Ann Arbor voters passed the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA) Expansion Proposal in the Aug. 2 primary election. The proposal received 24,975 Yes votes and 16,115 No votes. The proposal seeks to maintain and expand the AAATA with the goal of expanding TheRide bus system, which serves the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas. The proposal will levy property taxes by increasing the millage rate from the current 0.7 mills. The millage rate will increase based on each municipality.
The proposal seeks to make improvements regarding accessibility and inclusivity for frequent users of TheRide. The improvements include the expansion of late-night, weekend and holiday services as well as a direct route from downtown Ypsilanti to downtown Ann Arbor.
The proposal heavily focuses on increasing social equity through the funding of AAATA, noting that these improvements would equalize access to services, jobs and medical and educational resources. AAATA also plans on using the funding to increase the number of zero-emission buses for TheRide in accordance with municipal climate goals, including Ann Arbor’s A2Zero initiative. The proposal is the first part of AAATA’s “long-range plan” to continue supporting the community’s changing needs.
Correction: A previous version of the article stated the millage would be increased to 2.38 mills. The article has now been updated to accurately portray that the millage rate is determined by the municipality.
Summer News Editor Irena Li and Daily News Editor Shannon Stocking can be reached irenayli@umich.edu and sstockin@umich.edu.