On Sunday, May 1, TheRide will be introducing the biggest expansion of bus service in the greater Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area since 1979, as part of its Five-Year Transportation Improvement Program. The May, 2016 phase of fixed-route and paratransit improvements will be the third since voters approved the Plan in May, 2014. It will create more ways for citizens to connect with jobs, school, appointments, shopping, and family and friends in the urban core of Washtenaw County.
In order to provide its customers with an interactive way to learn about the improved service, TheRide has worked with Google to add functionality to its Google Transit tool, which allows riders to see what their trips will look like after May 1. By visiting TheRide.org, clicking 'Plan My Trip,' and selecting a date that occurs after May 1, riders can determine which routes they will take after the improvements begin.
In addition to the Plan My Trip tool, TheRide has hosted community workshops, presented at local meetings, and talked with riders on buses and at bus stops and transit centers in the greater Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas to provide education about the improvements.
The improvements beginning May 1 include more routes to serve more places, more direct routes in Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti, more frequent service, new route names and numbers, new service in Scio Township, new service in Pittsfield Township, and expanded A-Ride service for seniors and riders with disabilities. More information on the upcoming improvements can be found at TheRideYourWay.org.