The
Recommended Vision & Policy Framework for Downtown Ann Arbor (pdf), prepared in 2005 by Calthorpe Associates and Strategic Economics, recommended that the City of Ann Arbor create a comprehensive Downtown Parking Strategy. This strategy would assess the supply of existing parking spaces and the future demand for residential and commercial parking.
In January 2007, City Council adopted a revised
work plan (pdf) for the Comprehensive Parking Strategy project.
City Council appointed the following individuals to the Comprehensive Parking Strategy (Phase II) Advisory Committee on October 3, 2006. The Committee will work with staff to guide the development of a new downtown parking strategy.
Roger Hewitt, Downtown Development Authority
Marcia Higgins, City Council
Evan Pratt, City Planning Commission
Stephen Rapundalo, City Council
Recommendations
On June 18, 2007, City Council approved the
recommendations (pdf) forwarded by the Comprehensive Parking Strategy Advisory Committee.
On September 24, 2007, City Council approved the
implementation schedule (pdf) for downtown parking and transportation recommendations.
Implementation Efforts
As of April 2009:
The DDA and City have been working since Summer 2007 to meet the action steps laid out in the A2D2
Parking Strategies Toolbox Implementation Plan (pdf). Highlights include:
zipcar: The DDA and getDowntown program have contracted with
zipcar to provide car sharing services in the downtown. With affordable membership rates and hourly fees, zipcar enables members to rely on easy car access for work day meetings or to avoid the costs of car ownership. Insurance, reserved parking, gas and maintenance are included. To learn more, visit
www.zipcar.com.
Pool Parking: The DDA has installed reserved spaces for vanpools and carpools in premium structure locations and created peak/overnight monthly parking permit for downtown evening employees.
Transit: Weekday service hours for the LINK were extended to 7 am – 11pm, thanks to funding from the DDA. The AATA started the A2Chelsea subscription bus service in May 2008.
Bike/Walk: The DDA has refurbished bike lockers, installed 100 new bike and moped/motorcycle parking spaces, and budgeted funds for pedestrian and bike friendly enhancements to Fifth Avenue and Division Streets. The city has installed several count-down signal heads in the downtown, and secured funding for new bike lanes on First and Ashley Streets.
Wayfinding: Working with MDOT, Corbin Design and city staff, the DDA will begin the bid process in late October 2008, with installation of signage targeted for Spring 2008. To learn more, visit
http://www.a2dda.org/current-projects/.
Leading by Example: The City of Ann Arbor is working with getDowntown to create a Commuter Choice program for city employees. Based on a survey of city employees and several meetings of an employee team, a comprehensive set of recommendations are being implemented.
On the Horizon: Other implementation efforts are in the planning stages, including a new park & ride lot at Plymouth and US-23, installation of parking pay stations, revised downtown zoning regulations, and service designs for express bus service between Brighton and Ann Arbor.
And much, much more: For a full report of the implementation of the Phase II parking and transportation strategy recommendations, click on the link below:
