Editorial: Bus service essential to all transit improvements

[coracle]

You did not answer my question. Why would you design a city that would move?

If you didn't understand my answer find a doofus to explain it to you.

[Detroitnerd]

coracle: Do your parents know you're using the Internet?

[iheartthed]

If you didn't understand my answer find a doofus to explain it to you.

You didn't answer the question. You just said something about population decline, which has nothing to do with the question that was asked. So, please explain why a city should base its transportation planning on the hypothetical that the city might one day move?

[Rocko]

Back on track.....before the buses get off track beginning June 25:

DDOT holds public hearings on proposed transit cuts

Citizens voice concerns over route cuts, job losses, public safety


By KRYSTLE HUDSON | The South End
Updated: 05/14/11 4:54pm

Tools



Tyler D. Griffis / South End

DDOT director Lovevett Williams said DDOT’s costs have increased 15 percent, forcing cuts to be made. The proposed changes will be implemented June 25 after all decisions regarding them have been reached.

More information


For more information about changes to a particular route visit www.Detroittransit.org or call 313-963-8872.



A public hearing held May 12 at the Roberto Clemente Recreation Center near Corktown allowed Detroit Department of Transportation users to sound off on proposed transportation cuts.

The meeting, which was attended by around 30 people, was one of seven held by DDOT this month to encourage Detroit residents to give their input and be aware of the proposed changes. Neither Mayor Bing nor city council members attended.

The proposed changes, which will be implemented June 25 after a final decision is reached, stem from both increases in fuel cost and several employee benefits and decreases in state gas tax revenue and Detroit’s general funds.

“These cuts came as a result as budget issues. Our health, our fixed costs have increased 15% from last year. So although the city is funding us at the same level, we have new expenses that we didn’t have before. So we have our same budget, but we have $10 million dollars to pay just to pitch in to counter cost. So we’re going to have to cut back in some areas,” said DDOT director Lovevett Williams.

The proposed bus route eliminations include Route 76 — Hayes Limited and Route 78 — Imperial Limited. While Route 8 — Caniff may be linked with Route 38 — Plymouth, if changed as proposed, it will be renamed 38 Plymouth/Caniff. Several other initial bus wait times may increase from 40 to 60 minutes. Additionally, there would be a longer wait time between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Williams said the proposed changes would eliminate 24-hour bus service. Once the changes are enacted, bus service will begin at 5 a.m. She also said the routes with the fewest passengers will be targeted to be cut.

“We’ll digest everything everyone tells us,” said Williams. “We’ll look at what we will adjust based on the feedback. On May 26 we’re going to come out and let everyone know what’s going to happen. The feedback does matter, but bottom line is we have to cut somewhere.”

Although bus fares will not increase, the price of monthly regional bus passes is set to increase from $49.50 to $69.50.

Several DDOT buses are posting flyers about the proposed bus cuts.

Those who attended the meeting were angry about the possibility of jobs being lost and concerned about safety and how their children will get to school. Riders whose only means of transportation is through bus services said the change could significantly affect their daily lives.

“It is dangerous at night. I have to walk to a new job that I just got because there is no bus there. There is a three-hour walk, and it is pitch-black dark. My life is on the line,” frequent bus rider Austin Simpson III said. “I borrowed $30 for cab fare that I don’t have. I cannot walk three hours in the dark where there [[are) drug addicts [[and) thieves and [[the possibility to) be robbed for the little bit of money I make.”

The follow-up meeting to present the proposed service changes will take place at 5:30 p.m. on May 26 at the Considine Little Rock Family Life Center, located at 8904 Woodward Ave. in Detroit.

“I thought the mayor and city council were supposed to be improving the city instead of tearing it down by closing our schools,” city worker Giselle Coleman said. “I ride the bus every day, and I talk to people, and this is how our citizens feel. They have lost trust and confidence in our elected officials because they are [[steadily) beating us up and tearing us down.”

http://thesouthend.wayne.edu/index.p...d_transit_cuts

[professorscott]

Hmm. I thought City Council just voted down the increase in the regional fare.

The fuel cost increase, of course, nobody can do too much about, but the increases in health care costs could have been managed in contract negotiations. DDOT also pays too much for parts [[they have to pay a premium to get anything at all because they don't pay their bills in a timely fashion, or so I've heard) and has millions of dollars of farebox revenue mysteriously wandering off into the ether.

There were other options instead of just cutting service further - they might have had to cut, but not this much - but the other options required leadership.

[Rocko]

I also thought an increase in the Regional Pass rate to $69.50 was off the table. Which is why I suggested increasing the Regional Pass rate $2.00 per year in increments until it reaches $59.50. This is on par with another [[what I consider to be a superior) transit system, the Boston MBTA, charges for their current unlimited ride pass for subway + bus + streetcar/light rail.

And I still have no idea why increasing the regular baseline 1-way fare to $2.00 [[with an incremental increase to $1.75) is not being considered either. Hopefully the full list of cuts DDOT proposed will not take place. We'll find out in just a couple days.

Leadership? There are too many letters I'm not familiar with in that word.

[Rocko]

Not anything as bad as was proposed. Still, no improvements to service were made on any routes. Most changes seem to be lengthening of headway between trips after 10pm and in some cases all day on weekends. 24 hour service appears to still be in effect. Some routing changes are in effect. It looks like fares and pass prices have not changed [[I can't believe this). See the full list of changes here:

http://www.detroitmi.gov/Portals/0/d..._June_2011.pdf

[professorscott]

This is not nearly as drastic as what was first presented to the public, more of a bummer than a catastrophe. Rocko, DDOT can't raise fares without City Council approval. They sought approval last month to raise the price of the monthly regional pass and it was denied them. It would be more immediately helpful to them to stem the loss of farebox cash to theft. But they do need a fare increase.