DDOT Given an 'F' on Riders Group's Report Card

DETROIT (WJBK) - If you had to grade the City of Detroit's bus system, what letter grade would you give them?

"I'd give them a D because sometimes they do run, sometimes they don't," said Mya Delaney.

She's close.

"I'd give them an 'F,'" another woman told us.

However, that's closer to the truth, at least according to the group Transportation Riders United. Tuesday, they released a report card for the city operated buses — an "F."

"We do need to make sure that the mayor of Detroit and the management of DDOT are truly dedicated to providing on time service. No excuses. No complaints. Fix it," said Megan Owens with Transportation Riders United.

Getting to work on time or getting home is a challenge for thousands. From buses breaking down to drivers not feeling safe, it's a concern.

"The buses break down. People depend on this," said Elisia Dorrouth. "I depend on this bus to get to school and to work, and it's ridiculous."

Out of the 4,000 buses that they tracked, only 2,000 of them were on time. That's as good as flipping a coin, according to the group.  They also say that 20 to 50-percent of the buses tracked didn't show up at all.

Transportation Riders United put out a five point plan. Number one, fix the buses, then improve who will be hired. Get buses in tune with a schedule, so they're on time. Improve communication between workers and the passengers, and finally look at long term solutions to transit in Detroit and the metro area.

The City Council along with DDOT officials Monday agreed that wait times would come down considerably with a little bit of work. Instead of what used to be a three hour wait, they say that should come down closer to 30 minutes — improvement of a system that few would argue is breaking down.

So, does Owens like what's being done relative to sitting down with the unions and trying to hammer out the problems?

"They absolutely have to work with the unions to ensure that this problem gets fixed. We need to make sure that the union work rules actually ensure that the work can get done and aren't actually getting in the way of some of these solutions," she said.

Mayor Dave Bing does plan to talk about the busing situation on Wednesday when he addresses the city on a variety of issues.

Also, that group says they'll be back in just about six months for another progress report to see if these problems have improved.

For More Information:

TRU DDOT Bus Report Card »