Residents, transit advocates urge Detroit Council to double DDOT funding in budget hearing

Dozens of riders, union representatives and transit advocates told the Detroit City Council during a public hearing that the city must sharply increase funding for the Detroit Department of Transportation to make routes reliable and accessible.

Speakers said the mayor’s proposed budget includes a modest increase for DDOT but that advocates and several council members are pushing to raise the general-fund subsidy to $150,000,000. Megan Owens, director of Transportation Riders United, told the council, “Thank you…for considering another $16,000,000 in general funds that would get to that full $150,000,000 in city funds.”

Why it matters: Advocates said more operating money is needed to add buses and drivers, improve frequency on major corridors and install shelters and benches at stops — measures they said are essential for low‑income Detroiters, people with disabilities and shift workers to reach jobs, schools and medical care.

Multiple speakers described long waits and crowding. Brian Smigelski, a Detroit resident and transit organizer with the Sierra Club, said the mayor’s increase was “a bold first step” but argued it fell short: “We need an additional $16,000,000 on top of the $20,000,000 increase,” he said, calling for a sustained funding path that would implement the DDOT Reimagine plan by 2030.

Other witnesses included drivers and union representatives. Shetron Collier, president business agent for ATU Local 26, described challenges faced by operators and mechanics and said pay and staffing shortages have contributed to service gaps. Transit riders and service‑industry workers said limited late‑night service and routes cut at 10 p.m. block employment opportunities and stretch commutes.

Several speakers asked council to require that added funds be spent on worker pay and hiring so the agency can use the budget rather than returning unspent dollars. Transit activists also asked the council to add a capital focus for bus shelters and benches: speakers noted only a small share of stops currently have shelters.

The hearing was the required public comment step under the Detroit City Charter before the council moves to executive session and possible amendments. City staff said the council will meet in executive session on Wednesday at 10 a.m. to consider changes to the mayor’s proposal in accordance with the charter provisions cited at the hearing.

The hearing produced no formal vote on the budget; it was a public comment forum and the council will take up amendments in executive session and subsequent votes.