WATS Transitions to New Blog

In September of 2008 WATS launched this Long Range Plan Blog to provide a new way of disseminating information to the public. Many agencies, including SEMCOG and the Federal Highway Administration have praised the WATS Blog as an innovative way to interface with the public.

With the Long Range Plan now complete and available at the WATS office, we have moved to a new blog where we will feature much more content. Local, state and national transportation issues will be posted and discussed.

We at WATS are very excited about the opportunity to expand our blogging presence and facilitate discussion on our new blog http://miwats.blogspot.com

You can subscribe to get email updates of new blog posts simply by clicking here and entering your email address.

2035 Long Range Transportation Plan Approved

On September 16th, the WATS Policy Committee approved the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan for Washtenaw County. With the Plan now approved, staff is now working to make the document more user friendly by adding additional graphics, quotes and other aesthetic items. Once complete, final copies will be bound and delivered to the locations that currently have the draft version of the plan including local government offices, libraries and the WATS office.

The plan can still be found on the WATS website here.

The WATS plan will be fully incorporated by reference into the SEMCOG Plan and then go on for final approval by MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

SEMCOG to host Long Range Plan Meeting in Washtenaw County

SEMCOG will be holding a public meeting on the Regional Transportation Plan on Thursday September 10th. I've included information from their press release below. If you have any questions about the meeting you can also call WATS at 734-994-3127.


Presentation of Direction2035

Public is Invited

SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, is inviting citizens to learn about the region’s next long-range transportation plan, Direction2035, by attending presentation on Thursday, September 10, 2009 from 2 to 4 pm. The meeting will be held at Washtenaw Community College’s Liberal Arts Building, Room 375, located at 4800 E Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor.

Direction2035 represents the region’s blueprint for transportation through 2035 and includes policies, initiatives, and projects designed to maximize regional goals.
You have the right and responsibility to review Direction2035 and offer comments. All comments will be reviewed and considered before Direction2035 is adopted. Public comment ends on October 22, 2009.

Direction2035 can be found online at www.semcog.org/Long-RangeTransportationPlan.aspx. You may also contact SEMCOG at (313) 324-3362 to request a printed copy.

You can offer comments by: E-mailing Direction2035@semcog.org Phoning 313-324-3362 Faxing 313-961-4869 Mailing SEMCOG, Attn: Information Center, 535 Griswold, Suite 300, Detroit, MI 48226 Commenting in person:
o September 10, 2009; 2 pm; Public Presentation, Washtenaw Community College, Liberal Arts Building, Room 375, 4800 E Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, MI
o September 23, 2009; 9:30 am; Transportation Advisory Council, SEMCOG offices, 535 Griswold, Suite 300, Detroit, MI
o September 25, 2009; 1:00 pm; SEMCOG Executive Committee, SEMCOG offices, 535 Griswold, Suite 300, Detroit, MI
o October 22, 2009; 4:30 pm; SEMCOG General Assembly, Concord Inn, 44315 Gratiot, Clinton Township, MI

SEMCOG is a regional planning partnership of governmental units serving 4.9 million people in the seven-county region of Southeast Michigan striving to enhance the region's quality of life.

2035 Long Range Plan Draft Available

Staff has completed the Final DRAFT 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan. You can view the plan by clicking here. You can view the appendices here.

WATS will continue to accept comments until September 20th, 2009. Any comments, including those received on the blog, will be considered by staff and discussed with transportation agencies. The comments will also be included in a plan appendix.

Be sure to forward the plan to your friends, family and co-workers. More public participation means a better plan and a better transportation system.

LRP Presentation Video

The 2035 Long Range Plan is coming together. If you weren't able to make it out to one of our public meetings, check out this video.

It's not too late to participate in Long Range Plan development

As the WATS staff continue to make the 2035 Long Range Plan presentation to interested residents all over the county, you can participate from the comfort of your home.

We are still looking for deficiencies that aren't specified in the draft listings. If your deficiency is not listed, please contact us or leave a comment to this post. Also, if there is a project or improvement you would like to see added to the Plan, leave us a comment on the blog and it will be sent to the transportation agency with jurisdiction over the improvement. The improvement will also be added to the list of unfunded improvements which is growing every day. Having your transportation needs addressed in the unfunded list is an important step to help ensure transportation decision makers are aware of your concerns.

LRP Meetings Continue

Over the last two weeks, WATS staff has been toting around map boards and informational brochures across the county, answering questions and taking comments on the Draft 2035 LRP. So far WATS has presented the information to more than 40 people. We've included below a few pictures from some of our meetings.

There is still time to make it out to one of our meetings if you haven't had the chance. Click here for a complete list of meetings.

We are currently working on uploading a video of the presentation given at the beginning of each meeting. Stay tuned to the blog for access to the video presentation when it becomes available.

Comments continue to come in to the WATS office. Feel free to post your thoughts as a comment on the WATS blog. Once the Plan is completed, staff plans to expand the focus of the blog to all transportation issues and news. Help the discussion get started now by posting a comment.

LRP Meetings Begin Today

The first in a series of 17 meetings across Washtenaw County to discuss the Long Range Transportation Plan for Washtenaw County is today at Palmer Commons, 100 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan Campus from 2-4pm.

The Long Range Plan Meetings will include a presentation on the anticipated funding levels as well as proposed improvements. Maps of the six deficiencies discussed on the blog as well as a map of both funded and unfunded improvements will be available for public review.

Staff will be on hand to answer questions and record comments. Comment forms on the Draft Plan will also be available.

A calendar with all of the Long Range Plan meetings is available to the right as well as on the WATS website here

Thank you for your interest in the transportation planning process. As always, feel free to leave a comment on the blog which will be included with comments recieved at the public meetings and distributed to local transportation agencies.

Town Hall Meeting - Your Roads, Your Dollars

State Representative Pam Byrnes invites you to a Public Town Hall Meeting

Your Roads, Your Dollars

Special Invited Guests: Congressman John Dingell & Congressman Mark Schauer
Monday, May 11 • 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Washtenaw Community College
Morris Lawrence Building
For more information please contact State Representative
Pam Byrnes
(800) 645-1581 • byrnes.housedems.com

Long Range Plan Meetings Available for your Community Group

The Washtenaw Area Transportation Study is working to prepare the Draft 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan for Washtenaw County.

Public Participation is of critical importance to the transportation planning process. WATS is currently scheduling public meetings to discuss the Draft 2035 Long Range Transportation plan at local community centers and libraries. Meetings will be held in June.

WATS is willing to hold a public meeting for your community, agency, or group. If you have a preferred location, please provide WATS with the details and a contact to secure the space. Participants will have an opportunity to review six modal deficiencies identified and comment on proposed improvements to address those deficiencies. WATS will synthesize and present the comments received at the meetings to the agencies responsible for implementation and incorporation in to the 2035 Plan if feasible.

There is no charge for a meeting and WATS will attempt to meet your scheduling and location needs.

WATS will be posting information on LRP meetings when it becomes available on the blog and website.

Deficiencies available for review

WATS has posted lists and maps of the six types of deficiencies for the Long Range Plan on the updated website. You can access the information by clicking here.

Please feel free to leave WATS a comment or recommend additional deficiencies.

WATS Website Redesign

The WATS website at http://www.miwats.org/ has undergone a major redesign. We hope the update will make it easier for you to find even more information about Transportation in Washtenaw County. If you have any comments or suggestions on the redesign, feel free to leave them here.

Public Comment Summary from Long Range Plan kick-off meeting

Public comments were collected at the January 14th WATS Long Range Plan Meeting. WATS solicited comments on each of the six types of deficiencies for which maps were displayed at the meeting. This blog has also provided an opportuinity for comment on each of the six types of deficiencies. The comments received at the meeting have been summarized and are included below.

CONGESTION SUMMARY
Congestion is bad and continues to get worse, which will require a change in people’s behaviors. However, it is possible that the model congestion data could be off (despite people actually experiencing congestion). US-23 and North Territorial represents a multifaceted deficiency (congestion, safety and bridge). Paving unpaved roads will provide alternatives to congested routes. Some very congested areas, such as Arborland, have too many traffic lights. Many of the congestion deficiencies are concentrated only at rush hour.

CONGESTION SUGGESTIONS
1) Recommend staggered start times
2) Add vectors/factors to map so folks can add their own data
3) US-23 and North Territorial
4) North Territorial and Dexter-Pinckney: Traffic actuated lights, left turn lights. An interchange at Dancer Rd and I-94 would improve traffic flow in and around Dexter.
5) Pave Sutton Rd. north of North Territorial to provide a paved alternative to US-23 between Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake – Bemis to Rawsonville
6) Geddes over US-23 has significant issues, east from US-23
7) Washtenaw Ave has issues various times of day

SAFETY SUMMARY
Safety, congestion and bridges are more interactive than other categories. An example is issues at US-23 and North Territorial. Some roads are unsafe due to a lack of maintenance on pavement, ditches and right-of-ways, as well as the increasing deer population. Stripe bike lanes on routes used for bike travel. Improvements in all of the other deficiencies will help improve safety. A lack of street lights is a hazard for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists in urban areas.

SAFETY SUGGESTIONS
1) Scale confusing, label fields from highest to lowest
2) Clear ditches for drainage, maintain scrub free right of ways and traffic calming devices
3) Stripe bike lanes on Plymouth between Upland and Moore
4) Publish safety tips in Ann Arbor News
5) Add more street lights, especially in urban areas

BRIDGE SUMMARY
Structurally Deficient bridges should be fixed first, if the meet a pre-set threshold of usage. Another view would is that environmental impacts should be the primary consideration in prioritizing bridgework (and other “interactions”). Pedestrian crossings on bridges, particularly at expressways should be considered. Bridges work should be done before they develop holes in the pavement.

BRIDGE SUGGESTIONS
1) Prioritize based on Structurally Deficient, then set usage criteria
2) Look at US-23 and North Territorial.
3) Bridge from Island Lake Rd into Dexter Village should be looked at
4) Encourage funds for bridge replacement

TRANSIT SUMMARY
Transit should aim to provide “fare equity for residents”. Baby boomers will be major transit issue over next 30 years, and will need to consider base access to/from major nodes. Smaller providers such as WWAVE will be important in getting people from their homes to bus stops. Planning should include specific proposals to support transit-oriented-development, which will “drive the kind of change Michigan needs” (see golden spike). Maintain and improve bus service, as well as keep rail projects moving forward with Ypsilanti stop. Transit service should connect entire County. UM paying for staff/faculty/student rides has been very successful.



TRANSIT SUGGESTIONS
1) Remember Toyota in York Twp
2) Expand parking at Ann Arbor Amtrak station
3) Light rail along south side of Plymouth Rd between US-23 and Murfin/Upland, then thru north campus, medical center, central campus and downtown
4) Concentrate transit planning to connect Ann Arbor with Metro Airport and Detroit
5) Bus loop around city, without going downtown
6) Consider expanding routes on Huron, Washtenaw and Plymouth

PAVEMENT SUMMARY
Bike lanes should be priority as those not using a car or bus are more vulnerable. Don’t forget gravel roads. Improve rural roads in a way that preserved beauty and rural character, as well as utilizing construction and maintenance standards in connection with rural roads that respect existing topography and natural features. Repair and maintenance will also help preserve vehicles. So many roads in the county are bad, a warranty from contractor should be considered.


PAVEMENT SUGGESTIONS
1) Bike lanes first
2) Complete 7 Mile Rd
3) Oppose WCRS’s “excessive and unnecessary” Right of Way Plan
4) Do a better job cleaning on-street bike lanes
5) Pave bike and ped paths in Barton Park (currently wood chips)
6) Division, Packard near Madison, Geddes of US-23

NON-MOTORIZED SUMMARY
Build a network with B2B as spine. Good for environment, good for healthy, double value at one tenth of cost. Consider wider shoulders along major paved roads, and keep focus on the border-to-border trail. Increase amount of bike paths and improve existing paths, as well as focusing on connecting bike paths through the county. Pedestrians need encouragement via: signs, maps, easy access and adequate parking.

NON-MOTORIZED SUGGESTIONS
1) Pave shoulder on Werkner in Lyndon Twp
2) Need more freeway crossings
3) Add bike and ped paths around Whitmore Lake
4) Grade separated rail crossings in Ann Arbor at Arb, UM medical center, north Main St and Huron River Dr needed
5) Ped and bike route using unbuilt part of Huron Pkwy from Traver Rd to Whitmore Lake Rd
6) Ford Blvd bridge over Michigan Ave

Estimated Stimulus Numbers for Washtenaw County

WATS has recieved preliminary instructions from the Federal Highway Administration as well as the Michigan Department of Transportation on how to plan for a possible economic stimulus package.

A letter from the Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Kirk Steudle stated that Washtenaw County should plan on $6,916,632 in urban and $687,260 in rural funding from the stimulus pacakage in addition to the annual allocation of federal funds.

In order to be eligible for the stimulus funds, transportation improvements will need to be "shovel ready". This means that work, in general, must be ready to go within 180 days of the stimulus funds being available.

In order to coordinate appropriate expenditure of the funds, WATS has been working with local communities and transportation agencies to make sure that projects are included in the necessary documents and have gone through an appropriate public process. The stimulus funds will likely need to be treated under the same guidelines as the existing Surface Transportation Program. As such, the projects will need to be included in the WATS and SEMCOG Transportation Improvement Programs as well as the State Transportation Improvement Program.

The Federal Highway Administration has placed a list of FAQ's on their website. Questions and answers can be found by clicking here.

If you have any questions about the economic recovery package feel free to leave a comment with your question or email WATS at wats@miwats.org

Check the WATS blog and website often for up to date information about this topic.

Stimulus Package Possiblities

The following was taken from an article on Mlive.com regarding the possible upcoming stimulus plan and the potential for infrastructure improvements to be funded as part of the plan. The permalink to the article is included at the bottom. Please comment and let WATS and others know your opinion.


LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan officials, like those in many states across the nation, are crafting a multibillion dollar wish list for road improvements and other projects in anticipation of an expected federal stimulus package.

The challenge: No one knows for sure exactly when a stimulus package for the states is coming or what it will include. The plan first must be debated and agreed upon by Congress and President-elect Barack Obama.

State officials know their entire list, or possibly even much of it, won't be funded. But the uncertainty of what will be included in the final stimulus package leaves officials putting together a broad inventory so they are prepared to respond to whatever is approved.

Michigan -- with the nation's highest unemployment rate, beat-up roads and needs related to the Great Lakes -- has plenty of possible projects to pitch.

"The goal is to build as wide and broad a list as possible because we don't know exactly what will be available," Leslee Fritz, a spokeswoman in Michigan's state government budget office, said Thursday. "It's an ongoing process."

Michigan officials started working on the list several weeks ago.

Obama again pushed for his proposal Thursday during a speech in Fairfax, Va. He wants Congress to pass a revival plan soon enough for it to be ready for his signature shortly after he takes office on Jan. 20.

Obama has not shared many details of the plan, which could cost as much as $1 trillion including government spending and tax cuts. It's not clear what Michigan's share of the cash would be or how it would be allocated.

But Obama does have some broad goals that could be folded into a stimulus package aiding states. For example, Obama wants to boost alternative energy production, expand broadband networks and update schools and universities.

Michigan's two Democratic U.S. senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, held teleconferences on the developing economic recovery plan early Thursday evening. Stabenow said she hoped the economic recovery plan would be passed by the end of February.

"There is a lot of work to do on details, but we are moving very, very fast," Stabenow said. "We know this has got to happen fast."

Levin focused on two areas of concern about the developing plan. He wants more help to go to states with the highest unemployment rates, such as Michigan, and he wants more done to address the loss of manufacturing jobs.

Michigan officials say they haven't released a list of specific projects they want funded because they don't want to raise potentially false hope in specific communities, particularly when it's not clear how the federal program will be implemented or what it will cover. But Michigan has some general, high priority areas that might be addressed through a stimulus package.

Road and bridge repair is a priority. A transportation funding task force created by Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the state Legislature has said spending must be doubled to maintain a "good" level of investment in roads, bridges, airports and public transit.

Michigan officials have shelved proposals such as raising the gas tax to pay for road improvements in hopes that a federal government package will finance improvements instead.

U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, wants improvements to shipping transportation in the Great Lakes. Stupak has called for improvements in the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie and an additional Great Lakes icebreaker to clear shipping lanes.

Environmental groups want money to clean up toxic wastes in the Great Lakes and update sewers to cut down on water pollution.

The projects most likely to be included are those that could start construction within a few months of the stimulus package rollout. The benefit to Michigan's economy, at least in the short term, would start with thousands of construction and related jobs.

Other investments, including those in alternative energy development, could have broader and longer-lasting benefits to Michigan's economy.

"Investment in job creation, that's No. 1," Granholm said Thursday when asked what she wants included in the stimulus package.

Other targeted relief also is possible to help people deal with the recession. A federal aid package could include the extension of unemployment benefits, money to retrain laid-off workers for high demand jobs, increased food assistance options and cash to keep people covered by Medicaid.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Howell, said the package should include tax relief -- particularly for small businesses -- to help spark job creation.

"Tax cuts are going to be crucial," Rogers said.

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/01/michigan_crafts_wish_list_for.html