Michigan 2021 state highway road construction projects: Hereโs whatโs planned
The Michigan governor announced a list of 21 state highway road construction projects Tuesday that are planned for the 2021 season through the Rebuilding Michigan bonding program. Gretchen Whitmerโs office said these road projects (listed below) are a blend of those previously funded through the Michigan Department of Transportationโs (MDOT) budget as well as several supported by the Rebuilding Michigan bonding program. The Rebuilding Michigan program was made possible when the State Transportation Commission (STC) in January 2020 authorized MDOT to issue $3.5 billion in bonds over four years to finance infrastructure improvements, under authority granted by the Michigan Constitution and Public Act 51 of 1951. โMDOTโs 2021 program includes rebuilding and resurfacing roughly 920 lane miles of state highways and freeways, and performing preventative maintenance on another 830 lane miles throughout Michigan,โ said State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba. AdSo, in a month where we can have ten inches of snow and three inches of rain in a three-week span, potholes are thriving on Michigan roads.
TheRide to host public meetings on new transportation proposal
ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ On Monday, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) will host the first of several virtual meetings to talk to the public about its new service plan. Starting in August, the plan will affect all of TheRideโs bus routes as well as its A-Ride, GoldRide, FlexRide and Night/Holiday services. Changes presented by the proposal include reinstating some routes, adding select weekend services, revising routes to serve different areas and eliminating route variations. Meetings for public feedback will be held this week at noon on Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Additional meetings will be at 6 p.m. on March 30, noon on March 31 and at 6 p.m. on April 1.
TheRide, Washtenaw County partner to provide shuttles to mass COVID vaccination site
ANN ARBOR โ The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) has partnered with the Washtenaw County Health Department to provide transportation to and from the countyโs mass COVID vaccination site at Eastern Michigan Universityโs Convocation Center. Service began on Wednesday and anyone who has a scheduled appointment at the EMU site can use the shuttles. โThis is an important step in making our mass vaccination site at EMU more accessible. Weโre thankful to the TheRide for working with us to provide transportation at no cost to riders,โ Loveluck said in a news release. The shuttles operate every 30 minutesThe shuttles are limited to 20 individuals per vehicle.
Michigan Flyer-AirRide will resume service from Ann Arbor to DTW in April
ANN ARBOR โ Starting on Monday, April 26, Michigan Flyer-AirRide will be restoring its daily service between East Lansing, Brighton, Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro Airport. The restoration is made possible by funding the bus service secured through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. In order to help prevent the risk of person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus, cash payments will not be accepted. If youโre boarding in Ann Arbor, tickets may be purchased with cash inside the Blake Transit Center during business hours. Cleaning and sanitizing buses daily, with special attention to high-touch areas.
Macomb County is expanding COVID vaccination transportation service for seniors
(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)The Macomb County Health Department is expanding a program to help seniors who rely on bus services get to COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Interested seniors should call the SMART Macomb Vaccine Hotline at 586-421-6579 to register for the county wait list. Seniors or someone they know can avoid the call altogether by emailing the SMART Macomb Vaccine Hotline 24/7 at macombvaccine@smartbus.org, and including their name, address, phone number and date of birth. SMART will maintain a wait list, and the county will contact individuals from the list as appointments at Richmond/Lenox EMS or other community sites become available. Richmond/Lenox is being overwhelmed by calls and is not able to make appointments or add names to the wait list.
Detroit to hold COVID vaccination fairs at churches for seniors
Starting this weekend, the Detroit Health Department will be partnering with two of the cityโs largest churches to hold weekly Senior Saturday vaccination fairs exclusively for Detroit residents ages 65 and older. Eligible residents can call 313-230-0505 to schedule their appointment at either church. Rides can be scheduled as part of the process of setting up a vaccination appointment at TCF by calling the scheduling number at 313-230-0505. The retail chain currently has a waiting list of 3,300 customers who are residents of the city of Detroit. Second vaccination requiredWhen they schedule their appointment, individuals will be provided two appointment dates, one for the first dose and another for the required second dose.
U-M associate professor joins Biden administration to work in Transportation Dept.
ANN ARBOR โ Robert Hampshire, associate professor at the University of Michiganโs Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, has been appointed to work in the U.S. Transportation Department under the Biden administration, it was announced Thursday. He was appointed principal deputy assistant secretary for research and technology at the Transportation Department. The office, which receives an annual investment of $1 billion for transportation research and development, coordinates technology and research programs. He will oversee the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Transportation Safety Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hampshire was a research associate professor at U-Mโs Michigan Institute for Data Science and Transportation Research Instituteโs Human Factors group.
Ann Arborโs TheRide is hiring full time service crew members
ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ Interested in working with public transportation? The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is looking to add three new, full-time members to its service crew. New service crew members will work afternoon shifts with hours between 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and on weekends, according to the job posting. During their training, members will be paid $17.74 per hour. After training, members will receive hourly pay of $21.29, which will increase to $24.60 after one year of employment.
TheRide will restore service in Ypsilanti, improve several routes starting Jan. 17
ANN ARBOR โ The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) announced it is updating its Temporary Service Plan to include restoring service in Ypsilanti and to improve on-time performance on a number of routes starting on Jan. 17. Route 22Adjust routing headed to the Blake Transit Center from the Glen Ave/Fuller Rd area to Beakes Ave and Fifth Ave to serve Kerrytown. Route 23Adjust routing in downtown Ann Arbor from William St to Washington St and Thayer St to reach the U-M Central Campus Center. Service to U-M Central Campus will be provided via Route 23. Route 26Move boarding location at the Blake Transit Center from Fourth Ave. to the transit mall.
Ann Arborโs TheRide announces holiday schedule changes
ANN ARBOR โ The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority announced it will not operate its services on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2021 in observance of Christmas Day and New Yearโs Day. Fixed-route bus service will end early on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Yearโs Eve (Dec. 31). The shared-ride FlexRide Holiday Service is $5 per person on holidays and operates within designated areas of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Reservations can be made Monday through Friday and stop at 5:15 a.m. or 5 a.m. for trips outside of Ann Arbor. On Saturday and Sunday, reservations can be made until 6:15 a.m. or 6 a.m. for trips outside of Ann Arbor.
TheRide announces Thanksgiving service changes
ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ On Thursday, Nov. 26, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) will not offer any of its fixed-route bus service, FlexRide East/West or A-Ride services during the Thanksgiving holiday. Community members needing to get around that Thursday can use TheRideโs FlexRide Holiday Service -- a shared-ride service that operates on designated holidays. The holiday service will operate from 6 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26. Trips can be taken to designated areas in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti andFind designated FlexRide Holiday Service areas here. TheRide does not operate service on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26.
Ann Arborโs TheRide to start restoring service in November
ANN ARBOR โ The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority has announced that it will begin restoring service next month after implementing its Temporary Service Plan in August. According to TheRide, the service updates that begin Sunday, Nov, 22 include:Route 22: The boarding location at the Blake Transit Center will be relocated. Route 25: The route that starts at the Blake Transit Center will be adjusted to serve Target on Waters Rd. FlexRide-East: Weekend service is being added to the FlexRide-East service area in Ypsilanti Township. โWe continue to take a very cautious approach to adding back service,โ Bryan D. Smith, Deputy CEO of Operations at TheRide said in a statement.
Take a virtual tour of TheRideโs new replacement bus
ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is getting eight replacement buses for its fleet. The first of the new buses has arrived and TheRide is inviting the Ann Arbor community to give feedback on what they like and donโt like about the new bus. Manufactured by Nova Bus, each new bus has larger windows, a back window, more spacious seating, a designated stroller area, floor markings, full-sized windows on the rear doors and antimicrobial seats. The replacement buses include USB charging ports, push buttons instead of pull cords, internal and external security cameras and destination headsigns. Riders will notice that the bodies of the Nova Bus buses have been designed to reflect the TheRide logo and have large front windshields and front-side windows.
Majority of riders felt safe in U-Mโs driverless shuttles, study reveals
ANN ARBOR โ Riders and nonriders of the driverless shuttles on University of Michiganโs North Campus had a high level of trust in the vehicles, according to a report my Mcity. Regardless of their feedback for improving the shuttle, riders were very satisfied with their driverless shuttle experience. On a scale from 1-10 with 10 being โtruly exceptional,โ riders rated their experience a 7.87 (mean), and 75% said they would be willing to ride the driverless shuttle again. A vast majority of riders, 86%, stated post-ride that they trusted the Mcity Driverless Shuttle; as did 67% of nonriders surveyed, including pedestrians, bicyclists and other vehicle drivers. Slow speeds and limited on-route stops did not make the Mcity Driverless Shuttle a practical alternative to riders' daily transportation challenges.
Ann Arborโs TheRide launches contactless ticketing app
ANN ARBOR โ The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) announced this week that it has launched a new contactless mobile ticketing app called EZfare to make riding public transit more convenient and safer amid the global health crisis. TheRide joins 13 other transit agencies from around the Midwest that use the mobile payment system which is powered by service provider Masabi. EZfare is now the largest mobile ticketing platform in the country. Users can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play. The app operates as a Ticket Wallet and upon boarding, users simply have to show the driver their active ticket on their phone screen.
DDOT bus service stops due to driver labor dispute
DETROIT โ The city of Detroit announced Friday morning that there is no bus service due to a driver labor dispute. Here is the statement from the cityโs Department of Transportation (DDOT):โThe Detroit Department of Transportation is currently undergoing a driver work stoppage due to a labor dispute. At the time being there is no bus service. My men and women are putting it on the line every day,โ President of DDOT Union Local 26 Glenn Tolbert said in July. At one point in March, DDOT bus fares were suspended in order to reduce close contact between drivers and passengers
Mobility veteran joins Ann Arborโs Refraction AI as new CEO
ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ Mobility industry veteran Luke Schneider has been named as the new chief executive officer of Ann Arbor-based Refraction AI. Schneider has had over 25 years of experience in the mobility and transportation industries, including executive positions Zipcar, wejo, Flexcar and Silvercar. As CEO, Texas-based Schneider will work on Refraction AIโs expansion plan while cementing the startupโs involvement with contactless delivery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Refraction AI has received a four-fold increase in delivery orders from its partnering Ann Arbor eateries and has begun to scaleup its fleet of autonomous vehicle robots. In June it began using its robots to help deliver groceries through a partnership with the Produce Station.
Judge blocks Michiganโs ban on transporting voters to polls
The decision is significant in a state that is anticipating waves of absentee ballots this fall; about 2.3 million have already been requested. For absentee ballots to be counted, Michigan law requires them to be received by the time polls close on Election Day. โWith the November election quickly approaching, voters and local clerks need certainty โ and these decisions provide that,โ Jarvi said. Separately, a federal judge on Thursday blocked Michigan's longstanding ban on transporting voters to the polls. โCongress implemented a statutory scheme and gave citizens the right to spend money on transporting voters to the polls,โ Davis said.
Michigan bill could make driver lines shorter, save money
Michigan drivers would no longer need a hard copy of a vehicles registration or an annual sticker on license plates under pending legislation. The bill's sponsor testified in a state House Transportation Committee this past week that the change would shorten lines at secretary of state branches and save the state money. The Department of State estimates in the bills analysis that the state could save $500,000 by eliminating the physical requirements of registration. Michigan State Police legislative liaison Sgt. Department of State spokesman Matt Levin said the department opposes allowing financial institutions to provide secretary of state services.
GM, Honda partners to develop electric vehicles, automotive technology
Auto analyst David Cole called the agreement coopetition, which auto companies work together to save money. Thats needed now more than ever, and with the Honda Motor Company getting involved, that should tell how important coopetition is. The agreement wasnt completely out of the blue as the two companies agreed to work on next-generation electric vehicles in April. RELATED: May Mobility expanding in Ann Arbor; highlights leadership in autonomous vehicle technologyThe companies will share common vehicle platforms -- electrified and internal combustion propulsion -- meaning some vehicles will be GM underneath Honda exteriors. All of the automakers know eventually electrification, autonomous vehicles and connectivity will be the way of life, but thats far off in the future, Krebs said.
Ann Arbors TheRide: No service on Labor Day
ANN ARBOR, Mich. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority has announced it will be suspending services on Monday, Sept. 7 in observance of Labor Day. For those needing transportation, the FlexRide and the FlexRide Night and Holiday services will be available. The FlexRide service will work from 6 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Labor Day. Reservations for the Late Night and Holiday Service can be made by calling 734-528-5432 or through the MODE Car application. The FlexRide Late Night and Holiday Service costs $5 per person.
Ann Arbors TheRide to start new temporary routes Sunday
ANN ARBOR, Mich. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) will start its new temporary route plan on Sunday. TheRide also expanded its FlexRide services to work in areas that are not covered by the new plan. To aid in efforts curbing the spread of COVID-19, TheRide announced that it has not printed Ride Guides for the temporary plan. Individual route pages are available by request at the Blake Transit Center and the TheRides main office at 2700 S. Industrial Hwy. Over the course of August, TheRide held a series of virtual meetings discussing the changes The temporary route network was announced in July.
Michigan plans dedicated road lanes for autonomous vehicles
LANSING, Mich. The state of Michigan and some private partners are taking steps toward building or assigning dedicated lanes for automated vehicles on a 40-mile stretch of highway between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Ford is among nine autonomous vehicle and auto companies on an advisory board for the project. The project is being led by a company called Cavnue, which will start the study by running autonomous vehicles with human backup drivers along I-94 and U.S. 12 to collect data. Chinese media have reported on a similar project on a new freeway in China, and others have proposed similar ventures in the U.S., but Winer said the Michigan project would be a first. Vehicles and autonomous driving systems used by all companies would be able to use the lanes, provided they meet standards, Winer said.
Michigan plans dedicated road lanes for autonomous vehicles
Ford is among nine autonomous vehicle and auto companies on an advisory board for the project. Eventually, autonomous buses and shuttles would run along the Interstate 94 corridor, linking the University of Michigan to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the citys downtown. Tech and auto companies that favor running the vehicles with normal traffic seem to be winning, Walker Smith said, although that has eased as expectations for autonomous vehicles have become more realistic. Vehicles and autonomous driving systems used by all companies would be able to use the lanes, provided they meet standards, Winer said. The company plans to build a prototype freeway lane at the American Center for Mobility, an autonomous vehicle testing area Ypsilanti, Michigan, he said, adding that the study will consider how to handle wildlife or humans entering the dedicated lanes.
May Mobility expanding in Ann Arbor; highlights leadership in autonomous vehicle technology
ANN ARBOR, Mich. Autonomous and connected vehicle developer May Mobility is looking to expand its footprint in Ann Arbor. With headquarters in Ann Arbor, May Mobility and operates in cities across the United States, including Grand Rapids and Detroit. In 2019, the AV technology company worked with MEDC and the city of Grand Rapids to form the Grand Rapids Autonomous Vehicle Initiative. The initiative saw autonomous vehicles operating on city streets in Grand Rapids to demonstrate civic infrastructure and operational capabilities of the growing autonomous vehicle market. May Mobility will work with Ann Arbor SPARK to find candidates to fill the anticipated positions.
Lansing bus service listed as potential coronavirus (COVID-19) exposure site
LANSING, Mich. Two unrelated people who recently rode CATA buses in Lansing have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), health officials announced Friday. Individuals interested in COVID-19 testing can contact their primary care physician or find a no-cost COVID-19 testing site in Michigan online here. Ingham County is also hosting a cost- and appointment-free COVID-19 testing event on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Walsh Park in Lansing. COVID-19 cases are rising across Michigan counties, and at least two outbreaks have been linked to locations in Ingham County. At least 138 COVID-19 cases have been linked to an outbreak at Harpers Restaurant and Brew Pub in East Lansing, and at least three COVID-19 cases are linked to a veterinary clinic in Lansing -- with more infections suspected.
University of Michigan advanced transportation hub awards over $700,000 to high-tech mobility projects
ANN ARBOR, Mich. The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation has awarded $710,000 to eight early-stage mobility projects from Michigan universities. The high-tech projects will offer ways to increase the safety, sustainability and efficacy of transporting people and goods in order to meet market needs. The eight projects receiving funding this year through the MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation reflect the diversity of advanced automotive technologies being developed at Michigans universities, U-M associate vice president for research-technology transfer and innovation partnerships Kelly Sexton told Michigan News. The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation accelerates the development and commercialization of advanced transportation projects. The program is open to researchers at higher education institutions, hospital systems and nonprofit research organizations within Michigan.
University of Michigan Museum of Natural History seeks community input on environmental issues
ANN ARBOR, Mich. For an upcoming forum on environmental data, the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History needs your help. The museum is asking the public to take part in a 12-question survey about opinions and needs for accessing data on environmental issues and their relationships to social justice. Issues on the survey range from energy and water quality, transportation and loss of biodiversity to climate change. Answers to the survey will help the UMMNH create better conversations with academics, local government and local nonprofit or grassroots organizations. Find the survey here.