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Riders and advocates urge Detroit to reverse transit-center screenings that bar indoor waiting
Summary
Transit riders and advocates told the council that private security and metal detectors at Rosa Parks and Jason Hargrove transit centers are preventing people — including seniors and people with disabilities — from waiting indoors. The committee said it will raise the issue with DDOT while several transit contracts remain on the agenda.
Michael Cunningham and transit advocates pressed the Public Health and Safety Standing Committee on Monday to investigate recent security changes at Detroit Department of Transportation transit centers that they say are blocking riders from using indoor waiting areas.
"They're not allowing people to sit down," said Michael Cunningham during public comment, describing the policy at Rosa Parks and Jason Hargrove transit centers after metal detectors were installed. Joel Batterman, campaigns manager for Transportation Riders United, told the committee that security staff are searching everyone who enters and telling riders they "cannot wait for their bus inside," despite seating areas designed for that purpose.
Batterman said the measures "do not make riders safer" and risk deterring people from using transit. "It is cruel to force them to wait outside on concrete benches exposed to the elements," he said, noting many riders are seniors or people with disabilities who may face harm in extreme temperatures.
Other commenters described training and conduct concerns for contracted guards. Lucas Lisakian of Transportation Riders United said a guard allegedly told him, "you'll get more than my name if you keep asking questions," which he characterized as a threat and evidence of inadequate professional training.
The committee chair acknowledged the callers' concerns and said the body has DDOT contracts on the day's agenda. The chair indicated staff will attempt to get answers from the department and may invite DDOT leadership to a future committee meeting for a briefing. Several advocates called for a public hearing before the security measures were implemented.
What happens next: Committee members said they would raise questions about transit-center access during discussion of DDOT contracts on the agenda and in quarterly updates with the department. No formal action to change DDOT policy was taken at the meeting.
Speakers quoted or referenced in this article were Michael Cunningham (public commenter); Joel Batterman, campaigns manager, Transportation Riders United; and Lucas Lisakian, Transportation Riders United.
