicycle and pedestrian counters.  After researching numerous companies and reviewing the reliability of the products, WATS determined to partner with the company Eco-Counter.  The counters will be installed in Pittsfield Township and the City of Dexter later this year.  Collecting data that highlights the number of people using a facility is important for communities to evaluate the return on their investment.  According to Eco-Counter, in 2015 more than 2 billion people were counted on their products, and since January 1, 2016 their counters have counted over 800 million pedestrians and bicyclists.  Eco-Counters has a interactive bike count display website that shows some of the cities where counters have been installed and how many counts have been taken, check it out http://eco-public.com/ParcPublic/?id=4586#.

WATS Director, Ryan Buck stated that “these counters will provide the most complete set of non-motorized data we’ve ever had for individual locations.  The level of detail in the data will provide new insights into transportation system usage and aid in the planning and  development of  the region’s non-motorized system”.

The benefits of walking and biking are well-known but the monetary value of having these types of facilities is less understood.  According to the Community and Economic Benefits of Bicycling in Michigan report created for the Michigan Department of Transportation, 2014 (report http://1.usa.gov/1rPyyqT), concluded the benefits for the state of Michigan for bicycling is $668 million annually:

• Household retail spending on bicycling - $175 million

• Manufacturing - $11 million

• Avoided health care costs - $256 million

• Reduced absenteeism - $187 million

• Event and tourism spending - $38 million

Enjoy Bike to Work Week.

Commuter Challenge in Ann Arbor Enters Second Week

The Commuter Challenge runs May 1 - May 31 and is open to anyone that work in the Ann Arbor Area and Ypsilanti! The goal is to have people log their alternative commutes to earn badges and win prizes.

The Challenge is hosted by the Get Downtown Program and has several sponsors from Google, DTE Energy, Bank of Ann Arbor, the City of Ann Arbor, and the DDA.

WATS is also participating in the Commuter Challenge. WATS is using walking and transit as the primary alternatives to get into work.

It is not too late to sign up, you can go to https://challenge.getdowntown.org/ to get signed up and start today.

Bus to Work Week (May 8-14)

All Week: The Bus is Us

Snap a photo of you and your co-workers riding the bus during this week and you could win one of 25 $10 gift cards to all kinds of fabulous places! Send you photo to commute@theride.org by Friday, May 13th at 4pm to be eligible.

May 10: Intro to Bus Commuting.

Everything you need to know to starting riding the bus to work. 

Commute with your friends, co-workers and win!

Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Michigan

WATS is a part of a wonderful family of fellow transportation planners across the state the strive to develop the best transportation projects using federal transportation dollars.  All the MPOs work with their local transit agencies, Michigan Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, along with all the jurisdictions that are part of the MPO.  

There are 13 MPOs across the state of Michigan. WATS is part of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments MPO, but is considered a transportation management area (TMA), with a population over 200,000. In 2010, Michigan added the newest MPO in the state in Midland.

Michigan Transportation Planning Association

Michigan also has a forum by which all Michigan transportation planners can participate in, it is known as the Michigan Transportation Planning Association (MTPA).  MPOs, FHWA, and the DOT come together to discuss transportation policy and planning issues. This has been a great way for all agencies to collaborate on the ever changing planning environment.

There are over 384 MPOs in the country that are all working to create a seamless transportation system for all transportation users. Search each state’s MPO list https://www.planning.dot.gov/mpo.asp

As a reminder, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is an agency created by federal law to provide local elected officials input into the planning and implementation of federal transportation funds to metropolitan areas with populations of greater than 50,000. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962, which mandated the formation of MPOs, has implemented that MPOs must plan for regional transportation planning expenditures and are responsible for the continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process for their urbanized area. Under federal law established in the 1973 Highway Act and the Urban Mass Transit Act, organizations in urbanized areas are designated by their Governors to perform significant planning and programming of federally funded highways and transit projects. The policy leadership, committees, professional staff, and consultants, combined with the administrative capability to support MPO planning processes, constitute the core elements of MPOs activities.

Contact your MPO today to see how you can get invovled http://www.mtpa-mi.org/members.asp.

Transportation Asset Management in Michigan

Every year road raters go out and take visual ratings of the surface condition of the roadways, this is called PASER ratings or Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating.  Michigan uses PASER to assign roads a rating from "1" (failed road) to "10" (new road/complete reconstruction).  The PASER system is designed to evaluate the types of improvements that would be required bring the roadway back to good condition.  The inspection requires only a brief visual inspection, which can be taken from a moving vehicle.  Raters are required to update their training every year they rate roadways.

This system of road ratings is coordinated by the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC), which is made up of representatives from county road commissions, cities, a county commissioner, township official, regional and metropolitan planning organizations, and the state transportation department.  The TAMC is the statewide clearinghouse for independent, objective data on the condition of Michigan's roads and bridges and a resource for implementing the concepts of Asset Management.

The TAMC has developed interactive maps and data dashboards on the conditions of the roadways across Michigan.  If you have ever wondered what the ratings are for your community, you can look them up here. Only Act 51 agencies are reported on the TAMC data dashboard, but WATS has a wonderful website that looks at all communities in Washtenaw County, find how the roads are doing in your community here. 

Since 2003, WATS, the Washtenaw County Road Commission, and MDOT have worked to evaluate and rate roadways in Washtenaw County for the state required Asset Management Program.  This program is intended to provide a brief snapshot of the condition of all of Michigan's federal aid roadways.

The program requires each county to take a full inventory of their roadways every 2 years, most communities rate half of their ratings each year.  WATS most recently rated Washtenaw County's roadways in July 2014 (fiscal year 2014) and October 2014 (fiscal year 2015).  The next set of PASER ratings will be taken in Summer 2016 and Fall 2016.

Michigan state trunkline routes have only 22% of the lane miles in good condition, where more than 50% of the lane miles are in poor condition. These are the most recent numbers from the TAMC data dashboard website.  Source: TAMC

Transportation agencies around the country will need to place additional emphasis on the surface condition of roadways not that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has rules that States must adhere to and outlines potential consequences for those roadways that fall under the target.  

The proposed minimum level for condition of pavement outlines that States will need to maintain no more than 5% of lane miles of their pavements on the Interstate System in Poor condition. States not meeting this requirement for two consecutive years will be subject to penalties including obligating (securing) NHPP funds and transferring Surface Transportation Program funds.  If you want more details about the measures being used at the State level contact Ryan Buck buckr@miwats.org.

Funding Transportation in Washtenaw County

Spring is the time of the year where flowers bloom, the weather warms, and road agencies can get back to keeping our roads in good repair. 

Roads

At WATS this means finalizing our 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program, which outlines the projects that will be using federal funds throughout the county for the next 4 years.

As a reminder, WATS is known as a transportation management area and has an urbanized population over 200,000 and therefore receives federal transportation funds to program.  We have developed a 2017-2020 draft TIP program, this is awaiting final approval from the Policy Committee on April 20, 2016.

WATS is responsible for annually programming the following funding sources:

1. Surface Transportation Program Urban Funds - $4.3 million/year

2. National Highway Performance Program Funds - $359,000/year

3. Surface Transportation Program Rural Funds  - $529,000/year

4. Transportation Economic Development Funds Category D - $265,000/year

Washtenaw County communities also have the opportunity to receive funding that comes to the Southeast Michigan region:

1. Congestion Mitigation Funds - $16 million (divided between transit and non-transit)

2. Transportation Alternative Program Funds - $6.4 million

Agencies can also apply for funds directly appropriated from the state such as safety funds, bridge funds, economic development funds, and small urban funds.

Transit

Federal transit funding is now passed through the Regional Transit Agency (RTA) to the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA) or more commonly known as The Ride.  TheRide is the designation recipient for transit funds in the Ann Arbor urban area. TheRide is able to capture the following funding sources:

1. 5310 Funds - Funds the capital and operations expenses of agencies with the specific purpose of serving those with disabilities and the elderly  - $580,000/year

2. 5307 - Funds the capital and operations for agencies - $8.3 million/year

3. 5311- Funds the rural transit providers such as People’s Express and the Western Washtenaw Area Value Express - $670,000/year

Transit funding works very differently than road funding.  Road funding has to be secured during the current fiscal year that the project is programmed in the WATS TIP or the federal funds are no longer available to the agency, this process is called obligation.  Transit has up to 3 years to spend their federal funds.  

WATS publishes an annual report that reviews all the federal funding sources that Washtenaw County has received during the fiscal year (October - September). 

If you want to learn more about road funding, WATS created a Funding Transportation in Washtenaw County document.  This document outlines existing funding sources, funding issues, existing local funding solutions, and alternative funding sources currently not used in Michigan.

For more details about funding, please contact Suzann Flowers at flowerss@miwats.org or 734-994-3127. 

Future of Regional Transit Needs Outlined in State of System Report

The formation of the Regional Transit Authority for the counties of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw was done by a legislative act,  Public Act 387 of 2012. A ten member board, which are appointed for three year terms, will help govern this group.  The RTA envisions a region with sufficient and secure funding to support enhanced public transportation options that will ensure accessibility, satisfy the integrated mobility needs of the community, and promote livable, healthy, and sustainable growth.

The RTA is focused on:

• Coordinating - Public transportation in the four-county region, including the City of Detroit

• Delivering - rapid transit in the region

• Funding - Being the entity where all transit providers must apply for state and federal funds

• Developing - Regional Master Transit Plan to guide present and future service

Southeast Michigan spends only $67 on transit per capita, the eight peer regions sutides spend an average of $231 per capita on transit.

State of the System

In the fall of 2015 the state of the system report was released, view here,  which is the guidance document for building the regional transit vision for all of Southeast Michigan.  Eight conclusions were revealed:

1. Transit service is limited

2. Many areas are underserved by transit or not served at all

3. Transit services are not aligned with regional travel patterns

4. Transit service is not reliable enough to be convenient

5. Regional transit is not well coordinated

6. No premium transit service offered

7. Transit funding is insufficient and much lower than peers

8. Paratransit services are not well coordinated.

What’s Next

In the beginning of April, the RTA released their recommendations for rapid transit on Gratiot, Michigan, and Woodward Avenues, which called for bus rapid transit (BRT) on all three corridors and commuter rail for the Michigan Avenue corridor. More on these recommendations can be found at www.rtamichigan.org/brtexperience

The RTA will be releasing a draft of a regional master plan this coming May that will detail how existing service can be coordinated and outline new regional service that will be implemented to connect the four-county region. The master plan will address the challenges that the regional currently faces which are lack of coordination and connectivity due to chronic underfunding or each individual transit provider. Creating a regional network will connect people with jobs, healthcare, and promote general mobility between the counties.

To learn more about the RTA and what they are working on http://www.rtamichigan.org/

$20 Million Committed by State for Connected Vehicles

The old Willow Run Airport is looking to become the second facility in Washtenaw County to focus on connected vehicle technology, according to John Maddox, CEO.  

Ypsilanti Township Supervisor and WATS Policy Committee member, Brenda Stumbo stated “that this is a game changer for the community. When GM closed and demolished their facility we lost a part of the community’s rich history.  With this new project two positives are happening, first, the Yankee Air Museum is preserving a portion of the plant where the planes flew out after being assembled and two, a new advanced technology is happening and giving Silicone Valley more competition”.  

The Willow Run facility will feature:

• Vehicle travel speeds up to 80 mph

• Large configurable intersection and areas to simulate urban, suburban and commercial area (a mall or freight center)

• Off-road section for possible military vehicle use

• Rural area featuring  gravel roads

• The center will feature a 2.5-mile loop that will serve as a simulated highway with ramps, bridges, merge lanes, signs, changes in elevation and potentially a curved tunnel

According to MLive, the planned connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) research facility received a $2.9 million grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund, where up to $20 million dollars can be requested for the project.

Joe Lawson, Ypsilanti Township Planning Director sat down with WATS staffer Suzann Flowers to discuss the project.  “The automobile industry is evolving. This type of investment will continue to bring high tech and high paying jobs to our state. This type of development could also lead to spin off companies that will serve the industry.” Lawson added that this testing facility would include freeway testing, roundabouts, and include an urban setting.  Lawson noted that Michigan’s changing seasons can play a large role in testing technologies for these cars.  

Sources:

1. http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20160318/NEWS/160319860/willow-run-driverless-car-project-gets-ceo-board-of-directors

2. http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2016/03/3m_grant_approved_for_planned.html#incart_river_home

3. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2016/03/22/wall-street-see-downside-self-driving-cars/82146426/

4. http://www.automobilemag.com/news/b-24-bombers-autonomous-car-testing/

Road Cones in our Region

Spring time in Michigan only means three thing, tulips, daffodils and orange construction barrels. Yes, it is that magical time each year when we prepare for construction season. Our partners at MDOT have been busy this winter getting project designs and plans together. This season we will see construction work on some of the most important corridors in our region, M-14, I-96, I-275, M-24, and I-75.

University Region Planner Kari Martin and Metro Region Planner Julie Edwards gave a fantastic presentation at last week’s SEMCOG Technical Coordinating Committee meeting to discuss the major improvements that we will see this spring and summer.

•I-275 Rehabilitation, 5 Mile Road to I-96/I-696/M-5 (Wayne and Oakland Counties) http://www.revive275.com/

•I-75 Modernization, North of Coolidge Road to South Boulevard (Oakland County) - http://1.usa.gov/1VuJGon

•M-24 Rehabilitation, Harmon Road to Goldengate (Oakland County)

•I-96/US-23 Interchange Reconstruction (Livingston County) - http://1.usa.gov/1WCkwm4

•I-75 Reconstruction (Monroe County) - http://1.usa.gov/22yI4vC

•M-14 Pavement and Bridge Repair (Washtenaw County) - http://1.usa.gov/1LVJGWW

You can stay connected and up to date on all of the construction projects this summer via MDOT on their MiDrive app (http://mdotnetpublic.state.mi.us/drive/). Downloading this to your phone can be a helpful aid  saving hours of delays in your travel plans.  

A special thanks to MDOT for the I-96/US-23 image used in this blog. Tune in next week when we talk about the driverless cars and what is happening with this emerging technology.

Regional Safety Plan Seeks to Move Towards Zero Deaths

In partnership with the Southeast Michigan Council of Government, WATS is pleased to announce the completion of the Southeast Michigan Traffic Safety Plan that defines the common vision that will drive safety efforts around the region.  Toward Zero Deaths on Southeast Michigan Roadways is a shared vision by SEMCOG and the Michigan DOT.  

In order to achieve this vision local agencies must work aggressively to meet the targets.

Reduce traffic fatalities by 5% by 2019

Reduce serious traffic injuries by 10% by 2019

The methods used to set the targets is consistent with the proposed rules within the previous transportation bill known as MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century). The current transportation bill known as the FAST Act (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act) continues these rules.

The Safety Task Force will be focusing on their high priority emphasis areas: Intersections, Lane Departure, Pedestrians, and Drivers age 24 and younger.  

Additional emphasis areas include Access management, Bicycle, Commercial Vehicles, Distracted driving, Impaired  driving, Motorcycle, Occupant protection, Senior mobility, Speed management, Traffic incident management, and Traffic records and information systems.

Crash Rates for Washtenaw County

Crash rate is a measure of safety which looks at crash frequency and traffic volume.  This rate illustrates the K and A (fatality and serious) injury crashes. The average crash rate for the region is 5.81, Washtenaw County’s crash rate is 4.85.

To review the plan or see where Washtenaw County ranks on other safety metrics please visit http://bit.ly/1QTbpgo.