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It begins, sort of: Metro Detroit transit coordination


DetSMART45

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The mysterious RTA Michigan folks' meddling with SMART and DDOT can only be gleaned by little leaks of information, since nobody wants to openly talk -- especially to the current users of Metro Detroit's bus systems.

 

Latest dribbles come from this article describing how two busy corridors -- Woodward Av and Gratiot Av -- will receive "better" service through coordination/"cooperation" (purposeful quotes) between DDOT and SMART.

 

Now, the local Transit Utopianists will surely love this development.  The service, branded as REFLEX, immediately made me associate it with the Duran Duran hit single of the same name from the 1980s.

 

Unintentionally, the RTA has fittingly named this new service, since the song is about masturbation.  The Utopianists -- who don't use public transport actively, but like the feel-good vibes that come from their good ideas put into practice, irregardless of eventual outcomes -- have been riding the edge for years, and will finally be able to climax.  HOWEVER, the real, regular users of both systems will see it for what it is: a nice diversion, but hardly something you can do all the time.

 

Additional information:

Woodward Av corridor is served in the suburbs every 15 minutes by SMART's 450/460 services (within the 7 mile "core" area), with branches to Somerset/Troy and Pontiac alternating into every 30 minutes weekdays.  On Saturday, 20 minute headways serve the core, while branches get the odd treatment -- Pontiac every hour, Troy 20 minutes, then 40 minutes.  Sundays move to 25 minute headways within the core, with straight 50 minute headways to the two branches.  DDOT moves customers from the suburban line to Downtown every 10 minutes weekdays and Saturdays, and every 15 minutes Sundays.

 

Gratiot Av corridor suburban SMART service operates erratically, with 15 minute headways the norm weekdays, sometimes getting as low as 10-12.  "Select trips" branching to New Baltimore occurs every hour -- something not addressed by REFLEX.  Interestingly, over the past 20 years, population has actually moved north along Gratiot Av in the suburbs, yet neither SMART nor the RTA seem to pay it any mind (maybe since they don't actually use the service, eh?).  Saturdays, 30 minute headways, with New Baltimore getting service still every 60.  Sundays, a repeat of Saturday.  DDOT, once again running from the sububran line to Downtown, operates 10-12 during Peak, 15 midday weekdays; every 15 minutes Saturdays; and 10-15 minute headways Sundays depending on daypart.

 

As the article states, DDOT will operate REFLEX on Woodward Av, and SMART on Gratiot Av.  With REFLEX operating every 45 minutes (as a limited-stop service), nobody has said how Local service will be adapted:

--The entirety of both corridors are not receiving service, so it is not clear how Pontiac-area or northern Gratiot customers receive any benefit or if their Local service will be increased to match what will be available further south.

--DDOT customers within the City of Detroit could be left with less service along two highly used corridors.  DDOT is currently running their new artics along both routes weekdays to deal with the crowding.  If headways are cut, because of the overlay of REFLEX, these customers will certainly not be happy with sardine can buses.

--DDOT just reinstated 24 hour service along both corridors, and with DDOT operating REFLEX along Woodward Av, current SMART customers would be hoping for an expansion of that service to their areas.  Doesn't sound like that idea is on the table, or has even been floated.

 

There are many additional questions to be answered, which is why I think these "wonderful ideas" aren't getting too much public exposure.  As an example, when I attended an RTA public meeting earlier in the month (which was attended by VERY obvious NON-users of both systems -- hence my Transit Utopianist moniker), this REFLEX service was not even discussed or presented in their PowerPoint presentations or pass-outs.  (But I got a cool reusable shopping bag with the RTA logo on it -- which elicited a hearty BOO from a DDOT bus operator later in the day when he noticed it.)

 

Once again, a prime example of people who have good ideas, but don't use the system, thinking they're doing great things.  They'll probably ride for the first day photo-ops, then retreat back into their cars, clogging up the streets and freeways they seem so keen on clearing of congestion.

 

I guess Utopia is in the eye of the beholder.  Or in the self gratification.

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Once again, a prime example of people who have good ideas, but don't use the system, thinking they're doing great things.  They'll probably ride for the first day photo-ops, then retreat back into their cars, clogging up the streets and freeways they seem so keen on clearing of congestion.

 

 

I guess Utopia is in the eye of the beholder.  Or in the self gratification.

These people are the people who make it bad for the real pro-transit types who actually have an interest in improving service not "improving service" (note the quotes) . I see this all the time on another website called PlanPhilly.

 

There are three types of users in the comment section:

1. The transit utopians (as you call them)

2. the "this is Philadelphia, not NY" curmudgeons (aka NIMBYs)

3. the transit professionals/ aspiring transit professionals/ common sense thinkers (I like to think of myself as one of those)

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These people are the people who make it bad for the real pro-transit types who actually have an interest in improving service not "improving service" (note the quotes) . I see this all the time on another website called PlanPhilly.

 

There are three types of users in the comment section:

1. The transit utopians (as you call them)

2. the "this is Philadelphia, not NY" curmudgeons (aka NIMBYs)

3. the transit professionals/ aspiring transit professionals/ common sense thinkers (I like to think of myself as one of those)

Yes, see all of those types.  However, being that Michigan is all about the car, there are far more Utopians than anyone else.  And their mission isn't so that they would be more apt to actually use the system, but to make themselves feel good, "making a difference" and all that rot.  The type of person who will be an ecomentalist, rant and rave about climate change, maybe be so bold as to get a Toyota Prius to show everyone what a good person they are, but when gas prices dip down to $2.00 or less per gallon, start tooling around in their SUV -- yet continue to lecture everyone else on how lives have to be changed.

 

The first visible manifestation of this is the tramline known as the M-1 Rail.  The Utopians (car users, all) are fully behind this.  Planning is so short-sighted because of all of the hype that surrounded, and continues to surround, it.  Part of the plan includes cutting congestion on the major Downtown Detroit thoroughfare of Woodward Av, yet not one of the "major developers" snatching up buildings/land at bargain-basement prices (and oodles of dollars in tax subsidies) ever thought to do what is done at major stops along the MNRR or LIRR: Have a station that includes parking attached to it, especially at the northern end of the line.  So there really is no "incentive" for the car users to park their cars and use the tram in hopes of relieving any congestion within Downtown.

 

Another important consideration is that these Utopians do NOT do any type of walking, even within their own neighborhoods.  VERY visible when pedestrians try to cross streets that are outside of any built-up, walkable area (such as the main roads with speed limits of 40mph or greater) -- think Nassau County.  If their crumb-cruncher has a "playdate" at little Bobby's house four blocks away in their own neighborhood, they get into their car and shuttle the youngin' over there, and then drive back home.  If they needed a gallon of milk and a gas station or party store was two blocks away, they get into the car to go and fetch it.  And THESE are the people who are so gaga over the M-1 Rail and the other RTA "big plans" -- yet you can't pry them from their cars on a regular basis.  BUT because it's a "good idea" -- one they won't be using but they'll go along to get along -- they're all for it.

 

An equally important issue is the conquering of the region's perception that bus use is ONLY for those who are poor or who cannot afford a car like them.  The people of Metro Detroit, as I've said many times, absolutely HATE the bus, and it's primarily because of this negative image.  However, all of the political figures which sit on these transit boards do absolutely NOTHING to combat it over time.  But, once again, they think their big plans will have everyone doing a complete 180 with their thinking, and people will be piling on buses, trams or commuter trains.  The two SMART Board members representing Oakland County (one of the nation's most affluent) BOTH live in communities which do not participate in SMART, and are "important" people within Oakland County government.  They surely see the little 29 footers that circle the campus where they work out the window, but if you asked them if they used it, they'd have to say no.  I'd imagine they even give the car a little more gas to bypass them and mutter under their breath if they were delayed because the bus had to stop for a customer or two.  Force them to use the buses?  They'd have such a long laundry list of excuses that you'd give up just to get them to shut their yaps.

 

The NIMBYs are here in the form of communities which have opted to not participate in SMART.  They'll be in for a very rude awakening once the RTA folks start ramping things up.  Currently, Wayne and Oakland Counties allow residents (via their city councils) to opt-in or opt-out of the millage which supports SMART.  Once RTA gains more power, they will have no choice in the matter -- everyone will be paying, even if there will be no fixed-route or other regular services within their communities.  Certain portions of those counties are like Nassau and Suffolk where it's not financially feasible for anything but access-a-ride-type transit options (and even those may be lightly used), which is why most of the current opt-out communities choose not to participate.  SMART, to an extent, has recognized that, but going forward, they're paying no matter what.  NOT going to be pretty once that happens.

 

Your "this is Philly, not NYC" type was placated in the RTA's PowerPoint map of areas with BRT.  When I asked the one RTA guy why NYC was notably missing from the map, and said the MTA would surely not be too enthusiastic about such an omission, he basically told me exactly that: "this is Detroit, not NYC."  BUT, as I told him, the most obvious solution to getting BRT going would be to do exactly what the MTA is doing with SBS.  Low construction costs, yet an easier way to encourage non-users to become users.  That common sense was met with a smidgen of recognition, even though he was the type to sell the big WOW factor of tearing up streets, building big stations and all that goes along with that because -- as I said before -- the "if we build it, they will come" thinking.

 

Finally, the transit professionals.  SMART and the other transit-type agencies have tons of these type on the payrolls, yet NOTHING has been done to improve service even after the RTA was instituted from the state legislature.  There have been NO new routes added, no advertising (except for the "pity"-type when millage renewals come up), no outreach to major businesses like groceries, party stores, drug stores to sell passes (you CAN, however, get DDOT passes around the city at banks and CVS drug stores), no outreach to opt-out communities to the benefits of opting-in, and no pushing employers to use the transit deductions/tax savings plans.

 

The SMART "transit professionals" tend to do things like reprint schedules because they "improve" routes by shaving a minute or two off a couple trips.  Same old headways, same 40 minute transfer connections, same everything else.  Their latest genius idea was to take a weekday peak-only Local route and move the terminal basically to "nowhere".  Up to five additional routes could have also either used the same terminal or passed-through it (it's an Amtrak limited service station surrounded by a Target, a grocery store, a Home Depot, a small condominium development -- you know, an ideal place to pick up/drop off customers), BUT those professionals overlooked the obvious.  So ONE route terminates and serves this shopping area, with the other three regular service routes pushing their customers to walk up to 1/2 mile to get there.  Legendary thinking on display.

 

In all of this, bus customers don't get attention at all.  So many improvements could be implemented that when the Utopians come along, you could look them in they eye and say, "So ... when have you used the bus recently?  It's been pretty available to you."

 

Instead, it's going to be built on the hopes of "If we built it, can we guilt them into riding it?" with a little side of "And pay for it?"

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