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Photo by Michael Koprowicz
The Detroit Department of Transportation is continuing to broaden bus service in hopes, we assume, of one day matching other major cities.
Mayor Mike Duggan on Thursday announced what he calls the largest expansion of bus service in the city in at least 20 years.
The phased-in expansion, to be done by January, is expected to add approximately 1,500 trips per week for customers, significantly reducing the average waiting time for a bus, according to a press release.
The first of two waves of the expanded service begins Saturday.
At that time, DDOT will add the first three of six new 24-hour routes, spanning the city. Three more will be added in January, for a total of 9 new, 24-routes.
In addition to the 24-hour service expansion, DDOT will adding five new express routes to help customers connect to the city’s key job centers, helping to cut commute times each way by up to 30 minutes.
“One of the worst things the city ever did cut its bus service because it cut people off from their ability to get to a job,” Duggan said. “By January, we will have nine 24-hour routes and five express routes that can get our residents to the city’s major job providers.”
This month, DDOT also plans to begin a new Saturday-only nonstop round-trip service to Detroit’s Eastern Market from every City Council District, DDOT announced.
Full media release
(with routes)
Over the past two years, Detroit’s Transportation Department has made significant strides to improve its service and reliability. It has put 80 new buses on the road, hired more bus drivers and for the first time in many years is reliably meeting its posted schedule.
With that foundation now in place, Mayor Mike Duggan said today that DDOT is now in a position to implement the largest expansion of bus service in the city at least 20 years. When fully implemented in January, the service expansion is expected to add approximately 1,500 trip per week for DDOT customers. This will significantly reduce the average wait time for customers along several of the city’s major bus routes.
The first wave of expanded service begins Saturday, Sept. 3rd. That’s when DDOT will add the first three of six new 24-hour routes, spanning the city. Three more will be added in January, for a total of nine 24-hour routes citywide. Until early this year, when DDOT added around-the-clock service to Woodward, Gratiot and Grand River, the city was providing no 24-hour service to its customers.
In addition to the 24-hour service expansion, DDOT will be adding five new express routes that will help connect Detroiters to the city’s key job centers. Passengers who use these routes can expect see their job commute time cut by up to 30 minutes in each direction:
> #95: Northeast (E Outer Dr) to downtown
> #96: West (Joy Rd) to downtown
> #92: Northwest (Grand River) to downtown
> #89: Southwest (Fort, Vernor) to DMC, Wayne State, Henry Ford Hospital
> #80: East (Jefferson, Lafayette) to DMC, Wayne State, Henry Ford Hospital
“One of the worst things the city ever did cut its bus service because it cut people off from their ability to get to a job,” Mayor Duggan said. “By January, we will have nine 24-hour routes and five express routes that can get our residents to the city’s major job providers.”
In September, DDOT also will begin a new Saturday-only nonstop round-trip service to Detroit’s Eastern Market from every City Council District. This new service, called the Fresh Wagon, came as a direct result of customer feedback during a series of public meetings hosted by DDOT. A full schedule of locations and times are available on the city’s website.
Thanks to DDOT’s new partnership with the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and SMART, DDOT will add express service on Woodward from downtown to Somerset Mall via the new #498 refleX Woodward, and SMART will provide the same express service via the new #598 refleX Gratiot. This express service will not replace DDOT's existing Woodward route.
Phase 2 launches in January
In January 2017, three additional routes will be added to the 24-hour lineup, tripling the around-the-clock coverage DDOT provides today.
“Having nine key routes running 24 hours, seven days a week will allow riders to travel both day and night, whenever they need it,” says Dan Dirks, DDOT Director. “Residents will not have to worry about service ending at midnight and will be able to use one of these bus lines any time day or night, whether they’re heading to work, home or the store.”
In addition to the new 24-hour routes, DDOT will introduce more new direct and express service routes in January that will connect more city neighborhoods to major transit routes.
More Drivers, More Buses on the way
This service expansion will be supported with the hiring of 80 new bus drivers – 30 of which start work tomorrow and the expected arrival of 20 new DDOT coaches in spring 2017. The remaining 50 new bus drivers are expected to be hired by the time the Phase 2 expansion begins in January 2017.
24-hour routes, effective Sept. 3:
- #14 Crosstown
- #16 Dexter
- #45 Seven Mile
24-hour routes, starting in January:
- #25 Jefferson
- #37 Michigan
- #48 Van Dyke-Lafayette
Express/Direct service, effective Saturday:
#95 Ryan Express
Connects to Downtown via East Outer Drive, Ryan, Nevada, Conant, Caniff, Lumpkin, Holbrook and I-75.
#96 Joy Express
Connects to Downtown via Evergreen, Joy and I-96.
Effective January 2017:
#80 Villages Direct
Connects to Midtown via Jefferson, Lafayette, Rivard, Russell, Wilkins, Brush, Canfield and Cass.
#89 Southwest Direct
Connects to Midtown via Bassett, Schaefer, Fort, I-75, Springwells, Vernor, Michigan, Trumbull, Warren and Cass.
#92 Rosedale Express
Connects to Downtown via Pembroke, Evergreen, Grand River and I-96
Other improvements, effective Saturday:
#14 Crosstown
Extended to Warren & Telegraph
#17 Eight Mile
Expanded morning and late night service, effective January:
#22 Greenfield
Expanded Morning and late night service 7 days a week
#25 Jefferson
More Frequent Service 7 days a week
#37 Michigan
More Frequent Service 7 days a week
#42 Mid-City Loop
New route connecting residents to commercial corridors and major transit routes via Manchester, Oakland, Beaubien, St. Antoine, Canfield, Second, Grand Boulevard, Rosa Parks, Webb and Hamilton.
#49 Vernor
Extended to Michigan and Schaefer,
More Frequent Service 7 days a week
