The Ann Arbor City Council met in Larcom City Hall Monday evening to discuss public transportation, the budget for fiscal year 2025 and housing initiatives for formerly incarcerated individuals.
The meeting began with an update from Matthew Carpenter, CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, on the expansion of public transportation services in the greater Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area.
“On May 6 we will be launching Route 104: The Washtenaw Express,” Carpenter said. “This is the Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti downtown-to-downtown express route. It is going to dramatically reduce the travel time between the two downtowns and effectively bring the two communities closer together.”
Carpenter spoke about the service’s participation in the A2Zero plan, providing updates on the latest integration of electric technology in transportation infrastructure and advancements in electric bus propulsion systems via TheRide.
“We are well into our work on zero-emission bus propulsion,” Carpenter said. “We’ve chosen fuel cell electric hydrogen-powered buses as the preferred mode of transport propulsion for us going forward and along with latest generation hybrid diesel-electric technology … so that we don’t have to wait to reduce emissions.”
City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. presented the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget. Dohoney said the budget focuses on projects that he believes will move Ann Arbor forward.
“The theme we’ve chosen for this evening is advancing as we reset,” Dohoney said. “We are investing $1.7 million in plans. … It stands to reason that if we’re doing that, we’re not going to come out on the other end and nothing changes.”
Dohoney said he believes the quality of roads in Ann Arbor is an important issue for residents. He updated the council on the progress of the road-bond program, which funds road repairs using bonds issued by the city of Ann Arbor.
“When I got here two and a half years ago, the first thing I heard — and heard loudly — was ‘the roads are in bad shape,’” Dohoney said. “I am saying again to the community that you are about to be inconvenienced when the construction starts … but on the other end of it we will see the improvement of the infrastructure and the roads that we need to see.”
Dohoney discussed efforts to contribute to Ann Arbor’s climate goals under the A2Zero plan. According to Dohoney, these efforts will include increased use of geothermal energy, the commencement of construction on the Wheeler Center Solar Farm and the planting of 10,000 trees.
“We do expect in FY 25 to reach our goal of 10,000 trees, planting trees on private property to enhance our equity and resilience,” Dohoney said. “That is really a major milestone for our city to be able to reach … and it is a prime example of meeting our sustainability goals will come with the city working in partnership with the public that it serves.”
During the public comment period, multiple residents spoke in favor of further city funding for the Rising Hope for Housing project, which helps to provide housing for formerly incarcerated community members. Ann Arbor resident Allan Newman, Rising Hope for Housing chair, said the project serves to help members of the community who have been incarcerated find stable housing and reintegrate into the community.
“I’ve been its chair since its inception,” Newman said. “We help people meet their quality of life goals and our people, many of them, are framed financially fragile and emergency funding is critical.”
John Walker, a formerly incarcerated Ann Arbor resident, said the Rising Hope for Housing project helped him find both shelter and a place in the community.
“I am a returning citizen,” Walker said. “I served 46 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections. I am a beneficiary of the blue and white house on Washtenaw. I am the hands that helped shovel the snow. … When we reach back out to those who are similarly situated, the value of that connection is priceless.”
Daily Staff Reporter Nolan Sargent can be reached at nsarge@umich.edu. Daily News Contributor Shriya Das can be reached at shriyad@umich.edu.