AATA announces Blake Transit Center bus boarding locations to change beginning Monday

Seven bus boarding locations at the Blake Transit Center will be relocated starting Monday due to the closing of the transit mall for the construction of a new $8.1 million transit center.

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority announced that Routes 1, 5, 6, 7, 15 and 16 will board passengers along the west side of Fourth Avenue, north of William Street and next to the Fourth and William parking garage. To facilitate safe street crossings, a temporary crosswalk has been installed on Fourth Avenue near the existing transit center building.

Passengers are encouraged to use either the new crosswalk or the crosswalk at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and William Street to access the relocated stops.

Route 8 will board passengers along the north side of William Street, just east of the intersection of Fourth Avenue and William Street.

AirRide buses will continue to board passengers at the current location on Fourth Avenue, directly across from the transit center.

Several bus routes will be detoured during the construction with bus stops being missed as a result. An up-to-date list of boarding location changes, missed bus stops and corresponding nearest stops in service will be available at www.TheRide.org or by calling 734.996.0400.

Construction of the new transit center is being coordinated with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the Ann Arbor District Library to minimize disruptions to Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue in the area near the city’s new underground parking garage.

Updates on the progress, including photos, frequently asked questions and more, can be found at www.BlakeTransitCenter.com.

The new and improved transit center is slated for completion by fall 2013 and is expected to cost about $8.1 million, mostly paid for by state and federal funds.

Because the new building will take shape on a different section of the property, the current transit center will remain open until completion of the new one, at which time it will be demolished.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.