This piece, by Adam Goodman, was originally published on the Transportation Riders United (TRU) website. TRU advocates for a seamless transit network that connects our communities to empower riders, create vibrant neighborhoods, and help Michigan thrive.
After over 15 years of “studying” Bus Rapid Transit on Washtenaw Ave in Ann Arbor, we finally have an opportunity to make real-world progress. In 2027, MDOT will be resurfacing Washtenaw Ave (aka I-94 BL) from Main St to Stadium in Ann Arbor, and they are considering installing bus lanes as part of this project.
To show your support:
- Attend the in-person open house on April 16, from 4pm-7pm at the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch (Lower Level).
- Fill out the online survey at the bottom of MDOT’s Virtual Open House site. Make sure to mark Segment 2 – Alternative B and Segment 3 – Alternative B2 as your most-preferred designs. Make sure to submit your written comment!
- Send a message to Ann Arbor City Council (citycouncil@a2gov.org), asking them to formally endorse the bus-lane alternatives, by approving item CA-10 at their next meeting on April 20.
How we (finally) got here
Washtenaw Avenue, running between Downtown Ann Arbor and Downtown Ypsilanti, has long been a key opportunity for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. With TheRide (AAATA) Route 4/104 buses arriving every 6-8 minutes at peak times, it is already the most frequently-served public transit corridor in all of Southeast Michigan. However, these buses regularly get stuck in traffic. For over 15 years, planners have been studying options to improve bus speed and reliability, with BRT service called for in the ReImagine Washtenaw Plan, the 2016 RTA Regional Master Transit Plan, and TheRide’s own 2045 long-range plan (among others – TRU’s own Joel Batterman even co-authored a Masters of Urban Planning Student Capstone report on the subject in 2012!). However, these plans haven’t led to opportunities for real-world improvements … until now.Last year, MDOT started design work for a badly-needed repaving project on Washtenaw Ave and Huron St. (a.k.a. I-94 BL) through Downtown Ann Arbor. For a long time Ann Arbor has wanted to change from 4 travel lanes to 2 travel lanes and one turning lane (aka a 4-to-3 lane reconfiguration) on the narrow diagonal section of Washtenaw, between Stadium and South University; 4-to-3 reconfigurations are a proven safety countermeasure that has been highly successful on other Ann Arbor roads. Repaving the road presents the perfect opportunity to make changes to the lane design.
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| Overview of the project area. Segments 2 and 3 are under consideration for a bus lane. |
MDOT’s even proposing bus lanes!
However, MDOT actually came back with more ideas than just a “standard” 4-to-3 reconfiguration, including designs for bus lanes or bike lanes. In doing this, they’ve divided the project into multiple segments to account for changes in the road width and context. Segment 1 runs through Downtown Ann Arbor and will see no design changes. Segments 2 and 3 divide the diagonal, 4-lane section of Washtenaw into northern and southern halves respectively, and both could get bus lanes.
Per MDOT, on Segment 2 (South University to Tuomy), the roadway is too narrow for bus lanes in both directions, so there could be an outbound bus lane only, heading away from Downtown Ann Arbor:
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| Potential cross-section for Segment 2 showing a single bus lane, two standard drive lanes, and a center turn lane |
On Segment 3 (Tuomy to Stadium), bus lanes could be provided in both directions:
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| Potential cross-section for Segment 3 showing two bus lanes, and two standard drive lanes |
Unfortunately, MDOT has also specified that the narrow roadway means it‘s not feasible to provide both bus lanes and bike lanes – these options are mutually exclusive; and worse, on Segment 2 in particular, the roadway is only wide enough for one bike lane in one direction!
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| Potential cross-section for Segment 2 showing a single bike lane, two standard drive lanes, and a center turn lane |
TRU advocates for sustainable transportation in all its forms, and it is always disappointing when we encounter a situation where a roadway cannot accommodate all users safely, comfortably, and efficiently. However, because of Washtenaw’s critically-important role as a high-frequency transit spine, we believe that public transit must be the top priority for Washtenaw Avenue. (We also hope that there may be future opportunities to extend an existing shared-use path alongside Segment 3 the rest of the way into downtown Ann Arbor).
To show your support for bus lanes on Washtenaw:
- Attend the in-person open house on April 16, from 4pm-7pm at the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch (Lower Level).
- Fill out the online survey at the bottom of MDOT’s Virtual Open House site. Make sure to mark Segment 2 – Alternative B and Segment 3 – Alternative B2 as your most-preferred designs. Make sure to submit your written comment!
- Send a message to Ann Arbor City Council (citycouncil@a2gov.org), asking them to formally endorse the bus-lane alternatives, by approving item CA-10 at their next meeting on April 20.
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