Do you ever feel the signs in Ann Arbor actually say this? We had a "Walk, Talk, and Chalk" event in May 2009, followed by a Pedestrian Forum on October 14, 2009. Watch the amazing video on local conditions that we showed, and read about what we discussed. Out of that forum and discussion came A2 Walks, a campaign to make Ann Arbor a safer, more enjoyable city for walkers that will be rolled out in 2011 with help from a Building Healthy Communities grant.
We participated with the GetDowntown program in Ann Arbor's Curb Your Car Month from 2005-2008, including presentations on topics like "Non-motorized plans: what's next?" and "Same Roads, Same Rules?" In May 2011, we are bringing back Curb Your Car Month to give people who don't work in downtown Ann Arbor a chance to challenge themselves to replace some car trips in May.
We've gone through Washtenaw County's Non-Motorized Plan to prioritize projects that are identified in it. These are the Non-Motorized Project Priorities (pdf) we've identified. Our goal is to get projects in the 2035 Long-Range Plan (LRP) so that they can be put into the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is the short-range funding document (with a sliding 4-year window). To be in the LRP, a project needs to be funded; that is, it needs to be sponsored by an implementing agency that is willing to commit matching funds of at least 20%. (WATS would allocate remaining funds from the federal pot it controls, which is currently called the Surface Transportation Program [STP])
We helped organize responses to the controversial Ford Boulevard project in Ypsilanti Township. Check out our timeline , with links to relevant documents.
We've sent representatives to Lansing for the League of Michigan Bicyclist's Advocacy Day to advocate for statewide and local initiatives since 2007.
We've participated in Ann Arbor's Bike Fest in since its inception in June 2006.
We've organized a monthly Ride Around Town in Ann Arbor since October 2007.
We've worked with Ann Arbor to apply for Bicycle-Friendly Community status from the League of American Bicyclists every two years since 2005. Here are the awards the city has received and the criteria by which we were judged.We collected information about local Safe Routes to School (SR2S) efforts and groups involved with these efforts, promoting SR2S to the general public, and bringing together people and groups interested in the program.
And some older accomplishments:- We provided Valet Bike Parking for Ann Arbor's 2009 Art Fairs.
- A screening of the documentary The End of Suburbia for a packed room at Arbor Brewing Company in November 2005.
- Having seats on Ann Arbor's ALT Committee and Safe Streets and Sidewalks Committee, and the past Ann Arbor Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory Committee, and the Washtenaw County Non-Motorized Planning Committee.
- Ongoing meetings with the University of Michigan's Planning Office and other departments to ensure that alternative transportation options for students and staff are given adequate attention at the University.
- Maintaining documentation on local snow removal policies since 2004.
- Putting on a Winter Bike Riding workshop in December 2004.
- Surveying local candidates in November 2004.
- Sending a highly-skilled bicycling unit to Ann Arbor's July 4th parade since 2004.
- Sponsoring Joe Breeze when his Bicycling to Healthy Transportation Choices Now presentation came to Ann Arbor.
- We submitted a list of questions to the Washtenaw County Road Commission and got some informative responses.
- In November 2002 we surveyed local candidates for office on bike and pedestrian-related issues
- Providing input on the State Street Area Redesign Project
- Maintaining this website since 2000 as a useful and comprehensive resource for Washtenaw bicyclists and pedestrian
