Things we’d like to see for Ann Arbor in 2010
The best thing anyone can say about 2009 is that it’s behind us, and that we’re all hoping for better things in the coming year.
Looking ahead to 2010, our aspirations are modest. We would love to see, among other things, new bridges for East Stadium Boulevard, 4 days of perfect weather for the Art Fairs and a football team that doesn’t finish last in the Big Ten.
Is that too much to ask for? We’d like to think not. In fact, we want more. Here is a mostly serious, but occasionally facetious list of things we’d like to see for Ann Arbor in 2010:
 New East Stadium bridges need to be built in 2010.
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We’d like to see local government and school districts take a hard look at how they could save money and better serve the public by consolidating operations, and in some instances, by merging. The Lincoln and Ypsilanti school boards will meet next month to discuss the sharing of administrative services. That is one example, but barely scratches the surface. The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Chambers of Commerce have led the way with their merger. Let the public sector follow suit.
We’d like to see some realization by the public that teacher-bashing won’t solve the school funding crisis, and some realization by teachers that complaining about not being respected isn’t helping either, but meaningful contract concessions would.
Speaking of school funding, we’d like to see state lawmakers provide meaningful reform on important issues like pension costs. We’d also like to see them develop a two-year budget cycle for education so that districts aren’t repeatedly hit with devastating mid-year budget cuts.
In Ann Arbor, we’d like to see city government regain the confidence of its citizens by showing that it’s not only capable of building municipal offices and underground parking decks that people aren’t sure they want or need, but also capable of addressing basic infrastructure needs that have gone neglected. A good start would be new East Stadium bridges and a long-overdue decision on what to do with the Argo Dam.
We’d like to see the City Council be less worried about banning plastic bags and cell phones in cars and bicycles on sidewalks until it’s successfully addressed far more serious issues.
We’d like to see neighbors who are affected by development proposals be given the consideration they deserve. But we’d also like to see neighbors understand that Ann Arbor cannot be hermetically sealed in its current form. Helping shape development is one thing. Reflexively opposing it is another.
We’d like to see the community continue to embrace the concept of shopping local and supporting local merchants.
We’d like to see a serious discussion about closing a portion of Main Street during the summer and turning it into a pedestrian area, similar to Boulder, Colo. We think it’s worth exploring.
We’d like to see genuine progress made this year on creating a true high-speed train service from Chicago to Detroit and on to Toronto with stops at Detroit Metro and Ann Arbor.
We’d like to see other progress in mass transit, including commuter service between Detroit and Ann Arbor, between Brighton and Ann Arbor, and movement on the intriguing idea of an intra-city rail, trolley or aerial tram system between the University of Michigan’s central and north campuses.
We’d like to see state and local government make it a higher priority to improve the condition of our roads in Michigan.
And speaking of roads, we’d like to see 2010 be the year that motorists figure out how to use traffic circles.
OK, that last one may be too much to hope for. But the rest seem reasonable, and progress on any or all of them would move Ann Arbor forward in important ways. Here’s to 2010. Let’s make it a good, productive year.
Comments
Charlie Naebeck
Wed, Jan 20, 2010 : 10:14 a.m.
I have to agree with Eric regarding phones in cars being the equivelant of doing anything in cars for that matter. Folks can get distracted by anything while driving from tuning the radio, upset children, smoking, talking to passengers, lack of sleep, looking in the rear view mirror, attempting to find an item from their back seat while driving..etc.. I do not believe that talking on phones and texting is the issue at hand. Driving in general is one of the most proven un-safe means of travel. There is a higher percentage of getting into an accident on the road than there is from jumping off of a waterfall. lol What did we blame before there were cell phones? I remember long ago that teens were to blame because they wanted to impress their friends by speeding or partying too much... it seems that phones and texting are simply the new scape goat to blame for accidents vs. addressing driving and travel safety education to younger drivers in general with todays technology. I would definately love to see Ann Arbor work towards alternate transportation as we have for so long with the Get Downtown program and other efforts. The high speed rail system to travel between Chicago, A2, Detroit, and Toronto would be very effective as well for many if implemented.
gamebuster
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 11:04 p.m.
I'd like to see "Emergency Housing" for the disabled, chronic diseased, mentally-ill residents. It's very say to see them sleeping on the snowy ground but not by choice. I'd like to see the replacement of old YMCA low-income housing for the poor. Winter rotating shelters, tent city, sleeping in the warm center, streets will be endless if we don't offer affordable housing to the poor. Over 35% of the homeless community are mentally-ill patients. They're hiding, suffering, taking medication. They might act or think not in a regular way, but they can feel the pain just as we do. They will end up chronic homeless. If they're not able to get a bed at the shelter (only 50 beds plus 25 cots), they need to sleep in the cold. Today, I trespassed tent city, opening their tents. I just found few thin blankets and a sleeping bed. I hope our community embracing our most vulnerable residents. They hide but they exist and suffering. I'm shouting for emergency, humane housing!
gamebuster
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 10:47 p.m.
I'd like to see "Emergency Housing" for the disabled, chronic diseased, mentally-ill residents. i feel very sad seeing them sleeping on the snowy ground but not by choice. I'd like to see the replacement of Old YMCA low-income housing for the poor. We lost over 100 units, which pushes more people sleep on the street. Winter rotating shelters, tent city, warm center will be endless if we don't provide affordable housing to the poor. They will forever sleep on the snowy ground, especially those suffering from chronic or mental illness. Today, I trespassed tent city. I opened their tents. I just found few thin blankets on the found and a sleeping bag. It's inhumane. I'd like to see our community embracing the most vulnerable. I see them taking medicines. I see them hiding and suffering, while the public call their names. "Emergency Housing" need not be gorgeous, but at least give them a warm room to heal. Over 35% of the homeless community are mentally-ill patients. They may not think or act in a regular way, but they feel the pain just as we do. They're hiding in the wooded area, under the bridge, by the highway. It doesn't mean that they don't exist.
Marvin Face
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 10:46 p.m.
Tony, with all due respect, your call for Main Street to be turned into a pedestrian mall is at the very least ill-informed and would put the businesses on Main St out of business in short order. It is thinking straight out of the Urban Renewal era of the 1960's. Check out this thread from an online discussion this past summer: http://arborupdate.com/article/1810/make-main-street-a-temporary-pedestrian-mall Not a good idea.
st.julian
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 6:03 p.m.
Funny, improving the condition of the roads was not mentioned in the survey attached to this article. Road and related infrastrucutre improvement would have a higher return on citizena needs compared to a high speed rail link that would serve relatively few. In addition, consilidation of the school districts only further removes school control from the locals citizenry. It seems it might have the same affect as the decision to have school funding primarily be determined, germandered, an keep in chaos by those far removed from reality- the state legislature and governor. Consoldation control has filaed thus far and will continue to fail as we race to meet the low educaitnal expectations of Mississipppi and Louisiana. One priority not mentioned is the need for considerable improvement in the look, feel and conntent of annarbor.com. While it may not be able to look like the NYT, WP, or WSj it oculd look more like a CNN or MSNBC rather than a marginally searchable laundry list.
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 5:34 p.m.
Perhaps the city can work on fixing the overall business climate in AA. Unemployment is at 9% locally and looks like it will climb. Taxes are too high to attract employers. Revenues are going to continue to drop. The county just cut some $30 MILLION out of its budget and will likely cut a similar amount again in the near future. The roads are falling apart. Property values have fallen and continue to trend down. The list just grows and grows.....
westsider
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 4:43 p.m.
Seriously? "resoned opposition" to the moravian? isn't this the same "reasonable group" that got so disrespectful and abusive at the last planning commision meeting that the planning commisioners had to call the police on them?
Vivienne Armentrout
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 1:48 p.m.
Overall a good editorial. I especially liked the call for city council to regain the confidence of the public. But this was an unfair shot: "But wed also like to see neighbors understand that Ann Arbor cannot be hermetically sealed in its current form." I don't think recent neighborhood efforts to contain damage from outsized, inappropriately placed developments indicates that objective. In the most recent example, the Moravian has received preliminary approval for a project that does not match the area zoning and is out of proportion to the rest of the residential area. Neighbors have not indicated that they would oppose any possible development, just that one. Let's not confuse reasoned opposition with inability to accept any change.
belboz
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 12:03 p.m.
Ban Cell Phones while driving? How about we just ban the bad drivers. People smoke while they drive, eat food while they drive, talk while they drive, listent to music while they drive. Heck, I've done all of those at once while driving. People get in accidents every day for various reasons. At the end of the day, when you get into a car - you are taking a chance. Reminds me of an old engineering joke. Standing around, looking at the inside of a car, one engineer asks "You mean, if someone just turns this thing slightly - while driving down the road - the car will swerve into oncoming traffic and could kill someone? Do all cars have this?" The other engineer comments "Yes. It's called a steering wheel. Don't tell legal about it." If your busy looking for dangerous drivers - while driving - you're proably a dangerous driver yourself. Eyes ahead!
A2nowDenver
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 11:41 a.m.
I don't think we need to ban cell phones entirely from cars, but a "no phone in hand" rule is definitely in order. Also, let's allow officers to pull folks over for not using hands-free devices, and make it a "3 strikes and you're out" offense. Don't drive safe? No license. No need to punish those folks who are in the car ALL day and drive / communicate responsibly. Thanks.
Technojunkie
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 10:17 a.m.
@Julie: maybe, but it's more appropriate for the state legislature to discuss. Best way to get rail going: governments fund building the tracks, then lease them to a private company with the condition of meeting certain objective service metrics (maintenance of rails, minimum train runs per day, etc) rather than $x/year. Competition with cars, buses and planes will keep ticket prices in check. If the math still won't work, that's a clue. With Michigan's shrinking population base I'm very doubtful that rail makes sense. A good rail corridor would focus growth, with high-density development in proximity to the rail, but we're not having growth and Ann Arbor is hostile to development anyhow.
a2cents
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 10:15 a.m.
Julie, I agree. When I bicycle, in the street and obeying traffic laws, I'll find myself in a line of vehicles at a stoplight. I always wonder if this is the time I get painfully tail-ended by a distracted driver. It has happened to my truck twice.
Top Cat
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 10:04 a.m.
Julie is absolutely correct. Driving these days is starting to resemble dodge ball with this twits on their cellphones and not paying attention.
katie
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 9:59 a.m.
The thing that stood out for me, too, was the cell phone issue. A friend got her car totaled by someone who was talking away on their cell phone. Thankfully she's ok. Every time I see dangerous driving I look to see if the person's talking on the phone. Usually that's the case. This is a #1 priority and it won't cost nearly as much as the parking underground or new building.
Julie
Sun, Jan 17, 2010 : 9:01 a.m.
Hmmmm.... one glaring disagreement I have.... I think banning cell phone use in cars IS one of the most important things our government can do, to help ensure our safety. It's as bad as drunk driving, and we've certainly banned that.