Title
Resolution to Approve Entering Into Ann Arbor Connector Alternatives Analysis Memorandum of Understanding and to Appropriate $60,000.00 from the General Fund, Fund Balance (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
The City of Ann Arbor in cooperation with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA), Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the University of Michigan (U-M) continue considering options to enhance transit service in the City. Enhanced transit service can improve mobility; provide attractive, time-competitive alternatives to automobile travel; and, strengthen the economic competitiveness of the city and region while adding to our sustainability. A concept for “Signature Transit” was defined in the City’s Transportation Plan Update adopted by City Council in May 2009. The time frame for study of the signature transit corridor outlined in the Plan Update was “Short Term” within the first five years of the plan period.
The Ann Arbor Connector is the “Signature Transit” system intended to provide a rapid-transit linkage that connects major activity centers in the City to one another. The Connector system is also a sustainable form of travel as higher capacity systems such as this are more energy efficient and generate fewer emissions than cars or lower capacity forms of transit. Effective rapid-transit service can also assist the City in avoiding commitment of valuable land and financial resources to the parking of automobiles in our key business areas. The use of valuable land for parking in the future is likely to occur with expected growth and in the absence of effective higher capacity transit options.
In February 2011, the City in cooperation with AATA, U-M, and DDA with technical support from Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) completed the Ann Arbor Connector Feasibility Study that evaluated the need and alternative concepts for an advanced transit system to supplement the existing multimodal transportation systems in a corr...
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