AATA proposed route changes for Fall 2008, preliminary analysis

The AATA has announced proposed changes to the schedule for this fall. New maps and schedules are not out yet, but there are descriptions of the changes. Here's a breakdown of what wins and what loses with the change.

There's more information and discussion of this on:
- Arbor Update
- Get Downtown
- Ann Arbor News
- Ann Arbor Is Overrated
links to follow when they all get around to writing about it

The short summary, I think, is that the bus system is shifting its service to improve route frequency to the west side of town, cutting service on routes that have low ridership, and shaving a trip here and there. I don't know the total number of service hours before and after (no data yet).

Notably missing from this set of changes is any kind of express bus Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti routing (the mythical 4X route), and any routing that goes directly down Maple/Stadium (the mythical "east-west connector" which could go Sky High to Arborland in one straight shot).

Who wins:
- Route 8 is every 15 minutes! The biggest win
- Route 12UM (Miller) adds service to Sky High, 15 min service on Miller Rd
- minor tweaks to the 4 to speed the journey
- one extra 4 afternoon bus as far as Arborland
- late night (10:45) Blake to Pioneer on the 7

Who loses:
- late trips on the 1U
- evening service on the 3
- latest trip Ypsi-Ann Arbor on the 5
- 12UL goes way (replaced by improved 8 service)
- mid-day 13
- mid-day 14
- summer evening, sunday 15
- 16 changes which I can't parse which probably affect shopping trips

More as I get maps.

Comments

[Brian]

For my subset of the 15, there's a big enough overlap with the 8 that I can easily ride either route. But that's not the case for most of the route.

Moment of silence for the 4X, Ypsi and Ann Arbor seem much farther apart by bus than they do by other means. Which is exactly the opposite of how it should be.