Analysis: Just 5 Percent of Detroit Bus Stops Have Shelters

An analysis of city data reveals that just 5 percent of bus stops in Detroit have shelters, and only 1.5 percent have benches, reports Malachi Barrett for Bridge Detroit.

The data reveals a stunning lack of infrastructure in a city with frigid winters, which coincide with a drop in bus usage. “DDOT data shows 400,000 fewer riders in December 2024 compared to October,” Barrett notes. According to Ted Tansley, who compiled the data, “It’s a clear reflection of the lack of institutional funding.”

DDOT acknowledged that a low percentage of its bus stops have seating or shelters. However, in a statement to BridgeDetroit, the department argued focusing it’s misleading to focus on the raw percentage of stops without a shelter because 26% of bus boardings happen at a sheltered stop. In other words, the stops with higher ridership are more likely to have shelters or seating.

Transit advocates are calling on city leaders to boost funding for the Department of Transportation, which served over 250,000 bus riders each week. The department says it plans to add 250 shelters by 2027 along high-traffic routes and near areas with high concentrations of seniors.

As part of its DDOT Reimagined plan, it has set a goal to have 75 percent of riders boarding from a sheltered bus stop and improve the transit experience in other ways, but the agency needs more funding to achieve its vision. “Additional investment could add more frequency to routes, upgrade stops with shelters and benches, raise wages for employees and ultimately improve service for residents who can’t afford or to drive or don’t wish to.”