[nfbmi-talk] Feb 2014 Detroit Transit Service Changes

[J.J. Meddaugh]

Well we all know Detroit transit has a long long way to go. But they may 
be turning a bit of a corner. The mayor hired a new director last week 
and there's a round of service enhancements, yes I said enhancements 
coming in February. Much of this is additional late night service.
Here's the info including public comment info. Of course they need to 
get the busses running on schedule to have much of any use, but 
hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
FOR
BUS SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS
MEETINGS HELD: January 21 and January 23
(Enhancements Effective: February 8, 2014)
DETROIT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
1301 E. Warren Avenue
Detroit, MI 48207
wwwRideDetroitTransit.com
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is pleased to announce
bus service enhancements designed exclusively with our riding passengers’
travels in mind.
DDOT is working diligently toward the ultimate goal of providing more
customer-friendly and reliable on-time performance. The Department knows our
customers deserve quality transportation services to destinations of 
choice, and
we will be successful in achieving this essential goal.
DDOT encourages the public to attend any morning and/or evening public
meeting to obtain maximum customer awareness on the new service
enhancements provided. Locations, dates and times are displayed as follows:
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 (two sessions)
Northwest Activities Center
18100 Meyers, Detroit
Morning Session: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Evening Session: 06:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014 (two sessions)
Detroit Department of Transportation
1301 E. Warren Avenue, Room 107, Detroit
Morning Session: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Evening Session: 06:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.
The meeting will also provide information on Job Access and Reverse
(JARC), New Freedom and enhanced weekday and weekend service changes in
detail by route.
The Department is offering the following enhanced transportation services:
JOB ACCESS REVERSE COMMUTE (JARC)
The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program will address the unique
transportation challenges of welfare recipients and low-income persons 
seeking
to obtain and maintain employment. The transportation services are 
designed to
transport qualified individuals to and from jobs and activities related 
to their
employment, including transportation projects that facilitate the 
provision of
public transportation services from the city of Detroit to suburban 
employment
locations.
Many new entry-level jobs are located in suburban areas, and low-income
Detroit residents experience difficulty in accessing these jobs. In 
addition, many
entry level-jobs require working late at night or on weekends when 
conventional
transit services are either reduced or non-existent. Finally, many 
employment
related-trips are complex and involve multiple destinations including 
reaching
childcare facilities or other services.
States and public bodies are eligible designated recipients. Eligible 
subrecipients
are private non-profit organizations, State or local governments, and 
operators
of public transportation services, including private operators of public
transportation services.
NEW FREEDOM
The New Freedom Program provides public transportation services and public
transportation alternatives beyond those required by the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et. Seq.) that assists 
individuals with
disabilities with transportation, including transportation to and from 
jobs, and
employment support services.
The program was repealed under MAP-21. The New Freedom Program activities
are now eligible under the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and
Individuals with Disabilities Program.
This program will continue the goals of these programs by funding 
alternative
forms of transportation where traditional services are unavailable, 
inappropriate,
or insufficient.
FEBRUARY 8, 2014 SERVICE CHANGES BY ROUTE
WEEKDAY SERVICE
Route 11 – Clairmount
Full Crosstown service will be restored, as connections are easily 
accessible from
east-west destinations of choice. The time period between buses will be 45
minutes from Fort Street to E. Jefferson Avenue.
Route 14 – Crosstown
Westbound: Bus service will increase with added bus service at 12:00 
a.m. and
1:00 a.m.
Eastbound: Bus service will increase, as additional bus service occurs 
at 1:30
a.m. from Pierson Loop to St. Jean.
Route 16 – Dexter
Northbound: Bus service will increase, as additional bus service occurs 
at 1:00
a.m. from Rosa Parks Transit Center to Providence Hospital.
Route 17 – Eight Mile
Eastbound: Bus service increases as placement of additional service 
starts at
11:35 p.m. to Gratiot and Eight Mile Road.
Route 21 – Grand River
Westbound: Bus service will increase as placement of additional service 
begins
at 1:00 a.m. from Rosa Parks Transit Center to Seven Mile Road to Grand 
River
Avenue.
Route 25 – Jefferson/Fort
Westbound: Bus service will be extended to Fort Street and Outer Drive.
Eastbound: Bus service will increase as additional trips begin at 12:23 
a,m. and
1:00 a.m. from Rosa Parks Transit Center to Wayburn Loop.
Route 34 – Gratiot
Westbound: Bus service will increase as an additional trip starts at 
1:00 a.m.
Eastbound: Bus service will increase as placement of two additional 
trips start
at 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. from the Rosa Parks Transit Center.
Route 36 - Oakland
Oakland bus service will operate between Route #43-Schoolcraft and Route #49
Vernor.
Route 37 – Michigan
Westbound: Additional bus service on Michigan Avenue will increase, 
starting at
11:00 p.m.; additional bus service at Fairlane Center begins at 12:00 a.m.;
additional bus service to Michigan and Wyoming starts at 1:00 a.m.
Eastbound: Additional bus service from Fairlane Center will occur at 
12:15 a.m.
Route 38 – Plymouth
Westbound: Bus service is extended to Mastronardi between the hours of 4:00
a.m.-5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Eastbound: Bus service is extended to Mastronardi between the hours of 4:00
a.m.-5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
The time period between buses will be reduced from 55 minutes to 45 minutes.
Route 43 – Schoolcraft
Bus service will be extended during a.m. peak (6:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.) and p.m.
peak (3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.) to Eight Mile Road and Ryan Road.
Route 48 – Van Dyke
Northbound: Bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from Rosa Parks Transit
Center.
Southbound: Additional bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from Bel Air
Shopping Center.
Route 49 – Vernor
Bus service will be extended during a.m. peak (6:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.) and p.m.
peak (3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.) to Manchester and Woodward.
Route 53 – Woodward
Northbound: Bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from Rosa Parks Transit
Center.
Southbound: Additional bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from the State
Fair Transit Center.
SATURDAY SERVICE
Route 34 – Gratiot
Westbound: Bus service will be added at 1:03 a.m.
Eastbound: Additional bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from Rosa Park
Transit Center.
Route 37 – Michigan
Westbound: Bus service will be added at 11:00 p.m. to Fairlane Center and
12:00 a.m. to Michigan and Wyoming from Rosa Parks Transit Center.
(Route 37-Michigan ~ cont’d.)
Eastbound: Additional bus service added at 12:15 a.m. from Fairlane 
Center to
Rosa Parks Transit Center.
Route 38 – Plymouth
Westbound: Bus service is extended to Mastronardi between the hours of 4:00
a.m.-5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Eastbound: Bus service is extended to Mastronardi between the hours of 4:00
a.m.-5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Route 48 – Van Dyke
Northbound: Bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from Rosa Parks Transit
Center.
Southbound: Additional bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from Bel Air
Shopping Center.
Route 53 – Woodward
Northbound: Bus service will be added at 1:00 a.m. from Rosa Parks Transit
Center.
Southbound: Additional bus service will be added at 12:40 a.m. and 1:10 a.m.
from State Fair Transit Center.
SUNDAY SERVICE
Route 37 – Michigan
Westbound: Starting at 6:00 p.m., bus service will occur every hour. The 
last
run will be at 11:00 p.m. to Fairlane Center from Rosa Parks Transit Center.
Eastbound: Beginning at 6:00 p.m., bus service will occur every hour. 
The last
run will be at 12:00 a.m. from Fairlane Center to Rosa Parks Transit Center.
Route 38 – Plymouth
Westbound: Bus service is extended to Mastronardi between the hours of 4:00
a.m.-5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Eastbound: Bus service is extended to Mastronardi between the hours of 4:00
a.m.-5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Route 53 – Woodward
Southbound: Bus service is added at 12:20 a.m. from the State Fair Transit
Center.
Comments may be mailed to:
Detroit Department of Transportation
Attention: Service Development/Scheduling Division
1301 E. Warren
Detroit, MI 48207
Comments may be emailed to:
ddotcomments at detroitmi.gov
Copies of the service changes may be obtained from the following 
locations on or
after Tuesday, January 21, 2014:
•
  DDOT Main Office, Service Development/Scheduling Division, 1301 E. Warren,
Detroit
•
  Detroit Public Libraries, Detroit
•
  Online:
www.RideDetroitTransit.com
Requests for interpretive services, special accommodations at the 
hearings for the
hearing impaired and/or others with special needs must be made 48 hours 
in advance
of
the public hearing date. Please call (313) 834-2406 to make your 
request(s) known
and
appropriately handled.
It is DDOT’s mission to provide quality bus service to meet the travel 
needs of our
customers on a daily basis. Please feel free to call DDOT’s Customer 
Service Office
at
(313) 933-1300 or visit the DDOT Web site at
www.RideDetroitTransit.com
  for more
information.

-- 
Best regards,
J.J.