rosa parks transit center closed temporarily?

**stasu1213** · January-02-10, 03:10 PM

There is a sign on the door of the Rosa Parks Transit Center that say "Closed Temporarily". The sign had been posted since New Years Eve. I had asked a bus driver if he knew why the center was closed and he had said no. Does anyone know why the building is closed? Passengers have to wait on the outside to catch the bus instead of waiting on the inside where it is warm.

**Tig3rzhark** · January-02-10, 11:00 PM

I was wondering that myself a few days earlier when I stopped there to try and get a $10 bus card. I asked a bus driver, and he didn't know either. The bus drivers have a section at the transit center that has pretty much become their break room. It was a shame that they were sitting there warm while everyone else was waiting outside in the cold. Let me know when it's open again.

**epiphany** · January-03-10, 10:30 AM

Nice of them to shut it down during the coldest month... It will never make any sense.

**bc_n_dtown** · January-03-10, 11:01 AM

Actually this is the result of the city layoffs from last year. Unfortunately, when there are no available property guards [[many of which were laid-off last fall) to monitor the location or available supervisory personnel on hand the building is closed down. Maybe if the city restores its transit police force the building can stay open 24/7.

**j to the jeremy** · January-03-10, 11:11 AM

Wow, this is really depressing. They don't have enough transit police availiable to watch the main station? Do they work at the State Fair depot as well? I can't think of any other places they would be posted all day...

**epiphany** · January-03-10, 11:36 AM

Well, maybe they shouldn't have spent ridiculous amounts of money building a terminal that they can't staff.

I personally would have rather seen them use that money to build more bus shelters in areas outside of downtown.. and maybe they could have used it to clean up some of the bus shelters that have broken benches and stuff like that... It sort of defeats the purpose of having a station downtown when I have to wait outside in the elements [[for a bus that may or may not come) because there isn't a bus shelter at 90% of my stops.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-03-10, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by epiphany

Well, maybe they shouldn't have spent ridiculous amounts of money building a terminal that they can't staff.

When has that stopped anyone around here before?? Look at Visteon with its campus and downtown tower, GM with the Ren Cen, DPS renovating and expanding schools only to shut them down, have you driven down Big Beaver and seen all the relatively new empty buildings?

I'd agree with your edit, we should have more bus shelters, with solar technology there is no reason why we can't light them either so they are safer.

**bailey** · January-03-10, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

When has that stopped anyone around here before?? Look at Visteon with its campus and downtown tower, GM with the Ren Cen, DPS renovating and expanding schools only to shut them down, have you driven down Big Beaver and seen all the relatively new empty buildings?

I'd agree with your edit, we should have more bus shelters, with solar technology there is no reason why we can't light them either so they are safer.

how long do you think the solar panels and wiring will last on an isolated bus shelter?

**epiphany** · January-03-10, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

how long do you think the solar panels and wiring will last on an isolated bus shelter?

Probably not very long. A shelter with a bench will do for me =).

**casscorridor** · January-03-10, 04:13 PM

It was closed on December 26th. I've been there several times since and they have been open each time. Also a few days before Christmas the bathrooms were shut down due to flooding, and stayed closed for awhile. I agree with the assumption that the problem is understaffing. The same reason why, I would assume, if you wait at Warren and Cass for a westbound crosstown you will find frequently that the busses listed on the schedule will not show up at all. There aren't even enough bus drivers to ensure all the routes and times and covered. Thank Dave Bing for this one, period.

**carlscomputers** · January-03-10, 04:42 PM

Fitting way to start the New Year! Build a shiny new, Transit Center for the public, tell them it's gonna be safe, secure, lots of vendors, open 24hrs, etc., then make them still have to stand in the cold because they don't have a backup security/manpower plan? Please..... Somebody put me in charge for a month! I'll show 'em how to run this joint!!!

**stasu1213** · January-03-10, 07:32 PM

I think that the transit center was built for multi purposes in the future. I think that it will serve as a regional transit building and Dave Bing's decision to close the building was not only due to lack of manpower but so people would scream for regionalization and privatization of the transit system. I agree that more bus booths should have been built instead of an expensive transit center. That area could have been used for a bus terminal such as the one that was built in 1986 at Cadillac Square, It was Archer's idea to tear that terminal down. If our tax dollars had help in the building of the Rosa Parks center then those doors should remain open for the riders of DDOT. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick often boast of being responsible of the building of that facility. I wonder what comment she would have to make now that the facility is close during the coldest month of the year. Detroit has a history of not caring for her bus riders and transit system itself.

**detmsp** · January-03-10, 07:55 PM

Bing didn't cause the huge deficit and lack of revenue the city faces. He didn't decide to build the transit center. Remind me again why this is his fault.

**cman710** · January-03-10, 08:29 PM

I have to agree with detmsp. While I agree that Bing has made mistakes regarding cuts to bus service, I also understand that Bing faces a completely unsustainable financial situation as mayor. The city's deficit absolutely has to be closed for the city to avoid bankruptcy. Unfortunately, this is going to result in reduction of services.

This is a truly unfortunate situation, and not one that I am happy about. However, absent a bailout from the federal or state government [[which will happen when pigs fly), the city needs to face its financial problems. If this could be done while keeping the transit center open, then I think that should be done. But I would rather see sporatic service there than cuts to the police or fire departments.

**stasu1213** · January-03-10, 08:54 PM

The people catching the bus need shelter to be under. We can not be insensitive to riders in this climate; weathr and economic. If someone freezes to death while waiting outside a transit center for a slow bus then the city will have a lawsuite pending. Stimulus money could be use for transit police inside the center. Build some shelters outside the center so riders could have somewhere to stand out of the climate

**cman710** · January-03-10, 09:00 PM

Stasu, I do agree that there should be some kind of shelter. And clearly it would have been better to do this in the summer than the winter. I think the city should do everything possible to allocate the proper resources to keep the transit center open, so long as it does not mean cuts to the fire or police departments.

MichMatters · January-03-10, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by detmsp

Bing didn't cause the huge deficit and lack of revenue the city faces. He didn't decide to build the transit center. Remind me again why this is his fault.

Perhaps you forgot that Bing was the one to cut transit, when it should have been a service held harmless at this time in particular as far as the budget goes, resulting in any closures that have happened. The need for a central transit station isn't even up for debate as far as I'm concerned, and one which was fortune enough to be funded largely by federal dollars. Truth is, Bing has never seen transit as of any importance; new downtown transit center or not, he'd have still been cutting service. The center is being used as a convenient boogey man, and it's silly to try and set up a direct false choice between the largely federally-funded center and bus driver/security jobs.

**stasu1213** · January-04-10, 01:18 AM

A leader unlike Kilpatrick who had foreknowledge of the forecast that was facing the city of Detroit would not had that center built if she knew that Detroit was falling into a deficit. I could had told the leaders that in building this termiinal use might have homeless and derelicts hanging out inside of the center and will need transit police to keep them out. A person with common sense could had told the leaders this. It does not take credentials such as a bachelors or masters degree as some of our leaders hold, to come up with such ideas. I still think that regionlization will take over this transit center and you will have SMART and DDOT having joint use for this transit. Maybe some other entity as well. That is why I think this center was built. Congresswoman Kilpatrick was blowing smoke up peoples skirts and pant legs by telling them it was only for DDOT

**DetroitPlanner** · January-04-10, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

how long do you think the solar panels and wiring will last on an isolated bus shelter?

A long time. Many of the freeway signs and cameras are already solar powered.

**stasu1213** · January-04-10, 10:55 AM

Detroit should had went Green years ago but money was too busy being squandered during the Kilpatrick administration.

**Detroitnerd** · January-04-10, 11:17 AM

So glad the building is up and running after they couldn't get the roof up before. After battling wind shear, it was finally opened with great fanfare.

And now it's closed? Apparently, they can't even stop the toilets from overflowing? Jesus.

**stasu1213** · January-04-10, 11:27 AM

When you have anyone using your public toilets you will hae this problem. If the closing down of the building was the result of soemone stopping up the toilet then close down the restrooms for anyone other than the bus drivers. As I had said before; Forethough wan't had before the building of this facility if it was built for DDOT only. It is like having clean light colored carpeting in a ballroom that is holding a party for all to come expecting everyone to have the sense to wipe the mud off there feet before entering. You will just have a dirty carpet

**Detroitnerd** · January-04-10, 11:43 AM

How freakin' hard is it to unstop a toilet? I do that at work unasked. I smell poor management and people passing the buck.

**carlscomputers** · January-04-10, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

A leader unlike Kilpatrick who had foreknowledge of the forecast that was facing the city of Detroit would not had that center built if she knew that Detroit was falling into a deficit. I could had told the leaders that in building this termiinal use might have homeless and derelicts hanging out inside of the center and will need transit police to keep them out. A person with common sense could had told the leaders this. It does not take credentials such as a bachelors or masters degree as some of our leaders hold, to come up with such ideas. I still think that regionlization will take over this transit center and you will have SMART and DDOT having joint use for this transit. Maybe some other entity as well. That is why I think this center was built. Congresswoman Kilpatrick was blowing smoke up peoples skirts and pant legs by telling them it was only for DDOT

The Rosa Parks Transit Center has stops for SMART, MegaBus, & Taxi Cabs as well as DDOT. Provisions have been made for Security, but not followed! There is a fully equipped Police Mini-Station built into the facility, yet it is never manned!
There are several vendor spots [[coffee/newsstand/restaurant) that have yet to be filled. Flat screen monitors & plumbing fixtures have been attempted to be removed.
Yes, it is all nice & pretty, but if it's not maintained, the canopies cleaned, floors maintained, restrooms cleaned, etc., it'll turn into another Detroit eyesore. I for one do not want to see that happen...

**Tig3rzhark** · January-04-10, 02:27 PM

I just went up there a few minutes ago. The inside building is open to riders again. Bus passes are being sold, and there are plenty of people sitting down waiting on their bus.

Most of the buses there do not have bike racks on them. I plan to take pictures whenever I see one until all the buses are equipped with them.
There is security, but the Transit Police are few in number. I'll say it again. There needs to be a regional transit authority that allows for officers to ride on the buses in Metro Detroit. It would be even better if they can do it undercover.