Bus services

[dtowncitylover]

Sounds like another guy who couldn't get the hang of driving.

Ad hominem.

Luckily this isn't a prerequisite to a happy, meaningful life.

[casscorridor]

Stigmas aside, excellent bus services is hard to implement in Detroit because of the region's low population density and spread out employment. Buses almost exclusively serve low income people who can't drive because it's simply too inconvenient for everyone else.

Even attempts at high frequency services along the "spoke" avenues have mostly failed to attract riders. But again, it's too inconvenient because prospective riders don't plan their days visiting places along a single corridor. They might travel to many places scattered around the region, some of which are not accessible by transit and even if they were, it would take too long as compared to a car.

In cities where transit really thrives [[think New York, London, etc) driving actually tends to be inconvenient and more expensive.

[CassTechGrad]

Takin' the bus, I have happy memories of riding the old Davison shuttle. That rickety old thing always smelled of exhaust fumes but you could sit back, look out the window, and enjoy the view.

[Henry Whalley]

Takin' the bus, I have happy memories...

Ditto.

[Zacha341]

I too have fond memories as my parents did not drive in the seventies. Such as riding the Jefferson all the way to the end as a kid from the west side! We thought St. Jean was on the moon! LOL!

The name of the Detroit bus transpo system was DSR.

[bragaboutme]

And the bus is always on time.

And the bus never breaks down.

Are there are never troublesome people on the bus.

And the bus schedule matches your personal schedule.

And the bus goes where you need to go.

Now you can gps track Dart buses I ride the crosstown [[Warren bus line), also the Chalmers line too. I don't know about the rest of the bus lines, but these two run regular. The other things you mentioned happen off hours, I haven't experienced them during work hours.

[Richard]

...or the city spends a fortune running more empty buses at 4-5 bucks a gallon.

There is a direct correlation between increased fuel prices and increased ridership,it is well documented.

Until the price drops then it becomes the same old thing.

[CassTechGrad]

The best part of the ride was pulling the bell cord when you got to your stop. I always gave it 2 or 3 pulls to make sure, so cool.

[Genesyxx]

Even with electric vehicles picking up steam and gas prices shooting up, the only result I ever see is more lanes. There's lane diets within city limits but the freeways are expanding more than ever.

Any idea of mass transit seems to hit a wall for whatever reason. Bus commuting isn't really helping too much because you get stuck in the same traffic as everyone else. Tunneling/boring would seem to be a good idea, given our plumbing infrastructure needs a major overhaul.

I'd be okay with extending the people mover down the major thoroughfares, if they can increase the speeds and safety.

[Henry Whalley]

...Tunneling/boring would seem to be a good idea, given our plumbing infrastructure needs a major overhaul.

The U.S. wasted its disposal income in Afghanistan. Infrastructure not welcome here.

[5939DT]

Takin' the bus, I have happy memories of riding the old Davison shuttle. That rickety old thing always smelled of exhaust fumes but you could sit back, look out the window, and enjoy the view.

DSR used those old Twins on John R. North as well, always seemed like they were going to fall apart at any moment.

Chicago had buses similar to those that ran on propane; apparently in the 1940s propane was a by-product of the refining process and Standard Oil, to quote Elwood Blues, was "practickly givin' it away", so after the war CTA went big on propane as well as electric trolley buses. Both types lasted into the 1970s.

[dtowncitylover]

electric trolley buses

Yes, more of these please.

[Richard]

^ where I am at they just spent millions converting the buses to Nat gas,now the price of Nat gas has skyrocketed and the purchased but not delivered new busses have increased in price by double.

The most efficient,cost effective and green way to move people with mass transit,would still be with a 1940s electric street car.

[Zacha341]

Wow! I remember those paper transfers. It was always a drag when you go one torn-off short-timed [due to the driver not shifting their position on the metal ticket mount]. But usually the connection bus driver gave you a break unless it was a zillion hours old!

Goodness, oh my! I best get my car oil changed soon. I don't want to go back to anything resembling all of that. LOL!

The best part of the ride was pulling the bell cord when you got to your stop. I always gave it 2 or 3 pulls to make sure, so cool.

[5939DT]

Yes, more of these please.

Dayton, OH now has battery-electric buses; they can - and do - run on battery for several miles where there is no overhead power:


More pictures of these [and lots more Dayton transit] at http://www.daytontrolleys.net/pictures/kiepe.htm

[CassTechGrad]

"Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority is buying 26 of the buses at a cost of about $1.2 million each. The NexGen electric trolley bus costs 63 percent more than the $450,000 cost of a standard diesel transit bus and can go 15 miles off wire fully loaded at 50 miles per hour powered by its battery" By Lynn Hulsey, Dayton Daily News. I think it would be hard to justify the cost based on fuel cost savings alone so taxpayers are gonna have to pick up the tab AGAIN.

[expatriate]

Ad hominem.

Luckily this isn't a prerequisite to a happy, meaningful life.

Unfortunately we have created an auto-dependent society where the price of even middle class citizenship is car ownership and we encourage its perpetuation by building even more suburban sprawl. Widening I-94 in Detroit only excerbates the problem and is a huge misallocation of resources.

[stasu1213]

"Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority is buying 26 of the buses at a cost of about $1.2 million each. The NexGen electric trolley bus costs 63 percent more than the $450,000 cost of a standard diesel transit bus and can go 15 miles off wire fully loaded at 50 miles per hour powered by its battery" By Lynn Hulsey, Dayton Daily News. I think it would be hard to justify the cost based on fuel cost savings alone so taxpayers are gonna have to pick up the tab AGAIN.

Great alternative to gas but let not a major or minor blackout happen then you are screwed

[stasu1213]

Detroit had shuttle busses in the late 90s for lighter routes such as Hayes, California, Imperial, and East Vernor. These shuttles were also used during non peak hours on main routes such as Jefferson, Gratiot, Mack, Schoolcraft, etc after 7pm and throughout the night. Why don't DDOT reinstall those smaller bussed during after peak hours and light routes? DdOt would save a lot Olga's.

[Gistok]

Great alternative to gas but let not a major or minor blackout happen then you are screwed

Ummm... remember the great power outage of 2003? Gas Stations were closed because of no electricity... even pumping gas required electricity. So people would be screwed either way!

[stasu1213]

This bus could be used on lighters routes or during the evening time

[Genesyxx]

May be an unpopular opinion, but can we revisit expanding the People Mover down the major thoroughfares? It seems like they took that off the table when they made the Rosa Parks Transit Center for a connection down Michigan Ave.

[kuuma]

May be an unpopular opinion, but can we revisit expanding the People Mover down the major thoroughfares? It seems like they took that off the table when they made the Rosa Parks Transit Center for a connection down Michigan Ave.

Honestly its such a good time to talk about this. With the Amtrak station redevelopment, that's a potential connection between the Qline and a potential local line using the Amtrak rails, which would connect, among other places, down to Michigan Ave by MCS. Add a one-mile people mover line from there to Michigan/Cass Station and you have a full local loop.

Not to mention the opportunity to loop a Gratiot extention to Eastern Market into the 375 redev plan. I think all this can easily coexist with the RPTC and bus ecosystems.

[Jimaz]

Detroit adds electric buses to public transportation fleet

The Detroit Department of Transportation has added four electric buses to its fleet, which offer a quieter and more environmentally-friendly option.

• Detroit adds first 4 electric buses to DDOT fleet