THERIDE

The Memorial Day holiday will affect TheRide's services and buildings.

On Tuesday, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide), dropped its mask requirement after the Transportation Security Administration announced it would stop enforcing a federal mask mandate.

In the meantime, on Tuesday, April 5, Carpenter paid a visit to the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center and Ypsilanti City Hall to present the proposal and hear local leaders’ feedback. TheRide’s board has 10 members, eight from Ann Arbor and one each from Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, observed township Treasurer Stan Eldridge. Ann Arbor residents also currently pay a separate 2-mill tax and Ypsilanti residents a separate 1-mill tax for TheRide services. With the $1 million annually coming from Ypsilanti Township residents tax bills currently, it provides the township with $7 million of service, he said. The transit authority board, with several members present at the Tuesday township meeting, was “wrestling” with the tax increase, and Ypsilanti Township’s representative on the body had communicated township leaders’ concerns, he said.

See how the Easter holiday will affect TheRide's buses in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area.

The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) has announced it will receive $300,000 as part of a $16 million plan to expand the Ypsilanti Transit Center.

ANN ARBOR, MI — There are 10 main components to the 2.38-mill tax proposal the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority is considering putting to voters in August. CEO Matt Carpenter provided a breakdown explaining each piece of what would be a 1.68-mill increase to a 0.7-mill tax already levied in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township. A chart breaking down the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority's tentative transit tax proposal, which the agency's board is expected to consider in April. The YTC office space would also be refurbished to be equivalent with the Ann Arbor terminal space. All those funds are directly invested in our communities and residents.”MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:$3M federal earmark to help Ann Arbor affordable housing sites go solarAnn Arbor District Library’s new director has long track record in communityAnn Arbor council divided 9-2 on $600K contract with new lobbyistNew interactive maps offer color-coded look at Ann Arbor street conditionsAnn Arbor dimming city lights to raise awareness about climate change

YPSILANTI, MI — Plans for a new Ypsilanti Transit Center are taking another step forward. The plan is to give Ypsilanti a transit center more comparable to the Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor with a fully staffed customer service counter, in addition to restrooms and a break area for bus drivers. It also specifically calls for allocating over $100,000 per year to hire two additional customer service agents to staff the Ypsilanti Transit Center during regular business hours on weekdays. “The YTC office space would also be refurbished to be equivalent with the Ann Arbor terminal space. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Report recommends new traffic roundabouts, crosswalks on Ann Arbor’s north sideA 50-year-old time capsule and a pageant.

“Updates to service have been made to improve on-time performance and service reliability, and to better align with school start and end times," TheRide officials said in an email.

TheRide is accepting applications for driver positions through Jan. 12.

Starting Thursday, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is reducing bus services on select routes and suspending route 68.

TheRide says its real-time tools are back up and running for customers.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, also called TheRide, has announced that regular bus services will not be in operation on Thursday, Nov. 25, in observance of Thanksgiving. These regular services include fixed-route bus service, FlexRide East and West, and A-Ride services. Passengers who may need public transit on Thanksgiving can take advantage of FlexRide Holiday Service, a shared-ride service utilized on specific holidays. FlexRide Holiday trips have limited designated areas within the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Reservations for both Late Night and Holiday Service can be made through the MODE Car App or by calling 734-528-5432.

TheRide announced it will pause several of its services in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

TheRide is seeking feedback from community members to help shape its vision for the next 25 years.

TheRide has announced that it is the victim of a recent cyberattack.

Buses departing Ann Arbor will run from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with limited weekend buses leaving Tree Town between 9:45 a.m. and 8:15 p.m.

The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is restoring its services to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels beginning Sunday, August 29.

See which streets and routes have been changed due to U-M's Move-In Week.

Starting Saturday, September 4, FootballRide will transport fans to and from hotels, parking sites and Michigan Stadium during home games.

Community members venturing out of their homes can now use buses from the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) for non-essential trips.

This year, the nationally-known art fair has been reduced to three days from July 15-17 instead of its traditional four.

The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is asking for public feedback on its Fare Proposal, which outlines future fare changes for different passes and services.

On Tuesday, TheRide sent out an email reminding users about the mask requirement.

Reduced routes, part of TheRide’s temporary service plan, will resume on Tuesday, June 1.

Members will represent the community and give their input on the challenges and solutions faced by TheRide 2045, the public transit system’s long-range planning project.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, TheRide, is rolling out its service recovery proposal in a series of virtual public engagement meetings through April 1. TheRide is encouraging public participation and is looking for ways to improve its proposed service plan based on public feedback. TheRide’s proposed service recovery plan affects all routes, along with A-Ride, GoldRide, FlexRide and Night/Holiday service, officials said. READ MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Is downtown Ann Arbor poised for a post-pandemic comeback? Ann Arbor council member resigns from political consulting firm amid controversySome of Ann Arbor’s best-known restaurants are offering Easter dinners

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – 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 TheRide’s 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.

ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) has partnered with the Washtenaw County Health Department to provide transportation to and from the county’s mass COVID vaccination site at Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center. Service began on Wednesday and anyone who has a scheduled appointment at the EMU site can use the shuttles. “This is an important step in making our mass vaccination site at EMU more accessible. We’re thankful to the TheRide for working with us to provide transportation at no cost to riders,” Loveluck said in a news release. The shuttles operate every 30 minutesThe shuttles are limited to 20 individuals per vehicle.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – 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.

ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is restoring Ypsilanti services among others in a new plan. Route 22: Adjust routing headed to the Blake Transit Center from the Glen Avenue/Fuller Road area to Beakes Fifth Avenue. Route 23: Adjust routing in downtown Ann Arbor from William Street to Washington Street and Thayer Street to reach the University of Michigan Central Campus Center. Route 32: Adjust routing from UM’s central campus area to end at the Blake Transit Center for all trips. Route 26: Move boarding location at the Blake Transit Center from Fourth Avenue to the transit mall.

ANN ARBOR – Downtown area associations have joined an annual campaign to encourage visitors to continue shopping and dining in the city throughout the month of January. Typically a slow time of year for business, the pandemic has only exacerbated the lack of customers at local establishments. The Main Street Area Association, State Street District, Kerrytown District Association, and South University Area Association have partnered with the getDowntown Program for “Conquer the Cold - Pandemic Edition.”The annual challenge by getDowntown -- in partnership with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide), the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the City of Ann Arbor -- is designed to encourage and educate commuters to use alternative modes of transportation during the cold winter months. Many restaurants will be participating in the Comfort Food Challenge, and users can get prizes for dining outdoors, ordering curbside and shopping downtown. “The Downtown Districts are excited to be partnering with GetDowntown for Conquer the Cold this year,” Sandra Andrade, executive director of the Main Street Area Association said in a statement.

ANN ARBOR – 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 ARBOR, Mich. – 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 TheRide’s 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 ARBOR – 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. “We continue to take a very cautious approach to adding back service,” Bryan D. Smith, Deputy CEO of Operations at TheRide said in a statement.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – 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 don’t 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.

ANN ARBOR – 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.

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 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.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. The public is encouraged to provide comments on Thursday during the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) 2021 budget proposal meeting. The budget meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and will be held over Zoom. The Fiscal Year 2021 budget also preserves TheRides financial sustainability to ensure capacity to re-emerge from the pandemic. Like what youre reading? The Fiscal Year 2021 budget will be formally adopted in a September meeting by TheRide board of directors. The transportation systems 2021 fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2021.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. On Tuesday, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) will kick off a month-long series of virtual public town hall meetings to discuss temporary changes in services that begin Aug. 30. In June, TheRide announced a series of temporary service changes, including a revised network of bus routes and increased frequency of buses on busy routes. The revised routes are designed to prioritize essential destinations so as to reflect realities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual town hall meetings will take place at the following times:Noon -- Aug. 46 p.m. -- Aug. 6Noon -- Aug. 116 p.m. -- Aug. 13Noon -- Aug. 186 p.m. -- Aug. 19Noon -- Aug. 20Find the temporary service change presentation and summary here. Those who cannot attend the meetings can comment here or by sending an email to planning@theride.org, calling (734) 794-1882 or by mailing a letter to Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.

ANN ARBOR A network of reorganized routes and an increase in services are a few of the changes coming to public transportation in Ann Arbor. In areas where fixed routes buses will not be going, TheRide is offering on-demand FlexRide services. Routes 30, 32, 42, 46 and 65 will change their names. Meetings will be at noon on Aug. 4, Aug. 11, Aug. 18 and Aug. 20. There will also be evenings meetings at 6 p.m. on Aug. 6, Aug. 13 and Aug. 19.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. After suspending fare collection in mid-March, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority announced that it will resume collecting fares from passengers on Aug. 2. Tokens and 30-day passes will be available at certain Bank of Ann Arbor locations. Passes and A-Ride Scrip coupons will be available online on Aug. 1. Changes have been made to how TheRide passengers can pay their fares. Learn about health and safety precautions being taken by TheRide at www.theride.orgRelated: Ann Arbors TheRide urges businesses to flatten the rush-hour curve

ANN ARBOR, Mich. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is urging businesses and community members to help flatten the rush-hour curve of commuting-related crowding as more workers return to using public transportation. So that services are not overwhelmed, TheRide has made recommendations in order to reduce commute gridlock and to encourage social distancing, which will become increasingly more difficult as students return to Ann Arbor in the fall . The preventative measures are intended to keep commuters safe and to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Safety has always been our number one priority and we are committed to doing our part in this pandemic, said Matt Carpenter, CEO at TheRide in a statement. As more businesses and schools reopen, we know more people will need to use our service.

ANN ARBOR – TheRide has announced new social distancing measures in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. From signs to keep riders separated to a maximum capacity of 15 riders, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority is taking extra precautions to keep its riders and drivers safe. The new measures include:Signs to keep riders 6 feet from each other are on bus seats, on benches, buildings and shelters at Transit CentersA yellow line on the bus floor marks 6 feet between the driver and ridersEach bus is now at full capacity when 15 riders have boarded. ✉ Like what you’re reading? Sign up for our email newsletter here!