By Mary Jo Frank
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) has added a new route, a U-M shuttle to and from Wolverine Tower, to its schedule.
Faculty, staff and students with University ID can ride Route 36 free and Oak Valley Route 16 free when going to and from Wolverine Tower; the University pays the fare.
Route 36 commuter service from Wolverine Tower is available 7:15 a.m.–6:15 p.m. weekdays. Buses arrive at the main U-M bus stop in front of the C.C. Little Building on the hour and half hour, with the last bus arriving at Wolverine Tower at 6:45 p.m.
The Oak Valley Route 16 leaves the AATA Blake Transit Center downtown 30 minutes 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m., arriving at Wolverine Tower 25 minutes later. The fare is 75 cents for passengers who take the Oak Valley bus to Briarwood or other destinations south of Ann Arbor.
Liz Margolis, AATA manager of community relations, says the Wolverine Tower bus stop is near the east entrance of the building, off Eisenhower Parkway.
AATA continues to offer free rides to U-M commuters who park at the University’s State Street commuter parking lot, Pioneer High School and Maple Village. Again, riders must present valid U-M ID.
As of last week, three units—the Division of Research Development and Administration (DRDA), the Office of Contract Administration and the Technology Management Office (formerly the Intellectual Properties Office)—had moved into renovated space on the first and second floors of Wolverine Tower. One DRDA unit, Graphic Services, did not move. Graphic Services is in Room 360 Institute for Social Research Building. All of the units that moved retained their old telephone numbers.
William A. Dergis, assistant director of capital planning, said no more units will be moving to Wolverine Tower until spring.
The University purchased the 11-story Wolverine Tower, 3003 S. State Street, last fall for $9 million and earmarked another $6.5 million to renovate the building for units that will move in as existing commercial leases expire.
