TheRide 2045

TheRide has been an essential resource in the greater Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area for more than 50 years. It has grown incrementally based on community needs; providing fixed-route bus service, on-demand services like A-Ride and FlexRide, and commuter services like vanpooling and park-and-ride lots.

The long-range plan (TheRide 2045) work began with initial public and stakeholder engagement in Fall of 2019. Due to the pandemic, further work on the plan was delayed. Now, we are restarting our effort to develop a long-range plan and will be encouraging input throughout the process. TheRide 2045 will incorporate an overall vision for our transit system, including new services and technologies to create a transit network that adapts with changing times.

TheRide 2045 Long Range Plan logo

We will update this webpage over the course of the project to share our public engagement to date and any opportunities to participate. Most of the public engagement will occur in Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 but there are always ways to have your voice heard.

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About the Long-Range Planning Process

TheRide 2045 Long-Range Plan will be developed over a year, starting with the big picture and getting more and more specific until we have the final plan. The plan is being developed in four phases.

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Project Timeline

The first phase, Spring 2021, is centered around establishing the guiding principles that will be at the core of every decision we make for the rest of the plan.

  • Establish Public Advisory Group
  • Engage with Stakeholders and Public Advisory Group
  • What We Heard Report 1
  • Guiding Principles

In Phase 2, we take a detailed look at how TheRide operates now, and what projected challenges and opportunities are on the horizon for the year 2045. We will develop a long list of solutions and strategies, then work to refine that list into realistic, feasible ideas.

  • Present vs. future context analysis
  • Workshops with Stakeholders and Public Advisory Group
  • Long list of solutions and priorities

Phase 3 takes place in the Fall of 2021. This is when the solutions and strategies will be grouped into similar categories to show how they would be  applied in the greater Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area. The solutions and strategies will be consistent with the guiding principles established earlier. A high level of public engagement will be held during this phase.

  • Public Meeting 1
  • Online Survey
  • Workshops with Stakeholders and the Public Advisory Group
  • What We Heard Report 2
  • Draft solutions and network design
  • Public Meeting 2
  • What We Heard Report 3

During Phase 4 we will use what we heard and group ideas into specific, sequenced projects with budgets and timelines. Projects in 2025 will be more detailed than projects in 2045. This approach will allow us to stay on track over the next 25 years.

  • Recommended solutions and network design
  • Workshops with Stakeholders and the Public Advisory Group
  • Implementation staging
  • Financial Analysis
  • TheRide 2045 Long-Range Plan (Final Report)
  • Presentation to the Board of Directors

Once completed, TheRide 2045: Long-Range Plan will be adopted by TheRide and put into action.

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What do you think should be incorporated into TheRide 2045 Long-Range Plan?

Other Ways to Comment

  • Email: 2045@TheRide.org
  • Call: 734-794-1882
  • Mail:
    • Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority
      c/o TheRide 2045
      2700 S. Industrial Highway
      Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • Alternative formats and translated transcripts of the presentation are available upon request. Contact us for a copy.
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Public Advisory Group

To guide us through the process, a Public Advisory Group consisting of a diverse group of customers and community members will provide direct input. This Advisory Group will match the demographics of the service area and TheRide’s customers as closely as possible.

The Public Advisory Group will provide ongoing input for the development of TheRide 2045 Long-Range Plan to ensure it meets the community’s and customer’s vision for transit. While this is a non-voting group its purpose is to bring different perspectives into the long-range plan.

This group will match the demographics of the service area and TheRide’s customers as closely as possible. This includes race, geographic area, age, gender, employment and other characteristics that may diversify the group.

Terms of Reference

Call For Applicants

Thank you for your interest in the Public Advisory Group. The application period is now closed. You will be contacted if you were selected for the Public Advisory Group.

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