Detroit cost-cutting plan for buses reduces mechanics, merges routes

By JOHN WISELY
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Detroit's bus system has too many routes, too many mechanics and can't account for nearly a quarter of its fare box revenue -- up to $9 million a year, according to city officials looking for ways to cut costs.

The bleak picture of the system, which moves about 125,000 people each weekday, is spelled out in a plan Detroit filed in November with the state to explain how it will attack a $76-million deficit in the city's public transit fund.

The plan said about 100 of the city's 445 buses are out of service, even though there is one mechanic for every 2.5 buses -- more mechanics than many other cities and Detroit's suburban bus counterpart, SMART. A union official said the city does not keep motors and transmissions in stock to allow mechanics to keep the buses running.

The plan calls for consolidating routes, reducing the number of mechanics and getting more riders to use prepaid debit-style cards to reduce the need to handle cash.
"Obviously, we're looking at a lot of efficiencies and a lot of improvements," said Dan Lijana, spokesman for Mayor Dave Bing.

Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, said she fears more cuts could leave people stranded.

"They've already cut about one-third of the service over the past five years," she said.


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I take it that as long as we have our current local officials in power, nothing will change. LBP would have to be kicked out of office, before there's any hope of a regional transit system. At least we know why many of the buses don't run on time.

I could get cutting some mechanics; what I don't understand is how continuing to cut service/routes is anything other than suicide for DDOT. Detroit's bus system already ranks low in terms of daily ridership numbers, and not because the market's not there but because the system is so barebones as it is. Further whittling down what is already spotty coverage seems like self-sabotage; it's setting up the system for continued failure. Honestly, how many more routes can DDOT afford to cut? If anything, the city needs more and more frequent coverage for the system to cut its losses, not less and less frequent coverage.

DDOT has one of the largest captive customer bases of any big city in the country; I don't get why Bing doesn't see that and try to find creative ways to make that work. A full third of Detroiters don't own a car. In any other city, a mayor and his administration would have found a way to make that work in favor of mass transit. The demand is there, so why haven't they been exploiting that? Bing seems to believe that even basic mass transit isn't much a quality of life issue, as if it's some superfluous extra. What's the use of the Woodward Light Rail if you're going to continue to pare away at the department that will be running and managing the line?

Detroit's transportation system need to be improved. More and more people are losing their jobs and can't afford a car. Improve the systems and more people would ride on the busses.

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Originally Posted by NorthEnder

Honestly, how many more routes can DDOT afford to cut? If anything, the city needs more and more frequent coverage for the system to cut its losses, not less and less frequent coverage.

DDOT has one of the largest captive customer bases of any big city in the country; I don't get why Bing doesn't see that and try to find creative ways to make that work.

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The problem is simple: we are not willing to pay for this, as a region. Detroit pays for DDOT service out of the general budget, which is drowning in red ink. Detroit simply can't afford to provide the bus schedule it says it operates [[which in fact it does not), and doesn't have any source of money to fix or improve it. In fact, hidden in the details, one of the cost-savings that allows DDOT to consider running a light rail line is that it will then cut the frequency of the Woodward bus, but overall passenger capacity on Woodward will still increase.

SMART's millage, something like 0.59 mills, isn't quite enough to run the service it operates, although if communities could not opt-out that would strengthen that system quite a bit.

But the overall problem is that metro Detroit pays about $75 per person per year for public transportation overall; the average for our peer group of metro areas is $240. We are paying 70% less than our peers which is why we are getting 70% less transit. If we were willing to pay for it, it is technically very simple to improve the service. It's just a matter of money, nothing more or less than that.

And please believe many are driving without car insurance... rationalizing to themselves that you can't rely on the busses, so hey, drive without insurance. Who can afford the rates. Insurace with a car note is very high in Detroit. I'd never drive a new car with a note in this city. I buy my cars with cash then at least I only have a high insurance bill to pay. Not both......

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Originally Posted by stasu1213

Detroit's transportation system need to be improved. More and more people are losing their jobs and can't afford a car. Improve the systems and more people would ride on the busses.

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That's very true. Comprehensive & collision coverage in Detroit are not for the timid or weak of pocketbook. I will say, though, that a lot of people may not only be underwater on their mortgage, but on their car note as well - or so it sounds to me. Otherwise, don't you just drop the comprehensive & collision coverage?

That said, I do think I would have to be hard pressed to go driving around without insurance, that's bound to mess things up for you sooner or later. Like have to get someone to the hospital hard pressed.