ANN ARBOR, MI – The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) is introducing its 2021 Service Recovery Proposal in a series of public engagement meetings in late March. Service was previously reduced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, TheRide has taken steps to restore service, while focusing on a reorganized and simplified network of routes for essential travel. The Service Recovery Proposal restores TheRide’s service to previous service levels beginning in August 2021. The proposal affects all routes and services.
“We’re pleased to restore our service levels to support our community’s reopening,” said Forest Yang, Deputy CEO of Planning and Innovation at TheRide. “This proposal would increase reliability and on-time performance for over 70% of our riders. We encourage the public to attend one of our virtual public meetings starting in March to learn about the plan and to provide your feedback.”
The Service Recovery Proposal will affect all routes, along with A-Ride, GoldRide, FlexRide and Night/Holiday service. Public feedback will be accepted on the proposed plan from March 4 – April 2. TheRide will review all feedback and make any needed revisions to the proposal. The final service recovery plan will then be presented to the public in June and implemented at the end of August 2021.
To learn all of the details about the Service Recovery Proposal, visit TheRide.org. There are many ways to provide feedback:
- Attend a virtual public engagement meeting
- Visit TheRide.org and fill out the form
- Email: Planning@TheRide.org with the subject line: “Service Recovery Proposal”
- Call: 734-794-1882
- Mail:
Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority
c/o Service Recovery Proposal
2700 S. Industrial Highway
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
The virtual public engagement meetings will be conducted through Zoom at the following times:
- Monday, March 22, 12:00 PM
- Tuesday, March 23, 6:00 PM
- Thursday, March 24, 12:00 PM
- Tuesday, March 30, 6:00 PM
- Wednesday, March 31, 12:00 PM
- Thursday, April 1, 6:00 PM
Participants will be able to join the virtual meetings by phone and computer. To find out how to participate in a virtual townhall visit our Events page or call 734-996-0400.
TheRide encourages the public to ride for essential travel only. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, TheRide has established the following preventive measures and restrictions to keep both riders and drivers safe:
- Customers are required to wear a face covering, per federal law
- The driver is to be approached for emergencies only
- Buses cleaned with CDC recommended protocols
- Transit centers are open for customer transactions only
- Social distancing signs are posted at transit centers and in buses
- Fewer passengers allowed on each bus
- Plastic barriers added to separate drivers and riders
- Sanitation supplies provided to employees
- Masks, gloves and face shields are provided for drivers use
- Lost and Found collection has been temporarily suspended
The latest information on TheRide’s routes, schedules and detours are available at TheRide.org or by calling (734) 996-0400.