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DDA: Downtown visitation and bikeway counts up; evening activity rising, staff says
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Summary
The Downtown Development Authority told council it has exceeded pre-pandemic visitation levels in 2024, saw Jan–Sept 2025 visits up about 1.6% (~260,000) versus 2024, and counted about 318,000 bikeway uses in 2024; the DDA said it has issued an RFP to create a downtown service team and hopes to bring the draft plan to council Dec. 15.
The Downtown Development Authority presented new visitation and bikeway data to the Ann Arbor City Council on Nov. 17, saying downtown activity recovered beyond pre‑pandemic levels and that biking and evening activity are trending up.
A DDA representative said the 2024 totals exceed 2019 (pre-pandemic) visitation. Using cell‑phone–based analytics from Placer AI, the DDA reported Jan–Sept 2025 visitor and employee visits increased about 1.6% (roughly 260,000 visits) over the same period in 2024. Staff cautioned Placer AI recently updated its algorithm and the DDA is still reviewing how resident visits are categorized, so the presentation focused on visitor and employee visits.
Daily and hourly trends showed a shift toward later‑day activity: evening visits have risen compared with daytime levels, and Mondays–Thursdays showed increases staff attributed in part to more employers changing remote‑work patterns.
On active transportation, the DDA said permanent counters placed on the four legs of the downtown bikeway showed about 318,000 bicyclist/pedestrian counts in 2024; William Street was the busiest bikeway segment and peak months were September and October. The presenter noted the counters do not record scooters.
The DDA said it approved a draft downtown development plan in September and has issued a request for proposals to establish a downtown service team. If scheduling permits, staff aims to bring the statutory first step of the DDA plan to council on Dec. 15 and, if progressed, conclude the statutory process with final consideration in April.
DDA staff emphasized that event-driven spikes — home football games, concert weekends, Hash Bash and holiday shopping events such as Kindle Fest/Midnight Madness — materially boost day totals and that the downtown remains closely tied to the University of Michigan academic calendar.
What’s next: The DDA will continue refining resident‑visit estimates and said it is preparing procurement and implementation materials for a downtown service team pending council consideration of its plan.
