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Transit advocates press council and Lansing for more DDOT funding and service expansion
Summary
Advocates at the March 11 meeting and callers preparing to go to Lansing urged Detroit leaders to increase funding for DDOT, implement the DDOT Reimagined plan and expand routes, frequency and driver pay to improve access for riders without cars.
Transit advocates told the Detroit City Council at the March 11 evening meeting that public transportation funding must rise to meet rider needs and to support jobs and access.
Rochelle Stewart, of Detroit People’s Platform’s transit justice and housing teams, thanked the mayor for a recent $20 million increase to the DDOT budget but said it is not enough. Stewart urged the council and administration to fund a five-year plan to “double DDOT” service, add routes, increase frequency, improve stops and shelters, modernize a low-emissions fleet, and raise wages and benefits for drivers and mechanics.
“My ask is please fund DDOT with more money this year,” Stewart said, noting Detroit’s transit spending per capita lags peer cities and that one in three Detroiters lacks access to a car.
Several callers said they would travel to Lansing to press for more local bus operating funds. Bernard Roshoski and other callers echoed Stewart’s appeal, saying increased transit funding would reduce job and health-care access barriers, and that local and state budget choices should prioritize core services rather than placing cuts on riders.
Local rider advocate Michael Cunningham, who addressed the meeting in person earlier, encouraged residents to attend the DDOT meeting on March 20 and to advocate for hybrid meeting formats to improve access for riders and community members.
Advocates said expanding DDOT service would also create economic returns, including better job retention and lower personal transportation costs for low-income residents. They asked council to coordinate its budget decisions with this push for increased operating funds and improved service.
