tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52736902471480300862024-03-07T23:43:27.855-08:00carfree ann arborresources, tips, tricks and ideas for the car-free (and car-lite) community in Ann Arbor, MichiganScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-35812860082643273222008-05-11T15:08:00.001-07:002008-05-11T16:07:06.141-07:00New option for AATA trip planningYou won't find a link to it on the AATA site but Google maps has added Ann Arbor to the list of cities for which you can get transit directions as well as driving directions. It's also pretty hard to tell by looking at the page that you're there but this seems to be where you start: Google Transit Ann ArborPerhaps one reason AATA isn't really promoting this is that it has its own trip planning Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-18690354555901475052008-04-30T16:33:00.000-07:002008-04-30T16:42:01.485-07:00Hauling things by bikeI had really hoped to have a more spectacular re-launch of CFA2 in time for Curb Your Car Month 08, but it's been way busy on the non-motorized transportation front lately (which is a good thing) and it turns out it's not that easy to find bloggers who are not already blogging. So we'll do the best we can and maybe hope to have lots of new posts in time for World Carfree Day in September.I'm (Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-55015926251908876212008-04-08T08:40:00.000-07:002008-04-08T18:55:18.440-07:00photos of East Quad Bike Coop FixupHD points out:Two weekends ago, the East Quad Bike Coop held a bike fixup and giveaway.At the end of the event, 7 or 8 of the really really junky ones foundtheir way into the Ghost Bike project.Here's a couple of shots from Matt Hampel's Flickr account:http://www.flickr.com/photos/a2community/2396966827/in/photostreamBruce Fieldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816198402689137636noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-10700832883066930862007-11-13T07:19:00.000-08:002007-11-13T07:26:44.138-08:00ann arbor cranksgivingWe threw out the idea of a Cranksgiving ride a while back. The vision is now realized in what looks to be a fun alleycat race Sunday, November 18. You can read all about it at the Cranksgiving Ann Arbor blog.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-75561401225916513842007-05-21T05:46:00.000-07:002007-05-21T05:49:42.041-07:00no bus service on memorial dayFrom the AATA:The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will not operateregular fixed-route bus service, A-Ride paratransit, or Good As Gold seniortaxi services on Monday, May 28, 2007 in observance of the Memorial Dayholiday. Regular bus, paratransit and senior taxi services will resume onTuesday, May 29. Passengers may take advantage of AATA's Holiday Ride shared-ride taxiservice on Monday for Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-66471208857304628242007-05-07T21:59:00.000-07:002007-05-07T22:08:47.744-07:00howell - ann arbor rail line plans expandAccording to Metromode, the Coalition for Mass Transit is optomistic about the million dollar Federal grant that they applied for. They are also considering adding stops in Hamburg and Saline.Other juicy details include:A three-car passenger train would make six trips during the morning rush hour and another six trips in the afternoon/evening rush hour. Each stainless steel bi-level car could Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-20315797965651688512007-05-04T01:22:00.000-07:002007-05-04T01:52:23.081-07:00curb your car month already startedThe housekeeping staff as been consumed with preparations for a return to Michigan from the Far East. As a result, we forgot to remind everyone that May is Curb your Car Month.The getDowntown program has a great list of events over the next 25 days, like urban cycling skills workshop, lunchtime river walks, class on building your own bike light... too many great things to mention. Check out theScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-32171156209698320342007-05-04T01:00:00.000-07:002007-05-04T01:11:12.639-07:00making shoes less hurtyMetafilter, the 21st century's fountain of common knowledge and folk wisdom, has a thread full of good tips on getting new shoes to be comfortable. The advice focuses on leather shoes with a lot of DIY and purchase-alternative ideas. It seems that just about any household item, from soap to vodka, will soften shoe leather. However, there isn't much info on the damage that these "softeners" Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-35811492739541102152007-04-20T21:57:00.000-07:002007-04-20T22:05:08.208-07:00huron river drive carfree for 3 hoursFrom GetDowntown, among others announcing this unique opportunity:Have you ever wondered what it be like if Huron River Drive were closedto cars? Well, tomorrow is your chance to check it out and voice yourcomments to the City. The City of Ann Arbor is closing Huron RiverDrive from Bird Rd. to Main to motorized traffic from 9-12 on Saturday,April 21st. Whether or not the road should be closed Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-22558428003629733982007-04-18T23:29:00.000-07:002007-04-19T02:04:08.472-07:00speed traps on sidewalks?A link from Ed's blog pointed us to a list of speed traps in Ann Arbor.The interesting point, from a carfree perspective, is that some of the traps include police vehicles parked on the sidewalk and in bus loading zones.Huron Parkway Ravine. They sit on the sidewalk along the concrete tieback walls.Fuller near Mitchell Field. They do it Cali style and sit in the bus loading zone.While cycling on Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-87117397292165294862007-04-04T01:27:00.000-07:002007-04-04T01:52:06.601-07:00aadts and the tommorow that never comesYou're never going to believe this, but the Ann Arbor to Detroit rail project opening has been put off until at least 2008. Yes, over the last ten years you've been let-down repeatedly over the possibility of a decent mass transit connection to the airport and the city. Yes, it seemed like something might have come of it this time. No, it probably won't ever be completed if this uninspired Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-68831044907574087732007-04-04T00:43:00.000-07:002007-04-04T01:23:06.340-07:00what to do with huron river drive?It appears that the miserable condition of Huron River Drive has reached some invisible but verifiable level of crapitude. For years the only thing cyclists and motorists using this stretch of road could agree on was the miserable state of the too-narrow road surface. The city has now deemed the bumpy patch-jobs, potholes, and cracks on HRD worthy of repair. However, knowing they will have to Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-60412431794797517152007-04-02T07:10:00.000-07:002007-04-02T20:47:39.977-07:00blue bus etiquetteLaura sent us a link to some advice on being a good rider at the Ann Arbor Crier.Above all else, follow two simple rules: Do not be in the way, and pretend everyone on the bus is your grandma. Use these as your rubric for courtesy and you’ll notice fewer Death Stares in your direction.Students are one of the more neglected carfree groups (along with disasbled folks, homeless people, and the Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-27789863603856317712007-04-01T19:20:00.000-07:002007-04-01T20:33:44.680-07:00carfree queries: diy traffic light changer[One of our guilty pleasures in keeping house at cfa2 is browsing the site statistics. The idea is that by reviewing referrers and search terms, we can reach our target audience more effectively while, at the same time, expand that audience. That hasn't really panned out so far, but we still enjoy the harmless voyuerisn of finding out where visitors come from and what kinds of search terms Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-50447525423916678432007-03-27T20:15:00.000-07:002007-03-27T21:12:39.738-07:00public parking workshopAs part of the Ann Arbor Discover Downtown (A2D2) project, the City is hosting two public participation events on long-term parking strategy. Tonight (March 28), the project team will facilitate a work session to obtain input and direction on the parking study at the Ann Arbor Downtown Library 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will also be a public workshop on downtown access and parking issues Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-46866901440329187332007-03-26T20:12:00.000-07:002007-03-26T21:12:41.192-07:00transportation enhancements funding threatened & bike commute tax break consideredEvery blike blogger and her brother have mentioned this recent threat to trail funding, but League of American Bicyclists has a good summary. Basically, Congress told states to return some of their transportation budget (after checking on this, we found that "no take-backs" is not actually a constitutional right). Governors have to decide what programs will be cut in the next few weeks, and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-12098105160281893252007-03-26T01:20:00.000-07:002007-03-26T01:38:31.611-07:00cycm rumors: bike vs. carThat's right, as the weather gives us a Spring preview, it's time to start thinking about Curb Your Car Month. All through the month of May, the getDowntown program organizes events, lectures, parties, and give-aways to celebrate and promote the carfree lifestyle in Ann Arbor.There is nothing that whips up the excitement for upcoming events like unsubstantiated rumors, so we'll pass on some infoScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-62673073529726343332007-03-26T00:39:00.000-07:002007-03-26T01:03:01.185-07:00amtrak wolverine service changesAs of April 2, Amtrak is adjusting the schedule of the Wolverine, the train that gets the good people of Ann Arbor to Chicago. The new departure times are:Eastbound from Ann Arbor: 2:09pm 5:47pm 11:30pm Westbound from Ann Arbor: 8:23am 12:56pm 6:51pm According to the AANews, the Eastbound afternoon train was pushed back 40 minutes to allow Millwaukee riders to make a transfer in Chicago. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-46832736670617475292007-03-16T02:58:00.000-07:002007-03-16T03:05:08.277-07:00on vacationOur apologies for the lack of posts recently. The cfa2 housekeeping staff is celebrating the arrival of a new family member, Leif Michael, and will be taking a few days off from updating the website. We should be back in a few days. In the mean time, please feel fee to add carfree announcements and tips as comments.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-31180319326016742402007-03-08T20:14:00.000-08:002007-03-08T21:00:40.538-08:00ten ways to encourage a carfree commute to your downtown ann arbor businessBicycle Colorado just posted 7 Steps to a Bicycle-Friendly Workplace. Their list of general tips on encouraging biking to work inspired us to write up a list of simple ways businesses in downtown Ann Arbor can encourage carfree commuting.1. Sign up for the go!pass 2. Post locations and rental info on bike lockers3. Hand out pedestrian maps, bike maps and bus schedules4. Offer to ride (bus or Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-8061995976649131222007-03-08T18:08:00.000-08:002007-03-08T19:51:59.095-08:00megabus to chicagoYpsidixit got the scoop on the Megabus expansion to Ann Arbor. Megabus has been serving Detroit for a while now, and it has been a mystery to us how they could drive right past a town full of cheap-skate college students without picking up a few fares. They seem to have gotten wise to the potential jackpot and have added Ann Arbor to the 14 cities in their greater midwest service region.But Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-46017157289360909772007-03-07T00:18:00.000-08:002007-03-07T23:51:00.019-08:00nancy shore on life on the aata boardNancy already talked about carfree life of SOS consumers. Now she chats with us about her experience on the AATA board and her goals for AATA.cfa2: what it is like to sit on the AATA board? Nancy: Well, it’s really interesting. The Board definitely doesn’t speak with one voice, and we often have divergent opinions about the system. I really like sitting on the Board because I feel like I Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-48774427119546337952007-03-06T19:18:00.000-08:002007-03-06T23:49:44.853-08:00capital improvements plan; alternative transportation projectsIn preparation for the city's budgeting process, the draft version of the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) is posted on the city website. Here is a list of the "Alternative" Transportation projects in the report:Bandemer Park Pedestrian TunnelBicycle Facilities Development*Geddes Ave. Non-Motorized Path (Gallup Park to Huron Pkwy)Huron River Multipurpose Trail*Northeast Area Non-Motorized Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-85872676651243643272007-03-06T18:25:00.000-08:002007-03-06T23:43:22.751-08:00DIY bottle cap helmet mirrorWe've never understood the need for a rear-view mirror while cycling. The occasional glance over the shoulder has always been sufficient. But the style points earned from sporting a wearable mirror made from an attractive bottle cap and a bike spoke may just change our tune. Instructables demonstrates how to Do It Yourself.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273690247148030086.post-89716620176232775972007-03-02T06:34:00.000-08:002007-03-02T07:20:37.894-08:00Nancy Shore on carfreedom and homelessnessIn an effort to branch out in terms of content (read as: "we're running out of tips!"), we decided to contact people related to local carfree issues to ask a few questions. You're not going to find the well-balanced queries and teetering style available in interviews elsewhere, but we were inspired by the content that came out of our first effort.Nancy Shore is the Community Relations CoordinatorScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386617274147547324noreply@blogger.com3