MI: In a city where residents struggle with transportation, Detroit will build 160 bus shelters

Rain or shine, snow or sleet, Tim Jackson of Detroit knows the drill when waiting for a bus in Detroit: Be prepared for the elements.

"I just bundle up in the winter," said Jackson as he waited for a bus downtown to take him to a doctor's appointment after work.

In a city where one-third of the population is considered "transportation insecure," meaning they don't have their own car or reliable transportation, Detroit doesn't always make it easy for those who need public transportation. Only about 4% of the Detroit Department of Transportation's 5,100 stops have shelters.

But slowly, DDOT says they're making significant investments to add more shelters for the thousands in the city who use their services regularly.

By the end of July, the agency plans to build 60 shelters at stops throughout the city as part of the first phase of an ambitious plan to add shelters and improve its infrastructure. The stops often include glass panels, benches, and solar panel-operated USB ports so riders can charge their cellphones while they wait for buses to arrive.

In its second phase, DDOT will add another 100 shelters, either new ones or updating shelters that are already been in place. Construction is expected to start this fall on those shelters and be finished by the end of 2026.

DDOT used surplus money from the last fiscal year's budget to begin building shelters, and at least $2.7 million more will come from this year's budget.

Jonathan Hondcorp, DDOT's capital projects manager, said the agency has heard the criticism that DDOT lacks infrastructure, and "Here’s the thing: We agree."

"We want to provide an experience for our riders that allows them to feel comfortable to take a ride on the bus," Hondcorp said. "Expanding our bus shelter system is an important part of that."

Any improvements at DDOT in terms of shelters are likely to impact a significant percentage of Detroiters, given that one-third of the city's population is considered transportation insecure, which is higher than the national average of one-quarter, according to a recent University of Michigan study.

The new and replaced bus shelters are a sign the agency is continuing to improve, said Joel Batterman, campaigns manager for Transportation Riders United, a mass transit advocacy group.

“Obviously, we want to cut down on the time the riders have to wait, but it's important that people have a dignified and safe place to wait for the bus. It's been very good to see the shelters going up around town, “ Batterman said. “In these kinds of temperatures, it's important to have shade."

Hondcorp said DDOT realizes there are a lot of "little things" that frustrate riders, namely long wait times, but the agency wants to do better.

It's about "making a better experience," said Hondcorp, who notes that having shelters at 4% of its stops is the national average. "These are just some steps."

Solar panels, USB ports

At one new shelter, installed on Washington Boulevard just north of Michigan Avenue in late May, glass panels now enclose a bench, covered by a roof. In one corner is a USB port for charging phones. Solar panels cover the roof.

Hondcorp said the first phase of new shelters was supposed to be done by the end of June but permitting slowed down the process. They're now expected to be done by the end of July.

Locations for the second phase of shelters have already been approved and DDOT is working through site design and engineering, said DDOT Director Robert Cramer. Locations are selected under the city's Title VI service standards, under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which regulates where stops go, including the level of service at stops and hours of operation.

Bus stops with higher levels of service are given higher priority for shelters, according to the city's Title VI standards.

Hondcorp said installing shelters at bus stops can be challenging in Detroit — more challenging than adding them at stops in the suburbs where land is often more abundant. Space can be constricted in the downtown area and DDOT needs to have a certain amount of space, especially when it comes to boarding space for riders in wheelchairs.

"We call it the boarding pad," he said. "We need to make sure the slope of the concrete where people are boarding" is sufficient.

Boosting shelter productivity

Building the new shelters isn't just about giving riders a space to sit or get out of the elements. DDOT officials also are taking a "if you build it, they will come" approach, hoping the shelters will boost what they call "shelter productivity," or the percentage of total boardings at bus stops.

Hondcorp said a little over 18% of total boardings are at DDOT's bus stops that have shelters.

"That’s something we’re looking to improve," he said.

Still, installing new shelters comes with a cost.

Hondcorp said the average price for a new shelter is $50,000 and "that is too high," he said.

The timeline to get one installed also is longer than some may realize — two years from request to installation. That can be frustrating for people who request shelters, Hondcorp said.

"I totally get it — there are all these different, complex moving parts that go into it," he said.

Improvements

DDOT has struggled with a range of issues over the years, from long wait-times for riders and budget constraints to one-third of its buses routinely being out of service.

A study published by the University of Michigan, Transportation Insecurity in the Motor City, in January found that 36% of those studied in Detroit were unable to regularly get from place to place in a safe or timely manner due to "an absence of resources" necessary for transportation. Resources include money for gas or bus fare, friends who can provide rides, or being healthy enough to walk.

The study was based on a survey of roughly 2,300 Detroiters in 2023 responding to a set of questions about transportation. It found women and those with incomes below $30,000 were more likely to be transportation insecure.

"This report that we put out was among the only reports that has looked at transportation security using this measure that was developed by Dr. (Alex) Murphy (at the University of Michigan) for a specific community," said Lydia Wileden, an assistant research professor at the University of Connecticut's School of Public Policy. "Usually that data has been collected at the national level. So this was one of the first studies to look at the local level."

Transportation Riders United is well aware of Detroit's transit challenges. The group has monthly meetings with DDOT staff. Batterman said the bus system is “not where it needs to be, I would say, but it's gotten certainly a lot better over the past few years."

"The pandemic really did a number on DDOT and transit agencies across the country," he said. "You know, the drivers still need to be paid much better than they are, because there's still a lot of turnover.”

Also, many bus routes run on an hourly basis, he said. “That obviously makes it extremely difficult to live your life around.”

Still, there have been improvements.

Batterman praised DDOT’s launching this month of same-day paratransit service that serves residents with disabilities.

Previously, residents in need of paratransit services had to schedule their ride at least one day in advance. Now, such service can be booked as quickly as one hour in advance.

As workers put the finishing touches on a shelter at his stop on Washington Boulevard recently, Jackson said he's noticed improvements.

"They're better," he said. And being able to charge his cellphone at the new shelter, "That's very convenient."