Detroit residents urge council to increase DDOT funding, fix bus shelters and improve accessibility

Speakers at a Detroit City Council budget hearing pressed elected officials to preserve and expand proposed budget amendments that riders and advocates say would improve Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) service, make bus stops accessible to people with disabilities and seniors, and direct more funds to home modifications.

Those concerns threaded through public comment from transit advocates, regular DDOT riders and neighborhood residents during the council’s public-comment period. Many speakers praised specific council amendments introduced that day and asked the council to keep them intact as the budget moves through executive session.

"We appreciate the progress that DIAT has been able to make in improving service reliability and frequency, but there's still a lot more work to be done," said Lucas Lasecki, engagement specialist at Transportation Riders United. He specifically thanked "Council Member Durhall and Council Member Santiago Romero" for amendments to increase budget allocations and said the changes could…