The City of Ann Arbor has bus service within the city as well as service to communities in the surrounding area through the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, or simply TheRide. TheRide is a not-for-profit organization that provides transportation services for the greater Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area. Route information and schedules are available online or at the Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor, the Ypsilanti Transit Center, or at City Hall. TheRide also provides online tools to help you plan your trip.
The University of Michigan also provides bus service to students, employees and visitors through the University's own bus system,
MagicBus.
Bus service to and from Detroit Metro Airport is also available via the MichiganFlyer, which provides 12-13 round trips a day between stops Ann Arbor and East Lansing.
getDowntown go!pass program
Employers located within the DDA may purchase a go!pass for employees that provides unlimited use of all
TheRide fixed route buses, discounts on other commuter services, and discounts to downtown stores
Additional bus, rail air service
Moving You Forward
TheRide is leading the creation of a shared vision for countywide public transit in Washtenaw. The Transit Master Plan outlines a 30-year strategy to address various public transportation needs in the county. When completed, the Plan will contain:
- Strategic direction and transportation policies for the region
- Multimodal transportation plan (car, bus and rail transit, bicycling and walking)
- Background on travel behavior and expectations
- A funding and implementation plan as a realistic framework to complete proposed projects
- A vision for the transportation system our community needs
Increasing access to rail
This year, the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) grant to Amtrak included funding for the Accessible Boarding Technology (ABT) program. Thanks to the grant, Amtrak is developing new solutions to greatly improve the boarding and alighting experience for all passengers, especially passenger with disabilities.
Historically, Amtrak has not offered a level boarding experience at stations on corridors where Amtrak and freight trains share the same tracks due to the wide loads that freight trains often carry. As a result, boarding and alighting can be difficult for many passengers. Passengers using wheelchairs must use mobile lifts that take additional time and staff to deploy. The “Shuttle Platform” prototype that will be tested at Ann Arbor station this year is an effort to overcome this problem. FRA looks forward to this initial test, and is committed to helping Amtrak remove all barriers to access, ensuring all Americans can travel throughout Amtrak’s system.
Please see Amtrak's
ABT Program paper (PDF) for more detailed information.
Additional Information
