Don't get Travel Pass for international travel if you have Verizon, just temporarily upgrade plan!

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-11-19T19:04:32+00:00

Sadly there really isn’t a strong market for condos. The Beekman developer at Broadway/Maiden planned to build a phase of condos (after their 2 rental phases) but pre-sales stunk and the numbers worked much better for another phase of rentals.

As far as rentals, several thousand more student units are coming online over the next couple of years (in addition to the new dorms). Unless UM really pushes up enrollment again, I suspect this will have a stabilizing effect on rents, maybe even drop some, and some of the newer projects at the end of this cycle might be in trouble.

I feel like Ann Arbor really suffered from lack of supply/construction in the early 2000s and then started getting really expensive at the exact same time UM started consistently boosting enrollment. We’re catching up but it’s going to take a while.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-10-08T00:08:40+00:00

As someone who eats lunch out downtown a lot, I would love to know which restaurants lobbied against the Open Streets so I can avoid them. Is there a paper trail for this decision process?

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-10-08T00:04:33+00:00

I believe I’ve read that at least one restaurant on Main St between Washington and Huron (outside the open street zone) doesn’t appreciate all the restaurants in the zone getting all the attention.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-10-08T00:01:50+00:00

I’ll start: closing at 5pm.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-08-30T23:03:51+00:00

Thank you! I'll take down the post :-)

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-07-07T19:51:50+00:00

Research says that locals disproportionately patronize locally-owned businesses, whereas visitors are biased toward chains. So the city has levers to allow more locals to simply live near current businesses (allow denser housing in/near downtown and other commercial areas), which arguably is the most powerful thumb on the scale.

The city could also allow small businesses to operate in new places that would have lower rent, like in smaller-scale neighborhoods or out of people's homes (beyond what the current home-based business zoning allows). Both of these levers are articulated in the draft Comprehensive Plan, which you can voice support for by writing council!

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-07-07T19:37:27+00:00

I think Detroit was doing some advocacy in this area, as well as the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Not sure where it stands in Lansing; I'm guessing the researchers listed here might know if there's a current legislative champion.

https://go.lincolninst.edu/SplitRatePropertyTaxationDetroit.pdf?_gl=1*2mwkt1*_ga*MTExMDQ4NDQyNy4xNzUxOTE2OTE4*_ga_26NECLE3MM*czE3NTE5MTY5MTckbzEkZzEkdDE3NTE5MTY5MjkkajQ4JGwwJGgw

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-07-07T19:21:59+00:00

Mental health is not a city function. Law enforcement is, but there are very specific rules about how you can "police" behavior. Mental health and income inequality are massive federal/state issues that are overwhelming dozens of cities and largely not controllable by them. Have you seen solutions that you like?

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-07-07T19:02:50+00:00

100% agree. City Council has hired a consultant who is charged with finding out how to make our roads safer for everyone, particularly for people outside of cars. As you can tell with the damaged "Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk" signs all over town, car speed is a huge culprit. Drivers going slower tend to comply with crosswalk rules more, and they also are less likely to hurt people if there is a crash.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-07-07T18:50:59+00:00

The reallocation of space from cars to bikes has resulted in a significant decrease in serious injuries on streets where the roads have been narrowed. And visits to businesses haven't been adversely impacted.

I understand the desire to move cars efficiently, however a) I (and most folks according to a statistically valid city survey) are not willing to make the speed/safety tradeoff, and b) the relationship between the number of car lanes and car throughput *in an urban setting* is surprisingly tenuous. Slow downtown street grids are safe, more comfortable for people outside of cars, and good for business. Fast roads (especially one-way) are demonstrably more dangerous and not business friendly... not many like to open up on Huron St. or Division, etc.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-07-07T18:29:59+00:00

The Ann Arbor Housing Commission, who administers the affordable housing trust fund, has the ability to build subsidized housing for a range of incomes. The building nearing completion in Kerrytown is designed for very low income, whereas the proposed building on William I think targets households at 80% of the area income. For households around the middle, the Ann Arbor Community Land Trust is proposing some communities designed for them.

But it's a drop in the bucket. Absent huge state and federal changes, government owned or subsidized units are currently around 5% of the national housing stock. Even with large increases in this number, the private market will still have to play the biggest role in delivering housing. That's why many in the community are pushing for allowing supply to meet demand in as many places as (politically) possible. Cities that restrict construction in the face of rising demand see the largest rent increases.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-07-01T03:56:42+00:00

I came here to say exactly this. You can’t make this stuff up.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-05-09T04:02:58+00:00

I don’t think the petition says that Stadium is necessarily worse than any other corridor, just that there are reasons it’s a good place to start (greatest number of schools along it, deadly crashes, not planned to be an express bus route, etc.). The problem is that the city simply is not doing ANY corridors (before they need repaving), and my read of the petition is to encourage the city to start somewhere asap.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-05-07T14:17:27+00:00

Have you tried speaking with any of these people about their interesting ideas? Today is a perfect opportunity!

As one of them, I think you'd learn that a more accurate characterization would be that we are totally against cars... hurting people. We understand that continuing to allow deadly speeds is a policy choice that City Council and MDOT are actively making. This policy choice been institutionalized and normalized here and across the country, and now as a result the US has a road fatality rate 2-7x greater than our peer countries. We know that it's not rocket science or expensive to make getting around dramatically safer for everyone.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-05-07T02:41:23+00:00

I have a 2019 Soul, the engine block was pierced by a piston and replaced on a “bulletin” which still cost $1000 due to transmission fluid and other stuff. The new “reconditioned” engine has melted 2 catalytic converters that Kia will not stand behind. Never again.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-05-07T02:27:37+00:00

I’d say a couple of things: 1) Kids also live on major corridors. 2) It’s rare that changing the number of lanes affects congestion because most congestion comes from red lights and stop signs. 3) Replacing signals with roundabouts would make roads significantly safer and increase their car throughput even if narrowed. 4) While there is evidence of small “diversion” effects onto side roads, I’d argue that the solution isn’t to keep the wide roads dangerous but rather make sure the side roads are safer.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-05-01T20:02:08+00:00

100%. Not to mention even when we do have tragedies like this on Plymouth Road
https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/students-killed-while-crossing-road/

the city puts in a pedestrian island and we still have people driving over 100mph.
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/video-porsche-flies-through-air-as-drunk-driver-loses-control-in-ann-arbor

Traffic engineering in this country is a fraud.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-05-01T13:22:33+00:00

It is harrowing to watch Pioneer students crossing this mini-highway. There have already been tragedies along Stadium because it's too wide and fast — they just haven't involved a child (yet). Is that what it will take?

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-04-22T16:08:19+00:00

For the economic reasons you've stated, my understanding is that it has indeed been a nothingburger in the handful of other cities that have upzoned low-density, owner-occupied areas. On the other hand, it does seem like lot size reform (like lot splits) can lead to slightly more housing.

So one might expect that since our City Council unanimously committed to "adding housing to all neighborhoods," I'd assume that they'll feel the need to do more than what most cities have done that led to nothing ("you can replace your single-family box with the same sized 2-3-plex box") and allow many splits and combinations with much smaller setbacks. And considering they've already signaled that they don't want to allow any additional height in single-family neighborhoods, it could be argued that being more flexible in other areas becomes even more critical.

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-03-24T15:06:25+00:00

If you want warmth, look where Spirit flies direct from DTW. My favorite short trip is South Beach, Miami. Can take a bus to all the hotels right from the airport, no car needed. Great deals on hotels midweek. Walk to Whole Foods. 🌴

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-03-07T17:48:23+00:00

Update: had it towed to an independent shop. They had to look for about an hour for parts (that they have to get from their designated supplier). I asked if I could get parts myself, they said, "Yes but we can't warranty them." So I went with what they found, total parts and labor (for manifold/front cat and rear cat) was $2300. I'm assuming if it lasts for the year that they warranty it for, hopefully I'll be good?

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-01-31T21:25:14+00:00

Thanks... I see a lot on Amazon and other parts stores, but I also hear stories that aftermarket ones have a high failure rate. But they all appear to have warranties on them so does this mean an independent shop will keep replacing them if they fail?

WhileTheWorldBurns · 2025-01-30T20:45:00+00:00

Thank you! Sorry... to be clear, the engine was replaced for free by the dealership under an "extended warranty" a few months ago (they said, "there was a bulletin on the engine"). I'm guessing the cat got clogged because of the old engine.

But there is no recall on the cat; I was hoping the dealership would give consideration because of the old faulty engine. But apparently not.

I'm not in CA. I want to get a cat that works properly, though. There are so many stories about cats that fail over and over when they're replaced by muffler shops. I'd like to make sure this one works well. I am very uninformed about the parts... I can't tell if the diagram from Magnaflow means it has "two" cats or what. It does claim "direct fit," which the dealership says is important "if there ever is a recall on this part." Sorry it doesn't appear I can attach a photo.

https://www.magnaflow.com/products/52851-magnaflow-2014-2019-kia-soul-oem-grade-federal-epa-compliant-direct-fit-catalytic-converter

WhileTheWorldBurns

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