M-1 Rail Alters DDOT Service Along Woodward

This notice of bus pickup and drop off changes has been post at a number of locations around downtown along Woodward. We've been continuing to encounter people standing waiting for a bus at disconnected stops, especially on Woodward at Campus Maritus and at John R northbound. What can / will DDOT do to inform those that have waited for hours of these immediate changes to service?? Is it sufficient to post a notice on a street lamp pole and expect people to read it and comply?

The text from the notice posted is shown. The size of the text is very small on the notices posted, even with the paper size at 12"x18". 

M-1 Rail Detours

During the M-1 Rail construction period, we will be rerouting all boarding and drop offlocations on Woodward South of Grand Circus Park as follows:

#7 Cadillac – Harper

Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit Center; Washington Blvd. @ Michigan Avenue; Larned @ Woodward
Drop Off: Congress @ Bates; Congress @ Woodward; Rosa Parks Transit Center

#16 Dexter – Weekday service to Griswold @ Jefferson 

Boarding: Griswold @ JeffersonMichigan @ CassWoodward @ Elizabeth
Drop Off: Cass @ Fisher Fwy.Washington Blvd. @ Grand RiverWashington Blvd. @ MichiganGriswold @ Jefferson

#16 Dexter – Nights and Weekends to R. P. T. C. 
Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit CenterWoodward @ Elizabeth
Drop Off: Cass @ Fisher Fwy.; Rosa Parks Transit Center

#18 Fenkell 

Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit Center; Washington Blvd @ Clifford; Woodward @ Elizabeth
Drop Off: Fisher Fwy. @ Second; Rosa Parks Transit Center

#23 Hamilton 

Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit Center; Washington Blvd @ Clifford; Woodward @ Elizabeth
Drop Off: Cass @ Fisher Fwy.; Rosa Parks Transit Center

#25 Jefferson – Fort - Eastbound 

Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit Center
Drop Off: Griswold @ Grand River; Larned @ Woodward

#25 Jefferson- Fort - Westbound 
Boarding: Jefferson @ Randolph
Drop Off: Griswold @ Grand River; Griswold @ Jefferson; Rosa Parks Transit Center

#31 Mack 

Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit Center; Woodward @ Columbia
Drop Off: Woodward @ Henry; Rosa Parks Transit Center

#49 Vernor 

Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit Center; Woodward @ Columbia
Drop Off: Fisher Fwy. @ John R; Rosa Parks Transit Center

#53 Woodward – Weekday service to Beaubien @ Jefferson 

Boarding: Beaubien @ Jefferson; Jefferson @ Brush; Jefferson @ Randolph; Griswold @ Larned; Woodward @ Columbia
Drop Off: Woodward @ Henry; Washington Blvd. @ Grand River; Washington Blvd. @ Michigan; Larned @ Woodward

#53 Woodward – Nights and Weekends to R. P. T. C.
Boarding: Rosa Parks Transit Center; Woodward @ Columbia
Drop Off: Woodward @ Henry; Rosa Parks Transit Center between Van Dyke/Warren and Van Dyke/Harper through November 2013 due to reconstruction of the I-94 Bridge

DDOT announces Service Changes due to M1 Rail construction 2014 by Stephen Boyle

January 26 DDOT Service Changes

DDOT will be making adjustments in several routes beginning January 26, 2013. Please copy, print, and circulate the above graphic. You can download this as a PDF from the RideDetroitTransit.com site.

Monthly Meetings

LAC Meeting

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

DDOT Administration Bldg, 1301 E. Warren Ave., Rm. 107

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Customer Information Meeting

Thursday, January 17, 2013

DDOT Administration Bldg, 1301 E. Warren Ave., Rm. 107

5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

DDOT Google Maps Service Unavailable

I was just checking bus directions via Google Maps today and the only buses listed were those from SMART. It isn't the first time this year I've found DDOT missing from the system. I've found it usually coincides with pending changes or even recently past changes in scheduling. Around the time of the April changes access through Google Maps was down  for 3-4 days.

Insight Leads To Pending Schedule Changes

SEPTEMBER 29, 2012  SCHEDULING CHANGES

As mentioned above system changes tend to be the instigator of Google Maps integration being unavailable. A quick check of the DDOT website and there are a few announcements that I've missed.

I am wondering if there were public hearings about the changes or if these are simply being made without consideration of that legal requirement. Public Service Announcements have been very poor out of Mayor Bing's administration. The good news is the information was *found* earlier than normal (being about 1-2 weeks prior). Click here to view the announcement at right to view larger and for print.

DDOT's Usual Monthly Meetings

The next DDOT Local Advisory Council Meeting is September 18 from 10am-12pm at DDOT Administration, 1301 E Warren, Room 107, Detroit - between I-75 and Russell St.

The next DDOT Customer Information Meeting is on September 20 from 5-7pm at DDOT Administration, 1301 E Warren, Room 107, Detroit - between I-75 and Russell St.

Keep Quiet and It Will All Change (for the worst)

We Have Been Too Quiet

Detroit Department of Transportation held eight public bus hearings in four locations around Detroit between August 24-27, 2009. This video is a compilation from over 60 video clips. The people were given 3 minutes to speak, not 90 seconds. The locations were well placed in areas served well by buses to enable people to attend. There were over 200 people that gathered at Rosa Parks Transit Center on the evening of August 25, 2009. Coverage by the mainstream media was extremely limited, the People cried out.

The direction DDOT was looking at going into this meeting was to:

• Eliminate four routes
• Eliminate weekend service between Saturday 6pm to Monday 5am - wiping out Sunday service
• Eliminate night service on many routes between midnight and 5am.

Resolved after the meeting was to retain Sunday bus service on many lines, but runs times were extended offering perhaps half the service that was previously available. Night buses were also reduced but not eliminated.

Recent Bus Hearings

February's hearings were announced without much notice by the mainstream press. The Mayor's Press Secretary and Chief Operating Officer would rather not have many people at public hearings. Meeting the bare necessities on timing, number of meetings, and format for the meetings ensures limited involvement by the public -- which works well when the agenda is to privatize public transportation.

Meetings were scheduled at the Northwest Activity Center, and Wayne County Community College East campus. Neither of these routes is well served by buses, and two meetings were scheduled at the same time on the same date to take care of all the meetings in a single day.

The hearings had little if any impact on the route changes - literature was clearly marked as changed service. There was nothing "proposed" about the changes going into the meetings. Public meetings are used to find areas that changes proposed may need adjusting.

Printed materials following the meetings was very limited. Occupy Detroit has footage showing a single desk copy of March service changes in the office at Rosa Parks Transit Center. Offering material in Spanish and Arabic, both large population groups in the city was not available for months. Updates to schedule tables on Google Maps were incorrect for a week, and changes since have been sporadic.

Mayor Dave Bing

Source: NY Times (Sept 2009)

What kept DDOT from executing the original plan? Many say it was the election campaign for Mayor Dave Bing. Things have changed in 2012. The Mayor is approaching the end of his term and looking at running for another term as Mayor. His platform of change is evident through the campaign branding of videos on the City's YouTube channel MyDetroitCable. The branding of videos in this manner is a violation of Detroit City Charter

DDOT Follow-Up to April 5 Meetings - TONIGHT

This is from the Detroit Department of Transportation page:

DDOT has scheduled a follow-up meeting for the public hearings that were held on Thursday, April 5, 2012. The meeting will be held Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at the DDOT Main Office - 1301 E. Warren Ave, Room 107 for 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

We advise the public to request copies of the slideshow presentations, request written copies of responses as they are provided. Document how DDOT is responding - it is our right to understand how public transportation is being impacted.

For those who have not seen the Envisurage contract with the City of Detroit - download it here. 

DDOT April 5, 2012 Service Changes

The following is from the Detroit Department of Transportation website - under Public Notices:

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Detroit Department of Transportation has scheduled public hearings for proposed service changes, effective Saturday, April 28, 2012.  

We'd like to note that the date of these public hearings isn't indicated on the notice... is this a bit odd? Actually these public hearings are a requirement and DDOT would rather just slide these changes in without involving the public. After all, we're told the city has no money.

April 5th is the date - which is Tigers Opening Day, and this didn't elude those planning the meeting. Intentionally the date was set to avoid mass media coverage. We advise everyone present to document what is happening - if your camera or cell phone records video/audio - please do that. Make sure any conversation you have is recorded, and posted online and shared.

Locations	Morning	Evening
WCCCD	10:00am-noon	6:00-8:00pm
NW Activity Center	10:00am-noon	6:00-8:00pm

Locations listed:

• WCCCD - 5901 Conner St, Detroit MI 48213
• Northwest Activity Center - 18100 Meyers Rd, Detroit MI 48235

Document Links

[link to DDOT site with PDF]
[link outside DDOT to PDF] - things have a way of disappearing when they are observed closely