DDOT receives federal funding to complete projects, improve operations

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) has received federal funding to complete projects and improve its operations.  

The funding includes: 

• $50 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s latest round of bus grants to purchase 53 new buses. DDOT says those buses will be in addition to 76 buses awarded over the last two years in Biden Administration grants, bringing the total number of new bus purchases to 129, or 44% of the entire fleet. The new fleet will be housed in large part in the Coolidge Terminal, which will open in April 2026 and is being built on the site of the old terminal that had been destroyed in a fire in 2011. It was funded largely through federal grants under the Biden Administration.  
• DDOT mechanics, represented by AFSCME Local 312, ratified a new contract raising the top mechanic wage from $26 an hour to $34.50 an hour. DDOT notes its mechanics will now be paid a wage competitive with the rest of the market, allowing the department to address what it calls a “chronic backlog” in bus repairs. Funding for the mechanics’ raises came from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s successful package of the state transportation package last month. DDOT drivers also received a $6 hourly  pay increase as a result of the new state transportation packages. 

 “What DDOT has needed is funding for a complete overhaul: new buses, new terminal and much better pay for drivers and mechanics,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “In just the last month, the last pieces fell into place with the help of Gov. Whitmer and President [Donald] Trump. The complete rebuild of Detroit was a $250 million five-year project, but with last week’s announcements, DDOT’s future is the brightest it has been in decades.” 

According to Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield, the investment “is a turning point for Detroit transit. By investing in new buses, a modern terminal and fair wages for our drivers and mechanics, we are building a DDOT system that our city can depend on for decades to come.”  

DDOT Executive Director of Transit Robert Cramer says the 129 new buses will be what DDOT riders notice the most.   

“Our riders are well aware of the struggles of our aging fleet,” Cramer said. “With last week’s federal grant award, DDOT will soon have the most modern bus fleet in the United States.” 

During the announcement, Cramer showed off the new Coolidge Terminal, which will feature a new climate-controlled bus storage, state-of-the-art maintenance and operations facilities, as well as a new administration building with an indoor-outdoor employee lounge and kitchen and a workout room with lockers and showers. The Coolidge Terminal Complex includes three buildings: 

• A 121,192 square foot climate-controlled storage building that will house up to 120 buses during overnight hours or when they are not in service or undergoing maintenance. A section of the building also includes bays for vehicles to be washed regularly to help prevent maintenance issues. 
• A 54,293 square foot maintenance building, where buses will have routine maintenance and routine repairs conducted. 
• A 16,922 square foot administration building with offices and several new amenities for employees, including an exercise room, kitchen with an indoor/outdoor lounge lockers and showers. 

The project was designed to include strategically positioned and prepared areas for expansion of all three buildings to accommodate more capacity in the future.