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Riders and advocates press Detroit committee over metal detectors and indoor seating bans at transit centers
Summary
Dozens of riders and transit advocates told the council June 16 that new metal detectors and security rules at the Rosa Parks and Jason Hargrove transit centers are deterring riders from using indoor waiting areas and may harm seniors and people with disabilities; advocates urged the city to investigate alternatives and questioned contractor training and oversight.
Public comment at the Detroit City Council Public Health and Safety Standing Committee on June 16 centered on a sudden security change at two downtown transit hubs. Riders and transit advocates said private security and newly installed metal detectors at the Rosa Parks and Jason Hargrove transit centers are telling people they may not wait indoors and have created a barrier to using the system.
"These measures may actually deter people from using transit," Joel Batterman, campaigns manager for Transportation Riders United, told the committee. Batterman said the majority of riders previously waited inside near bus bays and that denying access to climate-controlled spaces is "outrageous,"…
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