Thursday, January 16, 2014

!Rare! Bus Shelters in Detroit

Wayne State University / Cultural Center seems to be the only area with bus shelters at this time.
This location - Woodward & John R - once had bus shelters at the stop. They have been removed.

There was a time when bus shelters were seen along the major routes of DDOT (Detroit Department Of Transportation) within Detroit. They weren't prolific, but when you're standing in the cold with snow and/or rain falling around you they can be vital in those long waits for the bus to arrive. What DDOT has been missing that SMART's suburban service does have are TIMETABLES for the route posted at the stops.


The Federal Transit Authority has funding to ensure bus shelters are present for riders, especially in those areas of low-income at need. The table below lists the grants offered through the FTA since 2009 to Detroit Transportation Corporation, source: ProRepublica Stmulus Tracking for Wayne County Michigan.
RecipientAmountDescriptionFederal Dept./AgencyDate
DETROIT TRANSPORTATION CORPORATION$56,325Federal Transit_Capital Investment Grants Invest in public transportation by upgrading a heat, ventilation. & air conditioning (HVAC) system and lighting system in our maintenance and control facility (MCF) that is twenty-four year old.
This spending item is part of a $133,125 allocation. See details
Federal Transit Administration8/21/2009
DETROIT, CITY OF$37,550,020Federal Transit_Formula Grants Invest in public transportation by performing preventive maintenance on existing buses, purchasing and implementing a facility management system and asset management system, purchasing new hybrid non-revenue service support vehicles, rehabilitating bus te
Federal Transit Administration3/03/2010

Emergency Management through Created Crisis

What we are encountering in Detroit is a created crisis through the placement of Emergency Management by the State of Michigan. Just as they shut down power to the Coleman A Young Municipal Center on September 11, 2013 - to show the people that they carried the ability to do so. The removal of services and creation of an uncomfortable climate for low-income is the agenda of the EM's team.


Scheduled times for service have grown longer between buses, and supervisors directing the frequency of buses appear to have grown sleepy sitting in their service vehicles along the routes. "Bus Bunching" happens frequently during rush hour traffic along the maor thoroughfares such as Woodward Ave.

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