RYAN HUNTER

ANN ARBOR, MI — Voters in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area will decide the fate of one of the biggest local property tax increases in recent history in the Aug. 2 primary. With ridership still down, Ann Arbor transit expansion is banking on future demandThe tax is separate from another roughly 2-mill tax Ann Arbor pays and a roughly 1-mill tax Ypsilanti pays for TheRide services. The only person who voted Thursday night against putting the proposal to voters was Ryan Hunter, Ypsilanti Township’s representative on TheRide board. A quick overview of the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti transit tax proposalJesse Miller, Ypsilanti’s representative on the board, noted the five-year millage is the first step in a long-range plan. Susan Pollay, an Ann Arbor representative on TheRide board, recalled the southeast Michigan regional transit millage proposal that went to voters in November 2016.

ANN ARBOR, MI — A major transformation and expansion of public transit services in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area could mean 39% faster bus service, double the service near residences and a 74% increase in service near jobs. Those are projections from a new 2045 long-range plan for the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, also known as TheRide, which is considering asking voters in August to approve a big tax increase to start implementing the draft plan. If approved, it would be levied from 2024 to 2028 and cost property owners in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township an extra $168 per year for every $100,000 of taxable value. The long-range plan also shows possibilities for new park-and-ride lots coupled with express bus services linking Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to surrounding communities throughout the region. “So, there’s a whole lot of folks who would benefit from this, but I like to think of it as a benefit to the entire community.”MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Ann Arbor bus ridership has plummeted amid the pandemic.

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