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.

Public Evicted from Detroit Transit Center


The public was evicted from Rosa Parks Transit Center Wednesday January 15 near noon. The temperature was about 20, with gusting wind. The reason was to fix ticket dispensers that had money in them.

Wouldn't this maintenance activity be better performmed at another time of day rather than a peak hour of usage and with poor weather conditions?

A new DDOT Director was installed Wednesday.... does he understand human needs? This is not just maintenance of a system... this is a social service that people depend on for their safety, well-being, employment, and quality of life. Mobility is a human need that must be addressed humanely. 


The Mayor's office has been requested to take action in a few areas:

  • Bus schedules need uploaded to Google for mapping. Plus sending info to Bing maps, Mapquest, and other mapping services needing mass transit information. Can the information be made easy to access in a uniform industry accepted format?
  • Text-My-Bus (phone 50646) is still not working eight days after requests to have it fixed.
  • Bus shelters need to be INSTALLED *NOT* REMOVED. Those that were in the city have been disappearing over the past year to the point only a handful remain in very specific locations (i.e. WSU/DIA, City-County Bldg).

Friday, July 12, 2013

Why Fareboxes Aren't Working

Tuesday I was headed out the door in Northend headed to Michigan and Trumbull for a meeting. I walked over to the bus stop at Woodward and Grand Blvd to wait for a bus. About 5 minutes after standing there I saw two buses bunched headed northbound up Woodward. Another 10 minutes later another headed northbound. I was running late for the meeting so I was grumbling a bit about the "415 Plan" to provide buses every 15 minutes along four major routes: Woodward, Dexter, Gratiot, and Grand River.

Late night at Rosa Parks Transit Center...
getting quieter with fewer buses
I checked at the corner to see if a Dexter bus was coming and there was nothing. Its an interesting spot to catch a bus because two of those routes are within a block from each other from Grand Blvd headed nearly all the way downtown. Waiting grew longer, SMART buses kept driving up dropping off passengers and continuing on their way - they can't pickup in the city until after 6pm and only at select locations (which Woodward and Grand is one, but 6pm had not yet arrived).

One of the people waiting saw a Dexter bus pulling up and started running to catch it. Another person took off running as well. I noticed them headed over and started running as well, but I was carrying a loaded backpack and couldn't make time and ensure my equipment in the bag wasn't damaged. The two of them got on the bus and I was at the corner across the street as the bus resumed its path, leaving me behind.

I headed over to Woodward for more waiting and quickly grew tired of it, started walking down Woodward. Another northbound Woodward bus went by. I got down to the stop across from Mr Mike's in Techtown and two buses were pulling up. Likely the ones I'd seen headed northbound at least 30 minutes earlier. I hopped on and found the farebox was working. I remarked "there must be five buses running on Woodward now". The driver couldn't or wouldn't acknowledge that. I also remarked "the fareboxes are not working on many of the buses so ridership isn't being counted - this is an effort to show minimal ridership so service can be cut again or changed." I said that loud enough for half the bus to hear it. A few people heard it and I saw the expression on their faces change. They connected their "good fortune" with a future catastrophic result - the loss of ridership count foretells loss of service.

Why Break the Fareboxes?

When DDOT measures ridership broken fareboxes don't gauge, they have one other sensing mechanism but I doubt that is enabled either. Its been said 15-20% of revenue to run the buses comes from fareboxes. So if 50% of fareboxes are broken it affects the system greatly. I'm not exaggerating about the number not working - that's been what I've encountered in the past two months, half the boxes are disabled.

Citizens around the city have to stand up at meeting with our public officials present and demand accountability. We also have to attend the DDOT customer meetings that happen on 3rd Thursdays at DDOT headquarters, 1301 East Warren. The meeting starts at 5pm and runs roughly 2 hours depending on number of people attending and topics to be covered. These customer meetings are the time to demand accountability and request written documented responses. Get these posted online because proof of how the system is operating needs to be demonstrated.

Some of the press prints the known lie saying DDOT is working GREAT - that's usually from the Mayor's perspective, fabricated based on numerical analysis. Have you seen him or his staff on the buses? Demand accountability and challenge him & staff to ride for a few days. Include the Emergency Manager in that invitation because it seems Mayor Bing has simply become an adviser to the EM and abdicated power months ago. Ethics complaints are appropriate for elected officials that fail to serve and protect the public, its in their oath of office and shown in the introduction to the City Charter. [Ethics ordinance and charter provisions]

Keep looking to alternative press that is watching City of Detroit and DDOT.
Link to current article on DDOT Disservice in Voice of Detroit.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

D-DOT makes changes to bus routes that could effect you

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Starting Saturday those who ride D-DOT buses will see some changes.

On Saturdays and Sundays because of reconstruction of the Bascule drawbridge bus service will take longer on Fort Street between Miller and Schaefer.
In addition, due to the reconstruction on I-94 bus service will be slightly delayed on Van Dyke between Warren and Harper through November.
Throughout the weekdays, the same delays will be in effect but an eastbound trip has been added at 4:10 a.m. from Middlebelt and Schoolcraft to Woodward and Trowbridge.
However northbound service at 7:30 a.m. from Wyoming and Joy and southbound service at 8:10 a.m. from Wyoming and Eight mile will be eliminated.

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/d-dot-makes-changes-to-bus-routes-that-could-effect-you#ixzz2Ri3kBjfK

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Final week for FTA Transit Asset Management dialog

National Online Dialogue on Transit Asset Management

One of the new requirements in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) is that of Transit Asset Management (TAM). The purpose of this National Online Dialogue on TAM (December 12, 2012 to January 18, 2013) is to provide the Federal Transit Administration’s partners and stakeholders the opportunity to discuss and provide suggestions on some of the key questions surrounding TAM (standard practices in the industry, framing definitions, etc.) including:

  • How should FTA define State of Good Repair?
  • What elements should be included in a Transit Asset Management Plan?
  • How will I know my Transit Asset Management Plan meets FTA requirements?
  • What triggers when I have to revise my Transit Asset Management Plan?
  • Should FTA tailor Transit Asset Management Plan requirements to accommodate different sized transit systems to avoid the “one size fits all” approach?
  • What kinds of technical assistance should FTA offer to aid transit agencies in meeting these requirements?
  • How should the requirement for state of good repair performance measures be implemented and integrated with the new MAP-21 performance-based planning process?
  • Other topics you believe should be considered as we prepare the TAM rulemaking.
Comments will also be taken when the rulemaking is published in the Federal Register.

You can download the informational National Online Dialogue flyer here (link to more detailed flyer or promotional webpage).

Background Material
In response to the establishment of MAP-21, FTA put together a wealth of material on its website, www.fta.dot.gov/map21, to help clarify new or changing programs. A list of frequently asked questions can be found there as well as past MAP-21 webinars, outreach opportunities, summaries, powerpoints and fact sheets. The program fact sheets for TAM and for Metropolitan & Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning in particular will be a useful resource to review in advance of participating in the online dialogue.

PLEASE REGISTER TO GIVE US AN IDEA, COMMENT ON ANOTHER IDEA OR VOTE ON AN IDEA by clicking on the register link at the top right of the page or scrolling down to click on the submit a new idea button.

Once you have registered and logged in:
  1. Please review the Campaign Areas to the left or browse the ideas below.
  2. Pick the Campaign Area or idea of your choice and click on it. Then select the “Submit New Idea” Button to share an idea.
  3. Comment or vote on someone else’s idea.
  4. Encourage other transportation professionals to join the dialogue and share experiences

CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY
New questions and comments will be continually posted so please check back often and contribute.
Need assistance? For questions or problems joining this dialogue contact Crystal.Frederick@dot.gov 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

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.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

District 7 Community Meeting with Mayor Bing

Meeting notice from Mayor's Office
This evening at 7:00 pm Mayor Dave Bing will be holding his last community meeting for 2012 in District 7. We would like to encourage everyone to come out and let him know how well these community meetings have met your needs.

Below are a color and b&w copies of a 2012 Community Meetings Report Card from Free Detroit No Consent. Print off a copy and hand it in at the meeting. Give him a grade from A for ASTOUNDING to F for FAILURE.

If you are traveling by bus the routes to reach are the Grand River, Route 21 and Wyoming, Route 54.


UPDATE: An online version of the Report Card as a survey is being assembled and notice of it will be posted soon. A few changes were made from what was handed out at the meeting. Sequence and wording of the categories is different. The intent of the categories remains the same.



Color for online sharing
Black & White for easy printing