Moving You Forward

The Plan

Successful communities don’t happen by accident. They’re built through collaboration and citizen engagement by setting goals and working to achieve them. The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (TheRide) set out to create a shared vision for connecting Washtenaw communities through public transportation. This effort is called “Moving You Forward.”  It has lead to the creation of the Smart Growth Transit Master Plan, which provides a framework to meet Washtenaw County’s transit needs for the next 30 years.

The Smart Growth Transit Master Plan option was chosen after collecting ideas and suggestions from citizens of Washtenaw County. In order to implement the Plan for the county, eight transit districts have been created. The map above illustrates the transit districts and their respective community representatives that have been selected. Each district representative has formed a District Advisory Committee (DAC) to help oversee the development and implementation of transit improvements in each of their districts.

A series of public input sessions were held in each transit district last fall, giving our community a chance to share specific transit needs.  The next round of public input sessions will be taking place this May, and can be found here.

The Goals

• Support Local Economy and Job Growth: Attracts and retains new businesses and a talented workforce.
• Support Independence for the Aging Population: Provides access to vital destinations for individuals who can no longer drive and allows seniors to age in place.
• Attracts Talented Young Professionals: Creates and increases options for sustainable living which is attractive to new professionals and recent college grads.
• Promotes Sound Land-Use: Controls and prevents urban sprawl; focuses development, preserves agricultural and rural areas and other open spaces.
• Relieves Traffic Congestion: Provides transportation options to reduce congestion and local investment in parking infrastructure.
• Environment: Reduces our carbon emissions, reduces reliance on foreign oil and improves our air quality.
• Safety & Security:  Offers a safe and reliable transportation alternative.