Posted on Tue, Feb 23, 2010 : 11:20 a.m.
Ann Arbor-to-Howell WALLY train still on track; West Quad evacuated after sprinkler break
By Amalie Nash
- Livingston Daily: No grant, but WALLY project to link Ann Arbor to Howell still on track, AATA official says
- Ann Arbor Chronicle: Board renews library building discussion
- Michigan Daily: University of Michigan alum says he filed suit to hold regents accountable
- Michigan Daily: West Quad evacuation result of sprinkler break, not fire or another false alarm
- NPR: University of Michigan researcher says study shows costly health care not necessarily best
- Ann Arbor Observer: How do A2 mayor and council members rate?
- WFTV.com: University of Michigan researchers find another serious complication of the H1N1 virus
Here's what people are clicking on today from our stories on AnnArbor.com:
- A link to Ann Arbor's street plow routes map in the entry: Watching the snow come down - maps, webcams and more
- A link to the USA Today article on new Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon in tne entry: David Brandon: 'I have no problem calling the play'
- A link to the Lice Brigade website in the entry: Get your nits picked at Rapunzel's Lice Boutique
Here are a few useful links some of our readers have posted in comments on our stories:
- A link to a fact sheet on Ann Arbor's street millage in the entry: 7 ways to create a pedestrian and cycling utopia
- A link to the National Safety Council's website and associated data in the letter: Only complete cell phone ban while driving would improve safety
- A link to a YouTube video on the Dexter wrestling match over the weekend in the entry: Bleachers clear during confrontation at wrestling tournament
A few of today's links from AnnArbor.com's lead blogger Ed Vielmetti, writing about Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County's set of local history collections:Â
- A link to the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County.Â
- A link to the Bentley Historical Library's exhibit on Varsity Vogue, which is a collection of photography showing women's campus fashions, formal and informal, from 1880 to 1980.Â
- A link to the the Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan, the world's premier archives of anarchist history, radical politics, and alternative sexuality.
Comments
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Feb 24, 2010 : 3:34 p.m.
That's true, thed47. The "study" used all sorts of wild projections to claim a daily ridership of more than 1,000. I can't imagine someone living in Livingston County being willing to commute to a rural destination a few miles from home, take a slow train to Ann Arbor, get dropped off somewhere on Plymouth Road, then wait for a bus to go downtown to a job. It would triple the commute time. Plus, the study included, in its cost "savings", the amount these riders would save because they wouldn't need to own a car. Huh? Livingston County is a little more spread out than that. If you don't own a car, you won't even be able to get to the train station, let alone get groceries. Finally, the study did admit that other infrastructure improvements were necessary to support the train stations, provided they reached anywhere near the predicted ridership. But they concluded that those costs were more the responsibility of the Livingston County Road Commission, so they were not included in the cost of the project. At this point, when most fervent supporters realize they can't make a case for the boondoggle without misinformation and outright lies, it's time to put the baby to rest. I am amazed that after at least two years of this, lawmakers are still listening.
Top Cat
Wed, Feb 24, 2010 : 9:16 a.m.
WALLY is FOLLY!
thed47
Wed, Feb 24, 2010 : 8:26 a.m.
I reviewed the WALLY study and was appalled that officials tried using those inflated numbers. They would be laughed out the academic world. And that's sad because I thought A2 officials reflected the population, which I thought was highly educated. The results were available on the AATA WALLY Website and you can see for yourself. They took the highest number of travelers on a a given day and used it to reflect the number of riders on a weekly average. Not only that, it was conducted through emails of U of M employees. The WALLY project is pie in the sky and shouldn't leave the station. Instead, AATA and local officials should concentrate on a Ann Arbor - Detroit line.
packman
Tue, Feb 23, 2010 : 4:44 p.m.
What a waste of time...AATA has way too much money. Reduce their millage and listen to Treasurer Ted...AATA is a typical government run operation...inefficient and wasteful...if there was indeed a true need for mass transit the private sector would jump on it.
Macabre Sunset
Tue, Feb 23, 2010 : 2:33 p.m.
I find it truly remarkable that government entities are still considering giving one cent to the WALLY boondoggle train. This after studies show conclusively it's a huge waste of money and the promised private investment has completely failed to materialize.