WATS Transportation Blog

The WATS Blog has Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 20:35:00 +0000

WATS is rolling out a redesign of its website! However, as part of the redesign, we've integrated the blog into our homepage to encourage readers of the blog to find our planning documents. If you are subscribed to our current RSS feed, don't worry, we've set the old feed to redirect to the new one! Otherwise, feel free to check out the new blog at www.miwats.org/watsblog, or, visit the new and redesigned www.miwats.org.

The new design attempts to simplify access to important documents for the public and local elected officials. View a screenshot and markup of the new homepage below.

The design will allow us to highlight what opportunities are available for public participation, and will integrate the blog into the site as well.

Since the new website was designed and created by WATS staff, if you have any thoughts or comments, we would be happy to consider integrating them. We hope you like the new site, and are excited about the opportunities that a enhanced yet simplified web presence provides.

Visit www.miwats.org to see the new site. If it doesn't display yet, check back in a day or two!

MDOT US-23 Public Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:31:00 +0000

Project Overview

MDOT is considering a $63.7 million investment in the US-23 corridor from M-14 to 9 Mile Road.The project includes:

Pavement repairs along US-23 and M-14 between Silver Lake Road and I-94, including upgrading the median shoulder along US-23 between M-14 and M-36/9 Mile Road ;
Bridge replacement at 6 Mile Road, 8 Mile Road and N. Territorial Road;
Bridge widening at Barker Road and at the railroad bridge:
Bridge repair at Joy Road, Warren Road, and at M-14 over the Huron River and Barton Drive;
Ramp upgrades at N. Territorial Road, 6 Mile Road, 8 Mile Road and at M-36; and
Installation of additional Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) hardware, including cameras and electronic message boards.

MDOT will host a public meeting at Northfield Township Hall from 3:30 pm to 7 pm. We encourage you to attend and learn more. You can also learn about the project at MDOT's project page, or in recent coverage by MLive's Ann Arbor News.

WATS Seeks Special Interest Representatives on Tech Committee

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 18:31:00 +0000

WATS is seeking interested candidates for five special interest seats on the agency's Technical Committee. Special interest seats include, freight, senior, non-motorized, environmental and disabled community. Click on the regular or large print application to apply.

Technical Committee members advise WATS staff and make recommendations to the Policy Committee on multi-year federal and state funding programs and Plan adoptions. The Technical Committee meets on 1st Wednesdays starting at 9:30am in Scio Township. The voting membership is for two years (with opportunity for reappointment) beginning February 1, 2014 through January 31, 2015.

Applications are due by December 2, 2013.

Technical Committee Special Interest Application

LARGE PRINT

New Commute Data Available

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:10:00 +0000

The CTPP data product based on 2006 – 2010 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) Data is designed to help transportation analysts and planners understand where people are commuting to and from, and how they get there. The information is organized by where workers live, where they work, and by the flow between those places. The CTPP Data Access Software is a powerful tool to access the nearly 350 gigs of data provided by the Census Bureau. The Data set consists of almost 200 residence based tables, 115 workplace based tables and 39 flow tables (Home to work) for over 325,000 geographies.

WATS uses this data to understand commute trends and the future needs of our region's transportation system. Look forward to future posts and analysis on this data! You can access CTPP data at this link.

WATS Transportation Forum

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:55:00 +0000

The Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) will present a Transportation Forum at Hatcher Graduate Library on the University of Michigan Campus November 18, from 4-7PM. As the number of transportation initiatives in Washtenaw County grow, it has become difficult for projects to differentiate themselves and for the public to track their progress. The event brings together many of the projects and people advancing a comprehensive vision for the county’s transportation system. The public will be able to discuss the initiatives, learn more, and get involved. Initiatives and experts at the event include:

Ann Arbor Connector
WALLY
The Ride
Bike Share
Washtenaw County Road Commission Engineering
Program to Educate All Cyclists (PEAC)
Ann Arbor to Detroit Rail
Non-motorized Innovation
Michigan High Speed Rail
Re-Imagine Washtenaw
Western Washtenaw Area Value Express
Huron/I-94 Non-motorized Crossing
Border to Border Trail
Ann Arbor Station
City of Ann Arbor Non-motorized Planning
University of Michigan Detroit Connector
University of Michigan Parking and Transportation
City of Ann Arbor Project Management

Refreshments will be provided. View or download the poster for the event here.

TED Talk: New York's streets? Not so mean any more

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 15:41:00 +0000

In this funny and thought-provoking talk, Janette Sadik-Khan, transportation commissioner of New York City, shares projects that have reshaped street life in the 5 boroughs, including pedestrian zones in Times Square, high-performance buses and a 6,000-cycle-strong bike share. Her mantra: Do bold experiments that are cheap to try out.

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Pulitzer Center: Global Road Death Toll

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:45:00 +0000

From the Pulitzer Center

The global road death toll has already reached 1.24 million per year and is on course to triple to 3.6 million per year by 2030.

In the developing world, where this pandemic has hit hardest, it will become the fifth leading cause of death, leapfrogging past HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other familiar killers, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) most recent Global Burden of Disease study.

We've embedded the map above, but click the 'View fullscreen' button to feel the full impact of the global road death pandemic.

Some sample fatality rates (in deaths per 100,000 people)

United States: 11.4
Nigeria: 33.7
Dominican Republic: 41.7
Sweden: 3

ITEP: Congress, Not Fuel-Efficient Cars, to Blame for Transportation Funding Shortfall

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:08:00 +0000

New ITEP Report Shows Obsolete Gas Tax Has Cost $215 Billion, Undermined Infrastructure and Added to Deficit

On October 1, the federal gas tax will mark exactly twenty years stuck at the rate of 18.4 cents per gallon. Against a backdrop of chronic infrastructure underfunding and federal budget crises, a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) marks this anniversary and explains exactly why gas tax revenues are falling short. “A Federal Gas Tax for the Future” concludes that just 22 percent of the current gas tax revenue shortfall can be attributed to rising vehicle fuel-efficiency taking a bite out of gasoline purchases. The other 78 percent of lost gas tax revenues are due to inflation: inevitable growth in the cost of asphalt, machinery, and other construction inputs with which our twenty-year-old gas tax has not kept pace.

View the full report at ITEP.

“A lot of people are focusing on hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles as the reason the gas tax is falling short,” said Carl Davis, senior analyst at ITEP and author of the study. “But predictable growth in the cost of asphalt, machinery, and other construction materials has been the bigger issue by far.” Davis added: “If Congress had just planned for inflation when they last overhauled the gas tax, three-quarters of the revenue shortfall we’re facing today wouldn’t exist. If they’d also indexed the tax to fuel efficiency, we’d have no shortfall at all.”

“A Federal Gas Tax for the Future” explains that inflation’s impact on taxes and revenues is a simple policy problem that Congress can solve. In fact, numerous income tax exemptions, deductions and credits are already designed to rise in direct relation to inflation. And seventeen states, home to over half the country’s population, levy their gas taxes such that the tax rate is automatically adjusted to keep pace with inflation. In 1997, the federal government began directing 100 percent of gas tax revenues towards transportation (prior to that, a small portion went towards the general fund). ITEP’s report finds that if we had also structured the gas tax to grow with both inflation and fuel-efficiency starting that year, the tax rate today would be 10.6 cents higher and over $215 billion in additional revenue could have been raised over the last sixteen years. For the average driver, this change would amount to roughly $4.66 in additional gas taxes per month. (If we counted from 1993, when the tax was increased but not restructured, the revenue figure would be even more significant.)

“A Federal Gas Tax for the Future” offers four specific policy recommendations for modernizing the federal gas tax:

Increase the gas tax rate to offset its recent decline.
Restructure the gas tax so that its rate automatically rises each year with construction cost inflation.
Further restructure the gas tax rate so that it also rises when vehicle fuel-efficiency improves.
Implement reforms to ensure that this restructuring does not lead to unnecessary volatility in gas tax collections.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, non-partisan research organization that works on federal, state, and local tax policy issues. ITEP's mission is to ensure that elected officials, the media, and the general public have access to accurate, timely, and straightforward information that allows them to understand the effects of current and proposed tax policies. www.itep.org.

Science Friday on Mass Transit

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 17:59:00 +0000

Image from Flickr User neoporcupine

NPR's Science Friday recently held a discussion on mass transit, asking how it can play a role in reshaping sprawl. Guests to the discussion include:

Yonah Freemark
Associate, Metropolitan Planning Council
Writer, Transport Politic blog
Chicago, Illinois

Stefanos Polyzoides
Founding member, Congress for the New Urbanism
Architect, Moule & Polyzoides
Pasadena, California

Ian Carlton
Doctoral candidate, UC Berkeley
City and regional planning

Visit Science Friday to listen.

NYC Bike Share BMX

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 20:34:00 +0000

The Counterintuitive Science of Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 16:05:00 +0000

Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do (And What It Says About Us), recently gave a talk at Boing Boing: Ingenuity. His book and talk are a fascinating overview of driving psychology and how the human mind experiences and copes with our auto oriented world.

FHWA Endorses New Non-motorized Design Guidelines

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 15:50:00 +0000

A recent memo from the Federal Highway Administration has endorsed a new set of flexible design standards for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. The new standards come from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and provide alternatives more frequently found in Europe. The new design endorsements are important because local officials and staff are hesitant to implement solutions not endorsed by professional engineering organizations. Most importantly, the new endorsement encourages and provides guidance for building protected bike lanes (see picture above). To view some of the new design solutions, visit the NACTO website. Or to find out more about he policy changes, read a summary at DC Streetsblog.

Race and Geography in America

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 15:34:00 +0000

A new map from University of Virginia demographic researcher Dustin Cable is a striking portrait of race and geography in America. The map includes 308,745,538 individual dots, representing each and every American. The dots are themed by race based on data collected by the US Census. We've included a screenshot of Washtenaw County below. Visit the map yourself at the Cooper Center or Public Service website.

Good Transit Might Make You Happier

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 14:08:00 +0000

Image by Flickr user chief_huddleston

A recent study out of the University of Minnesota found that living near high quality transit service has real impacts on reported levels of happiness. Researcher Jason Cao, an transportation policy scholar, questioned households along Minneapolis' Hiawatha light rail line, a 12 mile line connecting downtown to the Mall of America, regarding satisfaction with transit service and life in general. There was improvement in overall happiness along the rail corridor when compared to locations with poor transit service or no transit service.

Learn more about this study at The Atlantic Cities, or purchase the full study at the journal Transportation.

Smithsonian's Before and After of Great American Cities

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 15:55:00 +0000

The Smithsonian Institute put together an impressive series of maps that let you compare cities geographys to maps throughout their past. The map above comes from a map that compares present day Chicago to a 1868 pocket map of the city. The maps were built using ESRI's suite of web maps. Other maps include historical comparisons in Denver, LA, Washington DC, San Francisco, and New York City. (Hint: the magnifying glass moves as well.)

Detroit News: U.S. extends connected vehicle pilot program in Ann Arbor

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 13:35:00 +0000

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is extending a pilot project in Ann Arbor on connected vehicles by another six months, but said it won't change its timetable for deciding whether to move forward with the new technology.

The project was initially supposed to last a year when it was kicked off in August 2012 by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Gov. Rick Snyder with nearly 3,000 "smart cars" that could one day revolutionize auto safety. Cars, for example, could alert each other that a driver was about to miss a stop sign or pull onto a busy street. Or that a vehicle has entered a driver's blind spot.

NHTSA will use the results from the vehicle-to-vehicle safety pilot to decide by the end of the year whether to advance the technology through regulatory proposals, additional research, or a combination of the two.

UMTRI has been conducting the test of approximately 2,800 cars, trucks, and buses.

Read the full article at the Detroit News, or find out more at the UMTRI website.

TheRide's FootballRide Shuttles to Begin August 31

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 13:42:00 +0000

TheRide will begin a new FootballRide shuttle season with the August 31 University of Michigan game against Central Michigan University.

The service will operate between many convenient hotel and parking sites and Michigan Stadium for seven home football games this fall. Additional hotels will also be served indirectly at nearby pick-up sites. Hotel parking may be limited to hotel patrons.

FootballRide runs approximately every 20 minutes starting two hours before game time with the last shuttles leaving 30 minutes before game time. Return shuttles run for approximately one hour after each game.

FootballRide tickets are $1.50 each way for adults and may be purchased at most of the hotel sites, or in advance by mail or in person at TheRide’s main office at 2700 South Industrial Highway in Ann Arbor. Riders are encouraged to purchase round-trip tickets, as drivers do not carry change. Reduced fares are available for those who qualify.

Boarding Locations
Free Park & Ride Lot Shuttle Stop Locations:

Plymouth Road Park & Ride Lot (North Shuttle)
Miller Road Park & Ride Lot (West Shuttle)

Public Paid Parking Shuttle Stop Locations (Downtown Shuttle):

Fletcher Street Parking Structure
Fourth & William Parking Structure
Pizza House (for Forest Street & Church Street Parking Structures)
Thompson Street Parking Structure

Hotel and Other Shuttle Stop Locations
* Indicates ticket sales locations

North Shuttle Stop Locations

Holiday Inn near the University of Michigan (parking for Guy Hollerin’s restaurant and hotel guests only)*

South Shuttle Stop Locations

Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel*
Hampton Inn South*
Kensington Court Ann Arbor*
Red Roof Inn*
Comfort Inn & Suites – board at Red Roof Inn*
Courtyard by Marriott – board at Sheraton*
Fairfield Inn – board at Sheraton*
Holiday Inn Hotels & Suites – board at Sheraton*
Holiday Inn Express (tickets available at Kensington Court)

Downtown Shuttle Stop Locations

Bell Tower Hotel*
Campus Inn*
Michigan Union

East Shuttle Stop Locations

Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites (Carpenter Road)*
Days Inn*
Comfort Inn (tickets available at Days Inn, Board at Days Inn)

West Shuttle Stop Locations

Weber’s Inn (parking for Weber’s patrons only)*
Clarion Hotel*

During each home game, Routes 6, 7, 8, 15, and 16 will be detoured while the streets are closed to through traffic.

Football Ride information is available on TheRide’s web site, TheRide.org, and by phone at 734.996.0400.

Game-day Street Closures Beginning Saturday August 31

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 13:30:00 +0000

In an effort to enhance overall security around Michigan Stadium, the Ann Arbor City Council has authorized street closings in the vicinity of Michigan Stadium on all football Saturday home game days this season, beginning with this Saturday, Aug. 31.

Scheduled lane closures include: East Keech Street between South Main and Greene streets, limiting access to parking permit holders on Greene Street from East Hoover to Keech streets; the westbound right-turn lane on East Stadium Boulevard (onto South Main Street) just south of the Michigan stadium; South Main Street between Pauline and Stadium. The duration of these closures will be three hours before each home football game until the end of each game, with the exception of southbound South Main Street, which will be closed one hour prior to the game until the end of each game. This will enable patrons to access neighborhood parking areas west of the stadium. Provisions will also be made for properties with access exclusively on Main Street.

Traffic will be detoured using Pauline Street and Seventh. After the game, or at the discretion of the Chief of Police, barricades will be removed as soon as practical, and Main Street will reopened.

Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Expands, Adds City of Ypsilanti and Adopts New Legal Name

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:26:00 +0000

Following unanimous approvals by both Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti City Councils to amend the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Articles of Incorporation, AATA formally added the City of Ypsilanti as a member municipality. Tonight, as part of the expansion, the Board of Directors took action to formally adopt the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority as its new legal name. The Board will consist of eight members appointed by the City of Ann Arbor and one appointed by the City of Ypsilanti.

Gillian Ream, Communications and Development Coordinator of the Ypsilanti District Library, was confirmed to represent the City of Ypsilanti on the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) Board of Directors after being nominated by Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber. Ms. Ream spends most of her time, both personally and professionally, working to enrich the Ypsilanti community. She is involved in Bike Ypsi and engages with a wide variety of local organizations. Until recently, she worked at the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, doing marketing and communications work around issues of energy efficiency, transportation, civic engagement and intergovernmental cooperation. Ms. Ream was born and raised in Ann Arbor and holds an M.S. from UM’s School of Natural Resources and a B.A. from Kalamazoo College. She brings a unique perspective of transit systems, having used them regularly when she lived in Toronto and Baltimore. “Becoming an official member of the TheRide is an important step for Ypsilanti. So many of our residents depend on transit, and joining TheRide will give those residents a stronger voice and help Ypsilanti become a more interconnected part of the region,” said Ms. Ream. “Ypsilanti is also a haven for artists and entrepreneurs, and we hold dozens of events and festivals each year celebrating our art, music and local history. TheRide’s services help make it easy for Ypsilanti residents, as well as people in Ann Arbor and the surrounding townships, to enjoy what our city has to offer.”

Gillian Ream’s appointment follows that of Eric Mahler and Susan Baskett, who replaced David Nacht and Jesse Bernstein on TheRide’s Board of Directors in May. Mr. Mahler, an Assistant General Counsel for Meritor, Inc. who provides legal advice concerning labor and employment issues, formerly held a post on the Ann Arbor Planning Commission. When he is not practicing law, Mr. Mahler enjoys and has been heavily involved in community service. In addition to his service on the Ann Arbor City Planning Commission, he has also served on the Washtenaw County Workforce Development Board, the Community Housing Alliance Board of Directors, the Straker Bar Association Board of Trustees, and the American Arbitration Association Employment Advisory Council. “I am honored and excited to join TheRide’s Board of Directors and look forward to a period of prosperous growth,” said Mr. Mahler. “As a Board member, I am focused on increasing ridership, improving and expanding services and making TheRide the transportation of choice for the future of the regional Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area.”

Avid public transit user Susan Baskett’s career includes highlights as an advertising executive and community activist. Ms. Baskett, who also has been a trustee on the Ann Arbor Board of Education since 2003, brings her experience dealing with transportation for K-12 students to TheRide, and believes that Ann Arbor is in need of a more robust public transit system. "I am very honored to be appointed to TheRide’s Board. I see great opportunities for collaboration for the benefit of all of our citizens, young and old,” she said. “I see a strong public transit system as an important part to a good quality of life in our community. It’s good for the environment and key to those who can’t or choose not to drive. As a teenager, I used the bus to meet up with friends at Briarwood. As a young adult, I commuted from my family home to campus at U of M. I am a believer in public transit and will do my part of keeping and hopefully expanding TheRide’s service. I look forward to offering my expertise and am very impressed with the level of commitment that I see in everyone at TheRide.”

“Adding the City of Ypsilanti aligns with our vision to bring more transportation options to a greater number of residents and strengthens our ability to maintain existing levels of service, while continuing to improve and expand service where possible. This includes increasing frequency and hours of operation, which has been a common thread in community discussions,” said TheRide’s Chief Executive Officer Michael G. Ford. “With a record 6.6 million rides last year, funding the services that are needed to meet this growing demand is challenging, but the rewards and benefits are enjoyed by all who live or work within the service area, not just by those who ride.”

“Uniting Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti further strengthens Washtenaw County’s Urban Core and positions our communities for a more healthy and vibrant future,” said TheRide’s Board Chair Charles Griffith. “There is much work yet to be done, but this is an exciting milestone and an opportunity to be proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”

Zero Deaths: A Goal For Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 17:42:00 +0000

News Release from MDOT
LANSING, Michigan --- The Traffic Improvement Association of Michigan (TIA) commends the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for launching a new statewide public education campaign today on Michigan highways.

Photo by Flickr User almostsummersky

MDOT is displaying the number of traffic fatalities on Michigan roadways year to date on selected message signs, also known as Dynamic Message Signs (DMS). The message will be displayed one day per month along various I, M, and US routes, and the campaign is scheduled to run from July through November.

"Research has shown that public education and involvement are vital to achieving a reduction of traffic crash fatalities and injuries," said Jim Santilli, executive director of TIA. "I commend MDOT for using an innovative approach to educate all motorists about the importance of safe driving. We must all remember the numbers displayed represent real people whose families were torn apart by a traffic crash, which is completely preventable."

Photo by MDOT

As Michigan moves Toward Zero Deaths, MDOT believes it is imperative that every opportunity be taken to improve safety on Michigan roadways. Driver behavior factors into nearly 90 percent of all fatal crashes and one key to changing driver behavior is educating the public on the scope of the issue. Posting fatality messages on DMS is one simple and inexpensive way MDOT can contribute to that effort. Currently, nine states are posting fatality messages on their own DMS.

"It's a startling statistic and that's the point," said MDOT Director Kirk Steudle. "Displaying the number of lives lost on Michigan roads can be an effective way to influence driver behavior and increase driver focus."

According to Lieutenant Gary Megge of the Michigan State Police Traffic Services Section in Lansing, driver error and behavior are the biggest challenges when it comes to the safety of our roadways.

"If everyone could steer clear of driving distracted, drowsy, impaired or careless, our roads would be much safer," said Megge. "Displaying hard data for motorists is an eye opener that will increase awareness and focus."

If a situation occurs where another message is deemed a higher priority than the safety message, the sign will be switched. Higher priority messages include incident messages, lane closures, shoulder closures and work zone messages.

According to the Michigan State Police, there were 273,891 reported traffic crashes in Michigan during 2012, of which 870 were fatal and 51,685 were personal injury. 281 of the fatal crashes were alcohol related.

"Remember, one simple mistake by a driver can change many lives forever," said Santilli. "When operating a motor vehicle, we ask that drivers remain focused on the road, keep their hands on the wheel, driver sober, buckle up, and obey all traffic control devices. These simple practices will help to ensure their safety, and the safety of the innocent people around them."

Mapping San Francisco's Hills

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 13:16:00 +0000

Google's Geo Developers Blog recently highlighted a cool map in its Map of the Week feature. This map is a brilliant display of San Francisco's famous hills. Roads that go uphill from the location of the marker are red, streets that go downhill are blue. The more opaque the color, the steeper the hill.

Comparing the second screenshot to the first, you can see how the colors change as your starting elevation edges closer to sea level.

Even better, you can zoom in, turn on satellite view, and clicking will show the grade of any street.

The applications for this are interesting for tourism in San Francisco, but locally it would be cool to see this used in bike wayfinding.

SEMCOG public meetings: Help improve bicycle and pedestrian paths and amenities

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 17:58:00 +0000

SEMCOG will hold a public meeting for its upcoming regional non-motorized plan at the Saline Council Chambers on Wednesday, July 31 from 4-7pm. Attend and help shape the future of Southeast Michigan's nonmotorized infrastructure!

Bicycle and pedestrian (nonmotorized) travel is a vital part of Southeast Michigan’s transportation systems. For many communities, biking and pedestrian facilities improve quality of life for residents and make these communities more desirable. SEMCOG is currently working on a regional nonmotorized plan. Goals of the nonmotorized plan are:

Create an inventory of existing facilities in the region,
Develop guidelines for new facilities,
Address the most critical gaps within the nonmotorized corridors, and
Create a planning resource for communities within the seven-county SEMCOG region to coordinate facilities across boundaries.

Transit and Fresh Food

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 17:40:00 +0000

CMAQ Grant Awarded to City of Milan

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:56:00 +0000

A federal grant recently awarded to the City of Milan will provide welcome relief to parents and students near Milan High School and Clayton Symons Elementary. The City received a $564,460 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Grant to fund improvements to the Platt and Redman intersection near the schools. CMAQ grants are awarded to projects that demonstrate significant improvements to traffic flow and reduce harmful emissions.

This project includes new facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists, ADA compliant ramps, right and left turn lanes, and a new signal. Construction will begin in 2014. For more information, read coverage of the grant at The Milan-News Leader.

View Larger Map

Dangers of Distracted Driving and Prevention Resources

noreply@blogger.com (miWATS) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 20:48:00 +0000

In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. In fact, 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted. Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:

Texting
Using a cell phone or smartphone
Eating and drinking
Talking to passengers
Grooming
Reading, including maps
Using a navigation system
Watching a video
Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alarmed by these statistics, are urgently educating the public about these dangers in an effort to curb distracted driving. Together they created the website Distraction.gov, which provides emotionally wrenching personal stories and facts for those interested in educating their own family, classrooms, or community. If you are interested in these resources, we encourage you to visit Distraction.gov. Below we've included one of the videos about Joe Teater from Spring Lake, Michigan, who was killed by a distracted driver in 2004. To see more personal stories, visit the Faces tab at Disctraction.gov.