Are you looking for Ann Arbor BMW dealerships? You do not have to go very far because at BMW of Ann Arbor, you can avail of new BMW cars as well as used cars, trucks, and SUVs by top manufacturers. The sales staff of the BMW of Ann Arbor can assist you in finding that new or used luxury vehicle that you have been looking for in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Ann Arbor bus can take you anywhere you like in the Ann Arbor area. You can visit Ypsilanti area, Meijer, Wal-Mart, and Briarwood Mall with the help of the Ann Arbor bus – The Ride. The Ann Arbor bus is operated by the AATA or Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. This is a not-for-profit unit of the government.

Each 1 way trip on the ride is an affordable amount of $1.50. There is also a 30-day unlimited ride passes and tokens for the convenience of the passengers. Income-eligible, seniors, individuals with disabilities and students can also avail of the reduced fares.

The Ride is generally available on 6 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

To know more about the routes, schedules, and fare table, please feel free to visit http://www.theride.org.

Find an Ann Arbor Bus at the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.

Starting May 2, Ann Arbor bus fares are going to rise from $1.25 to $1.50, For K-12 students, seniors aging 60-64, and reduced fare riders, the fare will be 75 cents from the previous 60 cents. However senior and A-Ride card holders will remain to ride for free. Day passes, tokens and paratransit fares will also increase.

“Despite cutting more than $900,000 to balance the 2010 fiscal year budget, AATA still faces the challenges of reduced revenue at a time when the demand for quality public transit solutions is greater than ever,” CEO Michael Ford said in a press release.

This increase is Phase 2 of the two-year fare adjustment plan. Phase 1 started last May.

AATA’s manager for community relations, Mary Stasiak said that 40% of the bus system’s revenue come from Ann Arbor city taxes.

Find an Ann Arbor Transportation in the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.

Ann Arbor – The University of Michigan has two more hybrid Zipcars coming in later this month throuhg the auto-sharing program Zipcar.

The cars are Honda Insight Hybrids. They are gong to be set up in reserved spots at Glen Avenue Parking Structure near Catherine Street.

August 19 is the target date when the cars are going to start operation, thus, making the downtown and campus fleets to 18 vehicles according to Grant Winston, the associate director o fU-M parking and transportation services.

Zipcar is an aut-share company. They have programs all over the country which allows the participants to pay for the car use on hourly or daily basis. Most of the cars in Ann Arbor are available for $8 per hour or $60 daily.

The program already includes gas and insurance, nad provides free parking in central locations.

It was in 2006 when U-M got its first Zipcars. There were more than 1,324 registered members at the end of July and the usage rate was too high near the end of the spring semester said Winston. According to him, the optimal use of the cars is about 45% so that users can find the car that they want.

Some residents expressed their interests in getting Zipcars to the Zipcar representatives when they visited town last March. Winston said that U-M requested a better balance for the fleet.

John Williams, spokesman for Zipcar said that U-M has three Ford Escapes among the 13 Zipcars that it has. He said that the factors considered in using a car depends on what the users request. They also have cars that have fewer carbon emissions.

Find an Ann Arbor Transportation in the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.

There will be a state hearing in Ann Arbor to investigate the maglev train and its environmental impact. Interstate Traveler Co., a Whitmore-based company planned on creating an elevated track for the high-speed railway. Justin Sutton, the founder and managing partner said that the magnetic levitation system would be self-sustaining.

They plan to build a prototype of the train in Auburn Hills by this year following hearings on the project regarding its feasibility. The hearings are being held this summer.

A bipartisan tasked force started looking into the rail system whether it is safe for the commuters and if there are enough fundings for it. There were private investors who testified on at a hearing on Monday that they are willing to back the project. The cost is around $2.3 billion.

July 10 is the planned date of the public hearing. The time and location are not yet set. The speakers in the program are not yet final as well. The use of public hearings in the process of vetting is one way to do it if Ann Arbor want to transform its economy with alternative energy ideas. The hearing in Ann Arbor will help enlighten many people with regard to the effect of the rail system to the environment. There will be two more hearings after this one.

Meanwhile, there are other rail projects which are set to receive a stimulus package.

Find Ann Arbor Transportation in the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will soon link Ann Arbor and Canton by a commuter bus. An AATA official said that the bus route will be ready by the end of August.

Manager for community relations of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Mary Stasiak said that the demo park and ride route is funded from a Department of Transportation grant which amounts to $495,000. She said that this will let the AATA assess the creation of a permanent link between Ann Arbor and Canton.

Canton Township supervisor Philip LaJoy and Stasiak said that there are thousands of residents from Wayne County who commute to Ann Arbor for work. There are also many residents of Canton, Plymouth, and Westland who work at the University of Michigan. Having the commuter bus will definitely be great for the residents.

The Canton Township Board of Trustees approved to lease 100 parking spaces to AATA located at Independence Park, situated at Denton and Proctor Roads for a monthly fee of $6,000. The contract is from July 1 to June 30, 2011. However, the bus service will remain as long as the fares and the grant are able to hold it.

A monthly payment of $125 for the fare will be charged to commuters. If you are a qualified employee of the University of Michigan, you only have to pay for half of the cost. In Ann Arbor, there will be three stops: downtown, U-M Central Campus, and University of Michigan Hospitals. In Canton, the buses will stop at Independence Park and Cherry Hill Village. Parking is going to be free.

Each bus will have 40-50 passengers for each trip. There will be two trips scheduled in the morning and two return tips in the afternoon.

The first month of operation will be free of charge for the commuters. Ann Arbor and Canton Township being linked by the commuter bus is a big convenience its residents.

Find an Ann Arbor Transportation in the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.

Imagine if you can get from Ann Arbor to Detroit in just a few minutes. Would not that be great? To solve the problem of mass transit, Interstate Traveler Co., which is based on Whitmore Lake has proposed a plan to build a high-speed rail that would run at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. This is planned to be placed above the freeway. Yes, it will be suspended above the freeway. You can even take your car with you on the rail. Imagine that there are personal suites, as well as kitchens, and including the ability to rent space for commercial purposes or for parties. Dispatching a medical team to the scene of an accident should be very easy with this.

These are just some of the visions of a Whitmore Lake based company. The proposal it to construct a rail system with the use of magnetic levitation, or maglev. This state-of-the-art technology is said to be faster and environment-friendly, not to mention cheaper than other modes of transportation available in the United States today.

Magnetic levitation was first used in Shanghai China in 2003 for a train line. This enables a vehicle to float above the rails to minimize the friction and energy.

According to Interstate Traveler Co., they will use public rights-of-way along the interstate system and divide the revenue with the federal, state, and local municipalities.

The organizations concerned are still looking into the feasibility of the proposed plan. But it would really be nice to only wait for 10 minutes to get from Ann Arbor to Detroit.

Find an Ann Arbor Transportation in the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.