AATA ridership increase ranks 4th highest in the nation
Riders wait to board buses at the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
That's according to a USA Today report, which shows the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority saw a 9 percent increase in the first quarter of this year compared with last year.
That trails only Indianapolis (20 percent), Fort Myers, Fla. (17 percent), and Charlotte (10 percent), according to figures from the American Public Transportation Association.
The report comes as AATA officials continue to build the case for expanding transit services throughout Washtenaw County. Also ongoing are talks about a regional transit authority linking Ann Arbor with Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
According to the USA Today report, at least a dozen communities set records for the number of people riding buses, trains and light rail this year. That's partly thanks to high gas prices, a mild winter and, in one city, the Super Bowl. More people returning to work helped, too.
AATA officials said on Monday the authority experienced an all-time first quarter record for total ridership with 1,730,978 trips taken in January through March.
Ridership surpassed the previous record of 1,652,634 trips set in 2009 by 4.7 percent and exceeded 2011’s first quarter ridership by 9 percent.
"This record-breaking ridership reinforces the increasing importance of public transportation in Washtenaw County," AATA CEO Michael Ford said in a statement. "The mild winter certainly helped, but we have also been diligently working to expand and improve our services to meet the needs of those who live, work and visit in Washtenaw County."
Added Ford: "Clearly, people are responding.”
AATA officials clarified the record represents total ridership, which counts the number of trips taken on fixed routes as well as on the NightRide, ExpressRide (service from Chelsea and Canton to Ann Arbor) and ARide services. Ridership increased for those programs by 47, 54 and 3 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2011.
The AATA also doubled the frequency of service on the popular Route 4 along Washtenaw Avenue at the end of January. As a result, ridership on the route has increased 14 percent as of April this year, AATA officials said on Monday.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
jns131
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 2:34 a.m.
I was reading the NY Times on Monday morning and saw this. Not surprised by the number of mixed comments coming from Washtenaw County denizens.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 9:09 p.m.
Public transit is a terrible ripoff i don't wanna pay no more taxes its ridiculous to use MY taxes to subsidize YOUR ride taxes taxes why does Obama spend my tax money taxes lets cut taxes on the upper class and let bus riders fend for themselves grumble grumble grumble taxes. Okay, now I get what some of our posters get out of this attitude. Well, actually, no, I still don't get it.
Peter
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 9:51 p.m.
You forgot to work 'Muslim' in there too.
WonderInAwe
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 6:35 p.m.
Congratulations AATA on a job well done. As a bus rider, I really appreciate that consistently my bus will by on time. I'm lucky because my stops are located before the bus fills up to standing room only - both ways!
Tanzor
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 3:32 p.m.
I am sick and tired of AATA's continuous push to expand the scope of their services. AATA is operating at loss of 24,000,000 dollars a year and is over 80% subsidized. As a long time resident of Ann Arbor I acknowledge the need for public transportation; however it must be accomplished in an efficient and reasonable fashion. I see empty buses running around town every day – allot. How much is too much? AATA's nonchalant attitude regarding operating inefficiency and its colossal appetite for federal money is alarming. AATA should not continue to expand operations as if money was no object. Our national debt is fast approaching 17,000,000,000,000 – When is the madness going to stop?
Tanzor
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 9:14 p.m.
Woman in Ypsilanti - I'm all in favor of building roads - without roads there would be no place for Cars, Buses, Bikes and etc. DJ Foley - The first comment has a link to the most recent budget, check it out.
DJ Foley
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.
Show me your sources. I've checked their financial statements before and $24M in the red is not what I've read. Also, it is becoming a rarity for buses to be traveling empty. I've had to fight for a seat, and worse, a spot on the bike rack.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 4:23 p.m.
But let me guess, you are perfectly ok with spending money on roads and don't expect road construction to make a profit.
ypsi 1
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
Adding the U-M bus rider numbers (7 million per year) helps those numbers!
Epengar
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 5:03 p.m.
Which seems fair, since UM pays for those riders.
Plubius
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 1:07 p.m.
If they started from zero rides and increased to one, that would have been an infinite percentage increase...
Christin Cave
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 12:24 p.m.
i hope this means they won't be moving the transit center...
mike umbolt
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 11:37 a.m.
Great work AATA!
CincoDeMayo
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 11:31 a.m.
I would like to see how much, if any, the ridership has increased on the fixed routes only. And, how we compare with other cities on the fixed routes. We are a family of bus riders.It is more difficult for my children to get around to the places they have to go than it was for me as a kid here. I'd like to see improvement in our local, fixed routes before addressing county transportation. Improving fixed routes would help to meet Michael Ford's goal of improving services "to meet the need of those who live, work and visit in Washtenaw County."
jns131
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 2:36 a.m.
Half the time all we do is drop our child off at the local transit station and whoosh, off she goes, to her destination. No problems here.
CincoDeMayo
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 1:51 p.m.
"AATA officials clarified the record represents total ridership, which counts the number of trips taken on fixed routes as well as on the NightRide, ExpressRide (service from Chelsea and Canton to Ann Arbor) and ARide services."
L'chaim
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 12:48 p.m.
Not sure I get your point... The 9% increase must be a system-wide average for all AATA routes. By definition these are all "fixed routes".
jcj
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 11:25 a.m.
Guarantee you the " USA Report " wink wink consisted of a phone call. And then taking the word of whoever answered the phone at the respective agencies as to what kind of increase they had. All this without any look at how the numbers were skewed to indicate the largest increase as Alan pointed out.
Alan Goldsmith
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 10:59 a.m.
Again, more reporting of 'numbers' without looking below the surface. Journalism as usual.
RUKiddingMe
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 9:34 a.m.
"The AATA also doubled the frequency of service on the popular Route 4 along Washtenaw Avenue at the end of January. As a result, ridership on the route has increased 14 percent as of April this year, AATA officials said on Monday." So they increased number of buses and/or trips on a POPULAR route by ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, and because of that picked up FOURTEEN percent more people? Is that a payoff? This whole thing sounds like creatively reported and artifically inflated stats to justify the massive countywide ripoff. The worst part is that they don't even need to say "please." They just hold their hands out and say "put more money here."
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 11:36 a.m.
good point on the 100% increase in seats resulting in a 14% increase in butts in the seats.
snapshot
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 5:38 a.m.
No doubt all the school millages, property tax increases, and additional fees for city services have "driven" folks out of their cars due to increased rates.
Dog Guy
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 2:12 a.m.
The extremely low use AATA has gotten over the decades allows this "Most Improved" recognition ...somewhat like the worst student getting a certificate for learning anything. Congratulations!
Woman in Ypsilanti
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 4:20 p.m.
No kidding. I know that I ride one of the busiest routes but the bus I ride almost always has full bike racks on nice days and is standing room only most of the time.
DJ Foley
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 5 a.m.
I don't know where you come up with "extremely low use" but that is woefully inaccurate: I have been inconvenienced with full bike racks and no seats lately. I'd say the AATA is getting plenty of use.
DonBee
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 2 a.m.
Yes, over $0.80 out of the cost of every ride comes from taxes, not fares. The more people who ride, the more subsidy they will want.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 4:10 p.m.
DonBee. Hmm. I find that difficult to believe. There are typically 25-50 people on the bus I take. If they were all in cars by themselves, that would be 50 cars! I know heavy vehicles wear out the roads more than lighter vehicles but I doubt it is 25 times more.
DonBee
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 9:46 p.m.
Epengar - The article talks about more bus runs and more riders. Net, net the cost per rider is not going down. Woman in Ypsilanti - On average a bus puts more wear on the road than single driver cars with equal numbers of people. Our gas taxes subsidize bus and bike routes.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 4:18 p.m.
I know it is crazy how that works. I mean look at how automobile drivers demand to have the roads they drive on be subsidized by tax dollars! Seriously though, public transportation can save money even if some (or all) of the fare is subsidized because it means that the city can build fewer garages and there is less wear and tear on the roads. If enough people switch to public transportation it saves money by having an effect on the price of gasoline (making it lower) as well as easing congestion.
Brad
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 11:55 a.m.
@DonBee - I was formerly ignorantly blissful thinking that at least the subsidy is ultimately "capped" at 100%, but then your post made me realize: why would they stop there? Aargh.
Brad
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 11:22 a.m.
Yeah, we'll "make it up in volume". Priceless.
Epengar
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 4:15 a.m.
Bosh. The costs per passenger don't increase evenly, because we don't move one passenger at a time, even though they all pay the same amount. 30 people on the bus don't cost 3 times as much as 10 people, even though they pay 3 times as much. There are economies of scale that shouldn't be ignored.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jun 5, 2012 : 1:14 a.m.
here is a link to their financial statement for last year. http://www.theride.org/pdf/FinancialStatements.pdf