Cityscape

Detroit's Busiest Bus Routes to Add Trips and WiFi

August 29, 2018, 8:51 AM

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Many riders soon will board coaches with this snazzy, dynamic look. (DDOT photo)

Detroit's bus system still needs a lot of catching up, but this certainly rolls in the right direction.

Ten routes used by 60 percent of riders will feature 24/7 service and WiFi on buses with snazzy, dynamic graphics, starting in September. The new-look coaches - with exterior design by Lafayette American, a  creative agency in Detroit's Core City neighborhood, eventually will run system-wide.

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ConnectTen service, as it's called, will add 500 trips a week on the 10 routes (see map below), with buses every 15 minutes during peak hours -- 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. on weekdays. The routes will be renumbered 1-10. 

“Every chance we get, we are going to keep improving transit so Detroiters can connect to jobs and other opportunities,” Mayor Mike Duggan says in a statement.  “We have made significant strides in our service over the past few years and are going to keep moving in that direction until Detroiters have a world class public transportation system.”

Additionally,  customers can get a $7 Lyft ride credit for rides to or from any ConnectTen route, outside downtown, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. weekdays.

Catch these early reactions on Twitter: 

These route numbers change soon, as illustrated below:

  • 49 Vernor becomes 1 Vernor
  • 37 Michigan becomes 2 Michigan
  • 21 Grand River becomes 3 Grand River
  • 48 Woodward becomes 4 Woodward
  • 48 Van Dyke/Lafayette becomes 5 Van Dyke/Lafayette
  • 34 Gratiot becomes 6 Gratiot
  • 45 Seven Mile becomes 7 Seven Mile
  • 14 Crosstown becomes 8 Warren
  • 25 Jefferson becomes 9 Jefferson
  • 22 Greenfield becomes 10 Greenfield
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Because three of new numbers already exist, these changes also take effect next week:

  • 7 Cadillac/Harper becomes 67 Cadillac/Harper
  • 9 Chalmers becomes 68 Chalmers
  • 10 Chene becomes 52 Chene

DDOT last week announced these proposed changes:

  • Eliminating transfer fares, including additional transfer fares between DDOT and SMART.
  • Reducing the number of passes from more than 25 choices to six options.
  • Adding a mobile fare payment app and additional retail location for tickets.

Detroit Department of Transportation graphic



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