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DDOT Reimagined
We received your feedback on the draft plan, made updates and refinements, and are now presenting the final plan.
What is DDOT Reimagined?
The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is redesigning the bus system to better meet Detroiters’ mobility needs. DDOT Reimagined is a bold new vision for public mobility in Detroit and we are excited to share it with you. It is a three-part plan to be implemented in the coming years and includes:
- A Service Plan that connects people with opportunities 24/7, allows for travel at the customer’s convenience, and builds a new generation of Detroit transit riders.
- A Capital Plan for zero-emission buses (ZEBs), enhanced corridors, mobility hubs, bus shelters, and other amenities.
- An Operating Plan that meets customer expectations and provides a positive workplace, delivering world-class bus transit every day.
Why is DDOT changing the bus network?
A bold renaissance is underway in the City of Detroit, creating new opportunities across all facets of life: housing, education, jobs, healthcare, shopping, and recreation. Sharing in this renaissance requires equitable access to all of these opportunities. High-quality mobility is essential for connecting people with opportunities. This is a unique opportunity to rethink bus service in Detroit and identify how the network can better serve the community in the future.
DDOT undertook a deep-dive analysis to understand what’s working with the current network, what needs improvement, and how people travel in the City of Detroit and surrounding communities served by DDOT. These findings, combined with community input, were used to identify implementable recommendations for a new system that better meets the City’s mobility needs.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the proposed changes.
What Did We Hear?
In the spring and summer of 2022, DDOT held public meetings and pop-up events for riders to learn more about our customers and their mobility needs. We also conducted a survey asking people about the types of improvements they would like to see in DDOT bus service. The survey collected over 800 responses from around the DDOT service area. Key findings from the survey and community conversations include:
- More reliable service - Detroiters need a bus system they can depend on every day of the year. We have designed a system that can be operated efficiently and we will add more service as we hire and train the bus operators needed to drive it. The schedule is our promise and aim to deliver all of the service every day.
- More frequent service - Most of today's DDOT routes only come every 30 or 60 minutes, limiting when transit riders can travel and how quickly they get to their destination. We have designed a system with 10-minute service on the most important routes and an expanded network of 15-minute routes.
- More regional connections - We know that Detroiters' travel does not end at the city limits and neither should DDOT. We have designed a system that strengthens connections to Dearborn and other communities outside Detroit. We are also working with SMART and the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA) to rethink regional mobility and better integrate DDOT and SMART in the future.
It's hard to think through improvements when the service is so unreliable.
DDOT needs to be laser focused on increasing the frequency of service.
Shout out to the … drivers showing up for work and having exceptional customer service.
DDOT has to think outside the box, to efficiently serve its ridership.
Bring back reliable early-morning service.
I think DDOT is doing a good job overall and I appreciate all you do for the city.
The Outreach Process
- Phase I – In-person and virtual meetings, pop-ups at bus stops and hubs, stakeholder and advocate workshops (Spring-Summer 2022)
- Phase II – Sharing Draft Plan with community at pop-up events, public meetings, and stakeholder and advocate roundtables (Spring-Summer 2023)
- Phase III – Public hearing for the Final Plan (Early 2024)
What We Heard About the Draft Plan
Following development of the Draft Plan, DDOT conducted a public outreach campaign (Phase II) to share the plan recommendations with riders, the general public, stakeholders, and DDOT bus operators. This included virtual and in-person meetings and community conversations. We also held 20 in-person pop-up events at DDOT’s transit centers, high-ridership bus stops, and community events around the service area using our specially-outfitted Mobile Outreach Center Bus. Our Draft Plan outreach also included a brief survey (available online and on paper) about the plan recommendations. More than 400 of you completed the survey and your feedback helped shape the Final Plan.
In general, Detroiters who attended our pop-up events or shared feedback were very excited about the Draft Plan and its focus on frequency and reliability improvements. They recognized that a reliable, convenient transit network is an important public service and that these improvements will create better access to jobs and other opportunities.
What’s New in DDOT Reimagined?
The DDOT Reimagined Final Plan includes a lot of new changes intended to improve the customer experience and make riding the bus attractive to more people for more purposes.
More frequent service
The Final Plan greatly expands the number of frequent routes (operating every 20 minutes or better) on weekdays and weekends. The Plan also introduces 10-minute service on key corridors, including 7.5-minute service on Woodward.
More reliable service
DDOT will implement this plan in phases in the coming years, as we hire and train more bus operators. This will ensure we have the resources to deliver the scheduled service every day. We are also working to implement scheduling, dispatching, and operations improvements to make service more efficient and improve reliability.
Enhanced transit corridors
We are planning to roll out a network of enhanced transit corridors in the style of bus rapid transit (BRT), which includes high-frequency bus service, enhanced stations, and transit priority investments to speed up buses, among other elements. All Tier 1 routes described below will receive this investment.
Improved customer experience
As part of the DDOT Reimagined plan, we will be upgrading bus shelters and adding them at new locations, rolling out more zero-emission buses, and developing enhanced Transit Centers and New Connection Corners to improve transfers between DDOT services and with SMART.
DDOT Reimagined Service Plan
Click and drag the slider back and forth (right for existing, left for proposed) to see the change between the Existing 2024 network and the DDOT Reimagined Final Plan. Click the icon in the bottom left of the map to open an explanation of the different route colors.
Tier 1 Routes
These seven routes form the backbone of the DDOT system and more than half of DDOT customers ride one of these routes daily.
These routes will operate every 10 minutes on weekdays, except 4 Woodward, which will operate every 7.5 minutes.
These routes will also see investments that build on the City's "Streets for People" program, including dedicated stations with enhanced shelters and seating, and transit priority elements like boarding islands, bus lanes, queue jumps and transit signal priority.
Tier 2 Routes
This tier includes other routes which are still very important to the DDOT network and must operate frequently to provide enhanced mobility and allow for convenient transfers between routes.
These routes will operate every 15 minutes on weekdays.
Tier 3 Routes
This tier includes the remaining routes in the system. While still important, these routes do not generate as much ridership or fulfill a different network role than the Tier 1 and 2 routes.
These routes will operate every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
Network Frequency Improvements
The Final Plan greatly increases frequency across the network, adding more service to every route on weekdays and Sundays, and nearly every route on Saturdays.
Weekday Network
Only seven routes currently operate every 20 minutes or better on weekdays. The Final Plan increases that to 17 routes. No route will operate less often than every 30 minutes. The Final Plan also expands the number of routes, riders, residents, and jobs with access to all-day frequent service (20 minutes or better).
Click and drag the slider back and forth (right for existing, left for proposed) to see the change in frequent weekday routes between the Existing 2024 network and the DDOT Reimagined Final Plan.
Left: Existing / Right: Proposed
Weekend Network
Only two routes (4 Woodward and 9 E. Jefferson) operate every 20 minutes or better on weekends. The Final Plan increases this to 11 routes. Weekend travel is just as important as weekday mobility, and these frequency improvements will make the DDOT network more attractive to more riders outside of the journey to work/school or other weekday-destinations.
Click and drag the slider back and forth (right for existing, left for proposed) to see the change in frequent weekend routes between the Existing 2024 network and the DDOT Reimagined Final Plan.
Left: Existing / Right: Proposed
Network Span Improvements
The Final Plan also expands service hours across the network, starting earlier in the morning and ending later at night to give riders more flexibility in their travel options. Additionally, all regular routes will have standardized hours of service to make travel easier and more predictable for riders.
- All Tier 1 routes will operate 24/7.
- Some Tier 2 routes will operate 24/7 and others will operate from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week.
- All Tier 3 routes will operate from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week. (Service on the proposed shuttle route between Belle Isle, Downtown, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge multiuse path will be tailored to meet seasonal demand and operate during hours that these destinations are open.)
Network Access Improvements
The Final Plan enhances access to key transfer points and hubs such as Fairlane Town Center, Mack & Moross, and Old Redford Meijer. The Plan introduces new transit connections to Walmart (Plymouth Rd/Middlebelt Rd in Livonia), Lincoln Park, Belle Isle Beach, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge multiuse path.
The Final Plan also greatly increases access to frequent transit (buses every 20 minutes or better).
- 71% of current riders are within a 5-minute walk (quarter mile) of a CURRENT frequent route. (77% within a 10-minute walk, or half mile.)
- Under the PROPOSED network, 90% percent of riders will have access to a frequent route within a 5-minute walk. (94% within a 10-minute walk.)
- 49% of the service area population is within a 5-minute walk of a CURRENT frequent bus route. (65% are within a 10-minute walk of a frequent route.)
- Under the PROPOSED network, 84% of the population will be within a 5-minute walk of a frequent route. (94% will be within a 10-minute walk of a frequent route.)
- 78% of service area jobs are within a 5-minute walk of a CURRENT frequent route. (84% are within a 10-minute walk.)
- Under the PROPOSED network, 95% of service area jobs will be within a 5-minute walk of a frequent route. (97% will be within a 10-minute walk of a frequent route.)
The percent of people and jobs within a short walk of any route declines slightly (0.3%) in the Final Plan due to consolidation of several low-ridership routes and recommended discontinuation of unproductive segments. However, 98% of current riders will still be within a 5-minute walk of the DDOT network. Also the percent of people (99%) within a 10-minute walk of the network remains unchanged.
What’s Happening to my Route?
Please click the link below to learn about the detailed changes for each route.
What Changed from the Draft Plan?
Following the Draft Plan outreach in Spring and Summer 2023, DDOT made revisions to the proposed network to reflect community input and fine-tune route recommendations to better reflect current DDOT operating conditions, transit industry best practice, and common-sense needs of DDOT riders and the wider community. Changes between the Draft and Final Plan networks include:
- Minor alignment changes in Downtown Detroit for Routes 3 Grand River, 4 Woodward, and 6 Gratiot to maximize route efficiency, customer convenience, and restroom access for DDOT bus operators.
- Route 10 Greenfield: Updated alignment in the City of Southfield to reflect known plans for the street and access road configuration within the Northland redevelopment. (Routing through the new retail center may change as plans evolve and construction continues.)
- Route 12 Conant: Removed recommendation to discontinue this route following public comments. The proposed new alignment will connect the route with 8 Mile Rd at Ryan Rd and terminate at the south end at E. Jefferson Ave and Mt. Elliott St.
- Route 16 Dexter: Shifted route from Fairfield Ave to Livernois Ave between Puritan St and McNichols Rd.
- Route 17 Eight Mile: This route will continue to terminate at 7 Mile Rd/Grand River Ave and not serve the 7 Mile Rd/Middlebelt Rd Walmart in Livonia as previously recommended. (DDOT will continue to work with SMART, RTA, and cities like Livonia to improve regional transit connections.)
- Route 18 Fenkell: This route’s alignment was extended at the west end to maintain connection to Telegraph Rd. At Telegraph, buses will continue north to McNichols Rd and then east to the Old Redford Meijer Transit Center to connect with other DDOT routes and SMART. This will also preserve coverage on McNichols Rd between Lahser Rd and Telegraph Rd, formerly served by Route 32 McNichols.
- Route 27 Joy: This route’s proposed alignment was modified to continue on MLK Jr. Blvd between Rosa Parks Blvd and Cass Ave on the approach to Downtown. This preserves the former Route 47 Tireman’s coverage on that segment, streamlines the connection to Downtown, and removes the need to transfer for a connection to the Cass and Woodward corridors in Downtown.
- Route 38 Plymouth: In Livonia, this route’s alignment was modified to still terminate at the Millenium Park retail complex (Meijer). Circulation through the Wonderland retail complex is proposed, to provide closer and safer access to Walmart and Target. With the restored Route 12 Conant serving Mt. Elliott St, this route will now terminate at Caniff St and Mound Rd east of Hamtramck.
Next Steps
DDOT will be holding a public hearing on the Final Plan during its virtual Monthly Community Input Meeting on February 15, 2024. We will also be holding in-person meetings at Rosa Parks Transit Center to share more information and answer questions about the Final Plan. Stay tuned and visit the DDOT website for more info.
Implementation of the new network will come in phases as DDOT hires and trains more bus operators. We are committed to improving service reliability, improving frequency, and rolling out the enhanced transit corridors in the coming years.
We will hold additional public hearings in future years as we implement portions of the DDOT Reimagined plan.
Proposed Network