Detroit Transit Plan Would Improve Bus Frequencies

A project dubbed DDOT Reimagined envisions a redesign of Detroit’s public transit system that would improve service and boost frequency on the most heavily used routes and key corridors. 

As Eric D. Lawrence explains in Detroit Free Press, “The DDOT Reimagined proposal would incorporate bus rapid transit, sometimes called rail on wheels, to deliver service as frequently as every 10 minutes or even 7.5 minutes in the case of the No. 4 Woodward route, by adding partially dedicated transit lanes or technology that cuts delays for buses at signalized intersections.” For riders that will lose service on the less-traveled routes, the agency says “proximity to working routes or what he described as deviated routes would provide service to affected riders.”

According to Detroit executive director of transit Mikel Oglesby, in addition to more frequent service, “riders also want bus shelter improvements, incentives for bus drivers and enhanced ‘mobility hubs,’ which could tie multiple modes of transit, including scooters and biking options, together at busier locations.” The aspirational proposal could be funded in part by federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan.