Looks like we should have a Ann Arbor Transit Authority complain list.  I will
forward complaints, with identity of filer protected.

13 responses total.

I confess. I have never ridden on AATA. There wasn't one when I moved to
AA, and I also used a bike and walked a lot. I bike and walk around town
less, but I haven't broken my bad car habit. It is because it *takes
longer*, and I've gotten trapped in that high-speed, hectic living, where
there seems not to be enough time (but there is, if I dropped these
time consuming activities, like grex ;->). Anyway, this means that
*I have no complaints.* I am going to resolve to start using AATA - so
then watch out.

   The AATA is one of the more friendlier bus companies that I have dealt
with. I really don't think that you have to be anonymous to be heard.

   The only real complaint I have about AATA that could be fixed is
simply, they don't run long enough to be able to help me, much.  If
there were busses running all night, I might be able to use them some.
But as it is, it takes so long to get somewhere, that I'd have to
plan a major portion of my time just getting there if I used the
bus more.
   I might be more able to live with that if I also didn't have
to deal with a system that shuts down too early.
   America is a 24hr society, and mass transporation systems
usually don't reflect that.

  I think that the current system could use a bit of tweaking, but all in
all it is pretty decent. STeve, there is a way to get around at night,
Nite Ride costs 2.00 and lets you go anywhere you want to go in the city
by taxi. This is by no means perfect, because there is a 5 to 40 minute
wait, and there is some crowding in the cabs. But generally it does work.
 Running busses at nite really doesn`t make sense, when you might find
a criminal type lurking between you and the bus stop, or worse. Nite Ride
has reduced the amount of attack on women. I personally will not take a 
bus after dark because of my nieghborhood. There are some places in Ann Arbor
one should not venture into after sunset.
/

   Hmmm.  I forgot about Nite ride.  Thats pretty decent.  I wonder though,
it Nite Ride could ever survive if it became really popular--like several
thousand using it?  It's an interesting situation; using surplus Taxi-cabs
at night because the buses cost too much, yet at the same time the taxis
can't ramp up to the service level of a bus.

  I would venture to guess that there is a "core" of about100 to 300 people
who use it everyday to commute. Having driven Nite Ride myself, I can say
that it haslimit, but I don't know where that would be. Check with
Yellow Cab or AATA for the actual figures.

As far as handling a greater night ridership than shared cabs can handle, 
AATA used to have a mini-bus system that worked quite well, probably so well
that automotive interests killed it.  They are thinking of reinstating a
mini-bus system.  If they don't, I'll start a bus co-op and do it.  I'm 
trying to limit my bus co-ops to suburbs not already well served by public 
transit, but if they don't want to do the job, I will.  Sometimes I think 
public transit agencies purposely do a bad job.

   My three major complaints with the AATA are that it it doesn't run often
enough, doesn't go where I want to go, and doesn't run at night.
   If I want to take the AATA bus to school, it only gets me a bit more than 
half way there, and that takes only about five minutes less then it does to
walk it.  Since the bus also only runs every 30 minutes, waiting for it costs
me any time savings I might get from riding the bus over walking.  Biking is
much faster than either of those.
   The time I might be willing to put up with the incnvenience of the AATA is
at night, when biking seems a little less practical.  The only problem with
that is that the AATA doesn't run at night.  Consequently, I often end up 
driving then.
   BTW, we would probably have a lot more credibility if our names are turned
in on these complaints.  If anybody has any serious objections to having
their complaints be non-anonymous, they can always use a pseudo.

 between the hours of 7 and 9am and 3 and 6 pm some routes run every 15
minutes. I believe that this is true for the 1,3,4,5,7,9, and assorted other
busses in Ypsi.

        I have that the biggest problem is the Bus not running after 10:45 pm.
I live in Ypsi so night ride is not an option.
 [opps I have to agree]

I'd like to see an Ann Arbor to Ypsi express.  Driving from downtown to
downtown takes about half as long as a bus 3 4 or 5.  Each of those busses
takes 45 minutes.  5 doesn't go straight down Packard; 4 doesn't go straight
down Huron to Washtenaw. 

Also, why is there no public transit connecting AATA to SMART more convienient
than Amtrak or Greyhound?  My friend who would like to take the bus into
Detroit for work has to drive to Canton to pick up a SMART bus.

Probably a problem with getting funding from the townships it would have to
pass through to get to Canton.

My dad is really obsessed with the AATA!  And I'mpersonally quite tired of it!
He claims its "The Environmentally friendly way to commute!"  Admittedly its be
             better than driving his Honda, but biking is still better,
something he could easily do!  The schedules are to inflexible! Biking
forever!!!!!
                                                        -- :-) Moo

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