response 1 of 16:

Sep 28 18:24 UTC 2003

No. I probably would not use those services. Well, if there was a 
commuter train that stopped in Depot Town in Ypsilanti that went to 
Downtown Detroit (something I think was discussed and then dismissed), 
I would consider applying for jobs in downtown detroit. But if I 
couldnt get a job in downtown Detroit that paid more than my current 
job, I wouldnt use that train service. 

I *might* use a bus to the airport but I have found it isnt too hard to 
get a ride from a friend and I would much prefer to have a friend drive 
me. I have a feeling that a bus to the airport would take a long time 
since it would probably leave from Ann Arbor so I would have to spend 
45min-hour just getting to where the bus leaves from Ann Arbor. 

The only way to make public transportation good is to make it the 
better choice. If it is significantly cheaper or faster than driving 
one's own car, people will use it. It is only slightly cheaper than 
owning an older car and it certainly is not faster. There is too much 
sprawl in this part of Michigan for us to have good public 
transportation unless it is seriously subsidized by taxpayers. 
Personally, I think that would be a good thing but not everyone agrees. 

response 3 of 16:

Sep 28 21:03 UTC 2003

If a shuttle from downtown A2 were to pass through Ypsi on the way to DTW,
what routes would both provide decent service to Ypsi residents and keep
the length of the AA-DTW trip short enough to keep riders.  If AATA is
serious about becoming a regional transit provider, Ypsi (which already has
some service, right?) will have to be included in any such route.

I may be a lousy friend, but I'd prefer--in most cases--handing a friend $5
and pointing them to the bus to driving them to the airport myself.  It
could have something to do with not owning a car, I'll admit, but driving to
and through the airport is a pain even after acquiring a vehicle.

response 5 of 16:

Sep 30 03:25 UTC 2003

My impression is that "you must drive yourself here" attitudes at Metro
Airport are the single biggest barrier to regional transportation in
SE Michigan.

response 7 of 16:

Oct 1 02:45 UTC 2003

Wayne County Government has something of a reputation as self-serving,
and (i understand) they control the airport.  I've heard that taxis, 
private commuter mini-busses, etc. have to pay them hefty fees to take
people to/from the airport.  

response 9 of 16:

Oct 2 14:51 UTC 2003

#5: from what I understand, the suburbs' unwillingness to take part in any
joint venture with the City of Detroit is a massive barrier to any regional
plan.  There's a suburban transit system (SMART? (that's an acronym, not an
adjective)) and a City transit system, but they don't even connect at any
point; to get from one system to the other, there's a lot of walking.

I ahd a transportation class last fall with somebody who worked at SEMCOG
(south-east MI council of governments) who showed us some literature on that
group's latest concept of regional transportation, including rail access
between the City, DTW, Ann Arbro, and Lansing; Bus-Rapid Transit (has a
designated, and usually separated, lane, but much lower inffrastructure costs
than light rail; used in Portland with pretty decent results) along 14
corridors in the Detroit+suburbs area, and express links to Toledo, Port
Huron, and all the way out to Jackson.  So somebody's at least *planning* the
regional transportation; they just need the political support to do it.

response 11 of 16:

Oct 3 16:50 UTC 2003

Yeah, the rail project is not something I hold out any hope for.  Detroit has
to maka comeback (pause for laughter to die down) before anybody would want
to take rail to downtown, which is where the tracks go.

At least Granholm won some support for regional transit in general; if the
Detroit area gets something knitting it together a little better, it'll be
a step.  It's not a sufficient change to make the region thrive, but I think
it's a necessary condition for it.

response 13 of 16:

Oct 30 20:39 UTC 2003

I'd have been a potential rider of the hypothetical A2/Lansing rail
project, since I live in Ann Arbor and work at Michigan State.  
I'm skeptical that I'd want to use it.  The cost estimates I saw
seemed to indicate that it would be about $10 one way, which is 
roughly double my current gas costs.  (And I usually carry a passenger
these days, so that would be $40/day for the two of us, vs. $10 for
gas.)  

I would have a complete loss of schedule flexibility; if I stayed to 
work late, as I often do, I'd have to sleep over in the office or else 
have someone drive up from Ann Arbor to take me home.  

I would (at best) get dropped at the East Lansing train station 1.5 miles 
from my office.   At best, I'd add 30-45 minutes of waiting for local
transit and connections to travel time.   If the service only ran
to downtown Lansing, that would be a six mile trip to my office. 

I'd be stuck in East Lansing without any way to run errands or get
food beyond what's on the student strip adjacent to campus.

Overall, it's just not an appealing offering; even if the train
ride was "free" I don't think I'd be willing to accept the loss 
of car freedom.  The population density doesn't exist here to support
the service schedules I'd need.

response 15 of 16:

Oct 31 18:34 UTC 2003

But the commute to Lansing only takes 3 hours in exceptionally bad
weather conditions.  The commute from Ann Arbor to Lansing appears
to be much easier than, say, the commute from Ann Arbor to Detroit.