The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
City agrees to AATA increase
A projected $53,000 in revenue with increase
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 25, 2006
City council approved an Ann Arbor Transportation Authority plan, in a resolution, to raise the bus fare from $1 to $1.25 in its May 16 meeting.
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If enacted, the rate increase would generate $53,000 to keep the bus service in Ypsilanti intact for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, said Greg Cook, executive director of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority.
Cook said the city hopes to cut its purchase-of-service with the AATA by $80,000 in Oct. of this year because of city's on-going financial problems.
AATA has not stated whether or not it will approve the bus fare increase.
"The board is balking at the idea of a raising rates," Cook said of his company.
The company has a meeting scheduled today to discuss the issue.
"It helps, but it's only a partial solution," said Laura Bien, Keep Ypsi Rollin' director. "The city still plans to eliminate the bus system in fiscal year 2007-2008," Bien said.
KYR, an organization dedicated to maintain Ypsilanti bus service, is currently collecting signatures for its proposed charter amendment. The amendment allocates .65 mil per year toward bus service in Ypsilanti. This is 1.7 percent of the city's annual budget, or approximately $225,000.
Right now the city pays $190,000 for AATA service, according to Cook.
Cook, along with many members of city council, said the proposed amendment would potentially take money away from other services provided by the city, such as police and fire.
"It's not equitable for the city," Cook said. "It's kind of like robbing Peter to pay Paul."
Bien feels it would be inequitable if Ypsilanti cut funding and still maintained service. "It's only fair that they pay a token share," she said.
Other communities like Superior and Ypsilanti Twp., Bien said, could be upset about such an arrangement.
"The city," Bien said, "by failing to chip-in its fair share, is sabotaging the chances of a regional millage."
Many officials on all sides of the issue feel a regional millage would be the best outcome for bus service in Washtenaw County. However, Cook said it would take a lot of discussion to get such an initiative passed.
"There are a lot of people in the outlying portions of the county that want bus service," Cook said. "We want support from everybody to get a millage passed."
Cook said he hopes to have a date within a year and a half to have the initiative go to the polls.
Additional support for bus service in Ypsilanti may come from an outside source.
People inside the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority are considering a contribution to maintain the AATA service in Ypsilanti.
"We're very committed to alternative transportation," said Rene Greff, a board member of the Ann Arbor DDA. "It doesn't work if it doesn't go anywhere."
Nothing, however, has been decided.
"There isn't a deal yet," Greff said. She plans to take a resolution to committee soon.
The proposed resolution gives $50,000 to aid with Ypsilanti's struggle to keep AATA service. The money would be given out in two yearly $25,000 payments.
"Hopefully by that time there would be a regional system in place," Greff said. "This is not an indefinite subsidy."
The Ann Arbor DDA already has service agreements with the AATA. Greff said the Ann Arbor DDA and the AATA have agreements to provide the Get-Downtown program, which provides people who work in Downtown Ann Arbor with free bus service; and the LINK, which is a free circular service in Downtown Ann Arbor.
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