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People Mover leaders tell Detroit council free fares, ridership gains and multimodal hub plans shape FY27 budget
Summary
Detroit Transportation Corporation General Manager Malia Howard told the City Council that the People Mover’s free-fare policy helped drive recent ridership gains, outlined fleet and station upgrades and early-stage expansion plans centered on a Michigan Central multimodal hub, and said DTC is pursuing $2 million in sponsorship revenue to sustain free service.
Malia Howard, general manager of the Detroit Transportation Corporation, presented the People Mover’s FY27 budget to the Detroit City Council on Tuesday, highlighting sharp ridership increases since the system went fare-free, planned fleet replacements and a multimodal hub tied to the Michigan Central project.
Howard told council members the 2.9-mile elevated loop uses 11 driverless vehicles and serves 13 stations, and that DTC has pursued partnerships and community programming while keeping the system fare-free. “Our intention is for it to always be free moving forward,” Howard said, adding that the agency is expanding sponsorship and advertising efforts to preserve the free service.
The presentation gave specific ridership figures: Howard said the People Mover saw about a 64% increase in riders from 2023 to 2024 — roughly 420,000 additional riders — and about a 23% increase from 2024 to 2025, or about 250,000 riders, even after a two-month closure for rail replacement.
Why it matters: Howard framed the FY27 budget around workforce development, procurement updates and capital planning to modernize the system…
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