Regional transit got a boost last week as both the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti City Councils unanimously approved the City of Ypsilanti’s request to join
AATA/TheRide, prompting the organization to formally rename itself the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.
"The City of Ann Arbor and City of Ypsilanti are economically and culturally linked and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority serves as a better platform for improving transit in and between the county's two largest cities," says Ryan Buck, Director of the
Washtenaw Area Transportation Study.
Since the April dissolution of the Washtenaw Ride, a failed attempt to establish a county-wide transit authority, AATA has focused on expanding service within the county’s "urban core" communities, including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, and Pittsfield Township.
The addition better positions the agency to make improvements like increased frequency on more routes and expanded weekend and evening hours, according to Don Kline, Marketing Coordinator for TheRide.
"With a stronger and better connected Urban Core, Washtenaw County is on a path towards a brighter future which benefits everyone, not just riders," says Kline.
Source: Don Kline, Ryan Buck
Writer: Nina Ignaczak
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