Analysis: Just 5 Percent of Detroit Bus Stops Have Shelters

The city’s thousands of bus stops are sorely lacking in seating and shelters to protect riders from rain, snow, and sun.

2 minute read

March 12, 2025, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Green Detroit public transit electric bus with high-rise modenr building in background.

Detroit Department of Transportation / Detroit Department of Transportation

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.”

Thursday, March 6, 2025 in Bridge Detroit

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight