The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) (pronounced ) is the primary public transportation operator serving the city of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. Operating since 1922, DDOT is a division of the government of the city of Detroit, headed by a director appointed by the mayor. DDOT operates 37 bus routes, primarily serving Detroit and its enclaves, and is accompanied by the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), which operates similar service in the suburbs. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
DDOT does not maintain roads; city roads are maintained by the Department of Public Works.
History
Department of Street Railways
DDOT began as the Department of Street Railways (DSR) in 1922 with the municipalization of the privately owned Detroit United Railway (DUR), which had controlled much of Detroit's mass transit operations since its incorporation in 1901. The DSR added bus service when it created the Motorbus Division in 1925. At the height of its operation in 1941, the DSR operated 20 streetcar lines with 910 streetcars. By 1952, only four streetcar lines remained: Woodward, Gratiot, Michigan and Jefferson. Streetcar services were discontinued in April 1956 with the decommissioning of the Woodward line. The DSR formally became DDOT in 1974.
2000s-2020s
Between 2009 and 2012, the system's seven remaining limited and express bus routes (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, and 78) were discontinued.
Starting January 1, 2012, management of DDOT was contracted out to Parsons Brinckerhoff, an engineering and management firm. The firm subsequently subcontracted the management of the system to Envisurage, LLC a consultancy run by the former CEO of the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority. On March 3, 2012, 24-hour service was discontinued, and other weekday and weekend routes and services were pared down, or eliminated entirely, in an attempt to produce savings for the department. In August 2013, management of DDOT was contracted out to MV Transportation under the direction of Paul Toliver until September 2014. Dan Dirks was appointed director of the department by mayor Mike Duggan on January 9, 2014, for the duration of MV Transportation's contract. MV Transportation's contract was extended for another two years on August 12, 2014.
On January 23, 2016, DDOT reintroduced 24-hour service on three principal routes along with other smaller service changes.
On September 1, 2018, the system's ten most popular routes were branded as "ConnectTen" and renumbered as routes 1-10, and received 24/7 service among other changes. The existing routes numbered 7, 9, and 10 were given higher route numbers to avoid conflict.
2020s In November 2021, the Detroit City Council approved plans to construct a new State Fair Transit Center, housed inside the disused Dairy Cattle Building, one of the last remaining structures from the State Fairgrounds. The Council rejected a prior plan, which called for the historic building's demolition. The original State Fair Transit Center, dating back to the streetcar era, closed permanently on November 6, 2022, and was promptly demolished; a temporary transit center was constructed in the former State Fair parking lot, 500 feet to the north, entering service the next day. Construction began on the new permanent transit center in May 2023.
The new State Fair Transit Center is dedicated to the memory of DDOT bus driver Jason Hargrove, who advocated for better protections for DDOT drivers during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hargrove died in April 2020 from COVID-19, and the transit center was dedicated in his memory in March 2024. The Jason Hargrove Transit Center opened on May 11, 2024.
"Reimagined" network overhaul In the summer of 2022, DDOT announced DDOT Reimagined, a project to redesign the agency's route network and upgrade its infrastructure for better reliability, better coverage, more efficient travel, and reduced environmental impact. The plan's first phase, conducted that summer, consisted of public outreach to gather riders' input, through in-person and virtual meetings, workshops and pop-ups at popular bus stops.
In Spring 2023, DDOT launched the second phase of Reimagined, which included a draft of the planned redesign. The draft plan called for every route in the system to run at least every 30 minutes (where many currently run hourly), with more popular routes operating at 15-minute headways. Six routes – 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, & 10 – were slated for service every ten minutes (with route 4 running every 7½), and upgrades resembling bus rapid transit. These six, plus four other routes, would run 24/7 under this plan, with all other routes in the system running from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week.
To achieve this plan, three of the system's least-used routes – 12, 40, & 46 – were recommended for discontinuation, while four others – 23 & 39, 29 & 42 – would be combined into two resulting routes. Other routes would be rerouted, with some seeing extensions: of note was a proposed extension of route 17 into Livonia, a neighboring community which opts out of the suburban SMART system. A new route (70) was also proposed, planned to run near the Detroit Riverfront, connecting Belle Isle with the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
DDOT states that the planned redesign would mean 99% of regular riders would live within walking distance of a DDOT route, though the planned rerouting eliminates service on a number of streets. The agency conducted another series of outreach events to gauge riders' opinion, with a mobile exhibit, inside a converted bus, making a two-month tour of the system's major hubs.
In August 2023, DDOT's director, C. Mikel Oglesby, resigned. G. Michael Staley, then DDOT's paratransit manager, was appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan to replace Oglesby in an interim capacity. Staley previously served as a regional vice president at Veolia Transport, now known as Transdev.
DDOT published the final version of the Reimagined plan in February 2024. Most of the draft plan was kept, though public input influenced a couple of major changes: route 2 was added to the routes slated for service every 10 minutes, route 12 is no longer slated for discontinuation, and the extension of route 17 into Livonia was cancelled. Throughout the spring of 2024, DDOT will conduct further public outreach to gather feedback on the plan.
Services
Fixed-route buses
DDOT primarily operates scheduled fixed-route bus services; the network's 37 routes mostly serve the city of Detroit and its enclaves of Hamtramck and Highland Park, though select routes also service neighboring suburbs. Many routes originate from DDOT's two primary transit centers, the Rosa Parks Transit Center in Downtown Detroit, and the Jason Hargrove Transit Center on Detroit's northern border. Bus service generally operates between 5 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, while Sunday service starts approximately 7 a.m. and ends between 8 and 9 p.m. Routes 3-8, 10, 16 and 17 operate at all times.
DDOT's bus services are operated with a fleet of 296 transit buses, consisting of the following:
New Flyer XD40 New Flyer XD60 New Flyer XDE40 New Flyer XE40 New Flyer XE60 Proterra ZX5 40’
List of current routes All termini listed are in the city of Detroit unless otherwise noted. = ConnectTen = 30-minute rush hour frequency = 60-minute rush hour frequency
#NameTerminiLengthFrequency (min)NotesMon-FriSatSun1VernorRosa Parks Transit CenterMichigan Avenue & Schaefer Road (Dearborn)25-3030452MichiganRosa Parks Transit CenterFairlane Town Center (Dearborn)20-3030603Grand RiverE Jefferson Avenue & Beaubien BoulevardGrand River Avenue & 7 Mile Road10-1215154WoodwardRosa Parks Transit CenterJason Hargrove Transit Center1220205Van Dyke/LafayetteRosa Parks Transit CenterBel Air Center20-3030456Gratiot3rd Avenue & Michigan AvenueGratiot Avenue & 8 Mile Road1520307Seven MileMoross Road & Mack AvenueOld Redford Meijer15-2020308WarrenWarren Road & Telegraph Road20–3030459JeffersonRosa Parks Transit CenterMack Avenue & Alter Road10-12151510 GreenfieldFairlane Town Center (Dearborn)Henry Ford Providence Hospital (Southfield)15-202020Overnight service ends at Michigan/Greenfield11ClairmountWarren Avenue & Conner AvenueFort Street & Clark Street60 - -12ConantBelle IsleJason Hargrove Transit Center45-60606013ConnerJefferson Avenue & St. Jean StreetBel Air Center60606015Chicago/DavisonMcNichols Road & Joseph Campau AvenuePlymouth Road & Burt Road606060Truncated to Woodward/Manchester on weekends16DexterW Jefferson Avenue & Shelby StreetOld Redford Meijer15-202020Truncated to Rosa Parks Transit Center on weekends17Eight MileMoross Road & Mack AvenueGrand River Avenue & 7 Mile Road20-25303018FenkellRosa Parks Transit CenterFenkell Avenue & Telegraph Road (detour)40456019FortFort Street & W Outer Drive35-40606023Hamilton-John R8 Mile Road & Woodward Avenue45-60606027JoyTelegraph Road & W Chicago (Redford)50505029LinwoodUniversity of Detroit Mercy50505030LivernoisW Jefferson Avenue & Brennan StreetJason Hargrove Transit Center40–60606031MackRosa Parks Transit CenterMoross Road & Mack Avenue20-30306032McNicholsMoross Road & Mack AvenueMcNichols Road & Telegraph Road30-506060Truncated to Old Redford Meijer on weekends38PlymouthGratiot + FrenchI-96 & Middlebelt Road (Livonia)60 606039PuritanWoodward Avenue & Manchester Parkway (Highland Park)M-39 & Fenkell Avenue60606040RussellRosa Parks Transit CenterEast Outer Drive & Van Dyke Avenue50-70707041SchaeferW Jefferson Avenue & Brennan Street8 Mile Road & Schaefer Highway60606042Mid-City LoopClockwise loop through Woodward & Mack, Woodward & Manchester60606043SchoolcraftWoodward Avenue & Manchester Parkway (Highland Park)Telegraph Road & W Chicago (Redford)60606046SouthfieldFairlane Town Center (Dearborn)9 Mile Road & Rutland Drive (Southfield)60 - -Weekday peak only47TiremanMack Avenue & John R StreetRiver Rouge Park50 - -52CheneRosa Parks Transit CenterNevada Avenue & Van Dyke Avenue60606054WyomingW Jefferson Avenue & West End StreetJason Hargrove Transit Center60606060EvergreenFairlane Town Center (Dearborn)Evergreen Road & 10 Mile Road (Southfield)30306067Cadillac-HarperRosa Parks Transit CenterMoross Road & Mack Avenue60606068ChalmersJefferson Avenue & St. Jean Street8 Mile Road & Schoenherr Road606060
Fares Standard fixed-route bus fares :
Regular: $2 Reduced (for seniors, Medicare cardholders, disabled riders, and local K-12 students): 50¢ Children under 44" tall and Wayne State University students: free
Fares can be paid onboard with cash; the standard fare includes a transfer ticket upon request, valid for unlimited additional rides on DDOT and SMART buses for four hours.
Unlimited-ride "Dart" passes are available, allowing unlimited rides for one, seven, or 31 days. Some passes are accepted only on DDOT, while "regional" Dart passes are also valid on SMART. All Dart passes can be purchased from DDOT's ticket offices at the Rosa Parks and Jason Hargrove Transit Centers, and regional Dart passes are also sold at SMART's ticket offices in downtown Detroit and Royal Oak, at select local retailers, and online on SMART's website.
All DDOT fares and passes are available digitally through the Transit and Token Transit mobile apps.
Paratransit Along with fixed-route bus service, DDOT also offers MetroLift, an on-demand paratransit service. MetroLift service is operated by four private contractors: Moe Transportation, Big Star Transit, Checker Cab Company, and Delray United Action Council.
Detroit Downtown Trolley