Bus Stops In Metro Detroit

Have you noticed how many, if not most, if not ALL, the Bus Stops in the
Metropolitan area are very non user-friendly?
I mean, most of them don't even have a little sidewalk leading up to them, let alone
a place to stand on paved ground. No shelter at most of them either.
I mean come on!!!
I know most of us drive vehicles, and probably consider 'Public Transportation'
to be beneath us [[I've felt that way at times), most likely a learned attitude stemming
from our conditional relationship with the Auto Companies. Hell, they may have even
covertly run a subliminal campaign against public transportation....who knows????
[[The SHADOW KNOWS hahahaha....hahahaha!!!)
.....anyway.....
I remark about this injustice every time we [[my girl and I) pass by a stop.
Injustice I say, because, what about in inclimate weather? How would YOU like to
stand in rain, snow, extreme cold, or extreme heat, with no place for shelter, or to
sit down? I once saw an older woman who was ,obviously, compelled to overturn
the placed trash can, so she could sit and take her load off, rather than collapse,
after what was probably a very hard day. Ever have one of those? Even people
without a vehicle deserve a little break, don't you agree?
Now the question: What do you think we can, or should , do about this ?
Anything? Do you think MDOT or SMART or whomever, even care?
Is this how the 'Light Rail' will be handled as well. That'll be 'Public Transportation'.
I'll be interested in your responses.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnnyFreddy

Have you noticed how many, if not most, if not ALL, the Bus Stops in the
Metropolitan area are very non user-friendly?
I mean, most of them don't even have a little sidewalk leading up to them, let alone
a place to stand on paved ground. No shelter at most of them either.
I mean come on!!!
I know most of us drive vehicles, and probably consider 'Public Transportation'
to be beneath us [[I've felt that way at times), most likely a learned attitude stemming
from our conditional relationship with the Auto Companies. Hell, they may have even
covertly run a subliminal campaign against public transportation....who knows????
[[The SHADOW KNOWS hahahaha....hahahaha!!!)
.....anyway.....
I remark about this injustice every time we [[my girl and I) pass by a stop.
Injustice I say, because, what about in inclimate weather? How would YOU like to
stand in rain, snow, extreme cold, or extreme heat, with no place for shelter, or to
sit down? I once saw an older woman who was ,obviously, compelled to overturn
the placed trash can, so she could sit and take her load off, rather than collapse,
after what was probably a very hard day. Ever have one of those? Even people
without a vehicle deserve a little break, don't you agree?
Now the question: What do you think we can, or should , do about this ?
Anything? Do you think MDOT or SMART or whomever, even care?
Is this how the 'Light Rail' will be handled as well. That'll be 'Public Transportation'.
I'll be interested in your responses.

---

They were the same way when I was riding a bus back in the 1941 to 1961 time frame. The streetcar safety islands were the same way. No sitting, no roof over your head. I guess people in Detroit were less fragile back then.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hermod

They were the same way when I was riding a bus back in the 1941 to 1961 time frame. The streetcar safety islands were the same way. No sitting, no roof over your head. I guess people in Detroit were less fragile back then.

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Well, Detroit was and now the "Motor City", or at least trying to hold on to the reputation as being one. More attention was paid to making Detroit a "car friendly" city instead of a pedestrian friendly city. That also include not having sidewalks that lead to bus stops shoveled in the winter and cleanse of garbage and excrements in the summer. The only time the bus stop were rider friendly was when heated lighting were installed in them in the 60s and 80s for the downtown bus shelters. I have mixed feelings for the Rosa Parks Transit Center downtown. It could had been designed more simplier without the canopies. It is a haven for gangbangers, dope peddlers, robbers and other characters. I don't feel safe in or around the center even with the presence of the public safety officers. The centers has great potentials on the other hand. Once Smart and DDot become regionalized, all buses will pull out of that center and the officers probably will patrol the center with a much more heavier hand making it less vagrant friendly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnnyFreddy

Have you noticed how many, if not most, if not ALL, the Bus Stops in the
Metropolitan area are very non user-friendly?
I mean, most of them don't even have a little sidewalk leading up to them, let alone
a place to stand on paved ground. No shelter at most of them either.
I mean come on!!!
I know most of us drive vehicles, and probably consider 'Public Transportation'
to be beneath us [[I've felt that way at times), most likely a learned attitude stemming
from our conditional relationship with the Auto Companies. Hell, they may have even
covertly run a subliminal campaign against public transportation....who knows????
[[The SHADOW KNOWS hahahaha....hahahaha!!!)
.....anyway.....
I remark about this injustice every time we [[my girl and I) pass by a stop.
Injustice I say, because, what about in inclimate weather? How would YOU like to
stand in rain, snow, extreme cold, or extreme heat, with no place for shelter, or to
sit down? I once saw an older woman who was ,obviously, compelled to overturn
the placed trash can, so she could sit and take her load off, rather than collapse,
after what was probably a very hard day. Ever have one of those? Even people
without a vehicle deserve a little break, don't you agree?
Now the question: What do you think we can, or should , do about this ?
Anything? Do you think MDOT or SMART or whomever, even care?
Is this how the 'Light Rail' will be handled as well. That'll be 'Public Transportation'.
I'll be interested in your responses.

---

One thing that other major cities do is lease the rights to outdoor advertising companies who construct bus shelters themselves and display ads on the structures. NY, Boston and Chicago are examples that I know of firsthand.

Chicago even recently sold the advertising rights of an entire subway station to Apple for something like 20 years, and in exchange Apple is paying to completely renovate the entire station.

Some people actively don't want them. A couple of years ago, in Farmington, SMART built a shelter stop on Grand River. The Condo Association adjacent to the stop[[more like a glorified apartment complex as all the units are 488 square foot one bedrooms, according to realtor.com), got the local government to force SMART to remove it, saying it was a zoning violation/traffic hazard........

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=h...520Minutes.pdf

See New Business. This shelter has been removed, I believe....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stasu1213

More attention was paid to making Detroit a "car friendly" city instead of a pedestrian friendly city. That also include not having sidewalks that lead to bus stops shoveled in the winter and cleanse of garbage and excrements in the summer.

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It was the responsibility of the property owner to shovel snow, sweep leaves and trash, and kill the grass in the cracks of the sidewalks adjacent to his property. The only places the city took care of the sidewalks was in the center of downtown.

You used to get a ticket if you didn't shovel your sidewalk after a snowstorm. Sidewalk shoveling and ice chipping was my job at home.

Agreed that some SMART and DDOT stops are woefully inadequate. Was parked on John R. last night behind the Majestic Theatre for a game of bowling with some friends, and realized my metered, painted parallel spot on the street was actually a bus stop for SMART coaches. Kind of hard to get to the curb when there's a parked car in the way!

DDOT has a program to clean up and keep up their shelters: http://www.detroitmi.gov/Departments...tAShelter.aspx

I have no clue whether this is actually working or if it was just a PR gimmick. I really hope this is actually being used in some places in the city but for some reason I kind of doubt it. Anyone know? Either way, if I had a bus stop/shelter on my property, I would be certain to keep it in the best shape possible. Clear snow in the winter and keep the weeds down in the summer. I suppose if it troubles you so much, set out on a snowy day with a shovel in your trunk and go out and make a difference by cleaning up some shelters/stops yourself. Sometimes the unsung heros make the most difference and get the self-satisfaction. I've helped keep up various Amtrak stations in the past and while unappreciated, can be a gratifying experience. Do it for a bus stop! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iheartthed

One thing that other major cities do is lease the rights to outdoor advertising companies who construct bus shelters themselves and display ads on the structures. NY, Boston and Chicago are examples that I know of firsthand.

Chicago even recently sold the advertising rights of an entire subway station to Apple for something like 20 years, and in exchange Apple is paying to completely renovate the entire station.

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Oh, my. That idea may not fly, around here. Monica Conyers is not the only one who has that hysterical phobia about striking business deals with people who don't "look like us," you know.

PACE in suburban Chicago is the same way. It's unfortunate.

I remember a bus shelter on McNichols just east of Woodward.The glass was broken in it not too long after it was installed.The glass was replaced and it happened again.The bus shelter didn't last too much longer after that.There is another one by the fairgrounds minus the glass.What good is having a shelter when certain "individuals" decide to vandalize them basically rendering them useless.When I was riding the DSR bus to Cass Tech in the early 70's there was a HEATED bus stop on the Kern Block where I caught the northbound bus.I was very thankfull for that bus shelter!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnnyFreddy

. Hell, they may have even
covertly run a subliminal campaign against public transportation....who knows????

---

I know. http://www.buildering.net/forum-img/creeps.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnnyFreddy

Have you noticed how many, if not most, if not ALL, the Bus Stops in the
Metropolitan area are very non user-friendly?
I mean, most of them don't even have a little sidewalk leading up to them, let alone
a place to stand on paved ground. No shelter at most of them either.
I mean come on!!!
I remark about this injustice every time we [[my girl and I) pass by a stop.
Injustice I say, because, what about in inclimate weather? How would YOU like to
stand in rain, snow, extreme cold, or extreme heat, with no place for shelter, or to
sit down? I once saw an older woman who was ,obviously, compelled to overturn
the placed trash can, so she could sit and take her load off, rather than collapse,
after what was probably a very hard day. Ever have one of those? Even people
without a vehicle deserve a little break, don't you agree?

---

JohnnyFreddy, I do feel your concern and I'm sure vandalism increases the cost factors involved just to maintain the current ones. It makes me wonder at times if many areas of this city would be ready for the high-tech style, digital "real-time" bus shelters found in other major cities and how vandalism-proof they are. But I guess no type could withstand gunshots.

As for erecting shelters for inclement weather, the last figures I ran across a few years ago stated that DDOT had approx. 6,000 bus stops located across the city, around 175 of which had shelters. I'm not sure what the current figures are now, but DDOT use to follow a formula for determining where bus shelters were erected. Their policy placed the shelters only at those locations that have greater than 15 boardings per day. I don't know what formula SMART uses.

But lets look at the bright side, it could be a lot worse. Pity this poor man who had to wait in these conditions when trying to catch an eastbound DSR streetcar on Michigan Avenue and 23rd back in 1941. I think he had more than inclement weather to worry about.:)

Attachment 7735

Although most streetcar boarding stations in Detroit were "protected" safety zones surrounded by pillars, a number were unprotected and were just a painted line along the pavement. Sad to report, but according to The Detroit News, two men had been killed back in January 1942 at this same safety zone.

BTW--Are you aware that Detroit had one of the first heated bus shelters in the nation? For more see....
http://www.detroittransithistory.info/DSR/BusShelter.html

The photo of the heated bus shelter is the one I used to catch the northbound John-R Oakland Via Nevada DSR bus.It was located on what was Campus Martius street right next to the Kern Block.A very much appreciated bus shelter I might add!!

I noticed new, modern looking SMART signs along the route near me, the 430 Main St-Somerset, along Main St. in Royal Oak. hmmmm....