Overall, 2023 was a challenging year for Detroit area public transit, with a major driver shortage resulting in a devastating no-show bus crisis, which may nearing resolution in early 2024. Despite struggles, transit riders, advocates, and allies came together with TRU for major wins in state transit funding and Oakland County transit expansion. Throughout the year, we spotlighted the need for and benefits of transit through events, media, rallies, social media, and more. Thank you to TRU members, allies, and everyone else who made this important work possible!
Big Win on State Transit Investment
We seized upon the opportunity of new legislative leadership to win the largest state transit budget ever – including $60 million for local bus operating – by speaking out to legislators, engaging allied organizations, mobilizing hundreds of emails to legislators, and much more:
- TRU and allies hosted a pair of Transit Legislative Breakfasts.
- We evaluated, reported on, and developed recommendations for transit funding needs, updated throughout the budget process.
- We educated members, allies, and legislators about how transit is funded with Transit Tuesday Talks, factsheets, presentations, and more.
- TRU Director Megan Owens testified before the MI House Budget Subcommittee in March
- We mobilized 1400+ hand-written postcards, calls, and emails to legislators pushing for transit funding.
- Team of transit supporters went up to the Capital twice to meet with dozens of legislators and their staff pushing more transit funding.
Much of the funding victory were one-time funds, so we’re already ramping up to fight to make those funds permanent and to develop a greater dedicated funding source to ensure sufficient long-term transit funding – our top priority for 2024.
We also developed a Transit Action Agenda for Michigan which maps out a dozen other ways the State can improve and expand transit. And we joined hundreds of activists from across the state at a Climate Day at the Capital, spotlighting the important role of transit in minimizing the climate crisis in meetings with dozens of legislators and from the Capital steps.
Shined a Spotlight on the No-Show Bus Crisis and Need to Boost Driver Pay
The COVID pandemic, inflation, and decades of underfunding resulted in a major shortage of bus drivers for both SMART and DDOT, resulting in fully 10% of scheduled buses not operating, even after both system cut back their scheduled service. All throughout 2023, TRU mobilized riders, activists, and allies to shine a public spotlight on the problem and to recommend solutions – primarily truly competitive pay for bus drivers.
- TRU hosted a Valentine’s Day event urging transit leaders to Show Riders and Drivers Some Love, with Valentines and media attention from WXYZ TV 7, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, and Bridge Detroit.
- Dozens of TRU team and allies testified before Detroit City Council urging them to boost City investment in DDOT.
- TRU published our Save Our Service report, explaining the driver shortage and pay comparisons, service limitations, rider stories, and concrete recommendations for solutions.
- We mobilized hundreds of people to call and email key transit decision-makers.
- Transit supporters ensured Mayor Duggan heard bus concerns at every one of his required public meetings, often the top topic.
- We joined with ATU drivers union and 50 supporters for a rally and march spotlighting our Save Our Service report and demanding higher wages.
Our Save Our Service report, mobilization, rallies, and other efforts finally paid off in January 2024 with Mayor Duggan boosting driver pay by $3/hour. A huge thank you to everyone who joined our efforts in testifying, speaking out, calling and emailing, and more. After a year of absurdly glacial progress, SMART may be near a new contract too. We’ll keep the pressure on as long as riders are keep being stranded by no-show buses!
Helped Reimagine DDOT focused on Reliability and Frequency
As part of our drive for Accessible, Reliable, Convenient transit for all, we helped DDOT develop an ambitious plan to revamp and enhance their service, called DDOT Reimagined. While they still lack the staffing, funding, and timeline to implement it, it does a great job of creating a vision of what DDOT could and should be, focused on reliability and frequency.
Supported SMART Expansion Throughout Oakland County
After last year’s historic win expanding transit throughout all of Oakland County, we were excited to watchdog implementation of that expansion. For the first time in decades, Novi and Wixom have regular bus service! (We’re still working to persuade Twelve Oaks Mall management to allow buses directly onto the mall property.) Oakland County also supported major expansion of advanced reservation and paratransit service throughout northern and western Oakland County, run by NOTA, WOTA, OPC, and People’s Express.
We’re also advising SMART on their SMARTer Mobility planning project and eagerly awaiting expansion into Rochester and beyond.
Hosted Ten Transit Tuesday Talks Throughout the Region
Transit Tuesday Talk series dug into many of the top transit issues of the day bringing 24 expert guest speakers together with 300 attendees, along with hundreds more following on social media. Topics included:
- State policy solutions, featuring Michigan’s Chief Infrastructure Officer Zach Kolodin;
- Regional transit planning, bringing together leaders from RTA, SEMCOG, and SMART;
- Rural Community Transit, featuring Oakland County, North Oakland Transit Authority, and RTA;
- Active Mobility and Safe Streets, featuring Ferndale’s outgoing mayor, MoGo, and Detroit Greenways Alliance;
- Downtown Mobility and Parking, including QLINE, Detroit People Mover, and Detroiters for Parking Reform;
- Oakland County Transit expansion, featuring Oakland County Commission Chairman Dave Woodward, with SMART and Oakland County’s new Transit Manager;
- Transit as a Critical Climate Solution, with 1000 Friends of Wisconsin and Ecology Center;
- Spotlight on DDOT, featuring Detroit’s Director of Transit and hosted by Eastside Community Network; and
- How Transit is Funding.
Those followed our big State of Transit 2023 event, featuring 10 speakers and attended by over 150 riders, members, and other supporters. TRU is very proud of our ongoing role bringing transit leaders and policy makers together in meaningful conversation with transit riders, activists, and other allies.
Drew Transit into Critical State Policy Conversations
An important part of our mission is to reframe public perception of public transit as an essential public good. When Governor Whitmer convened the Growing Michigan Together Council to develop recommendations to grow Michigan’s population, we provided a clear answer: Transit! In a meeting with Hillarie Doe, in a detailed letter to the Council, and in a Crain’s op-ed, we shared dozens of reports, articles, op-eds, and other publications that show how important transit and other mobility options are for making Michigan a place more people want to live, work, invest, and play. TRU Board member Emily Thomas echoed our message as a member of the Infrastructure and Placemaking Workgroup.
And much more
In addition to major efforts like those listed above, TRU also weighs in on other issues that could influence access to affordable, sustainable mobility for all. We submitted a letter of support for a federal Advancing Corridors for Transit grant application from RTA, SEMCOG, and MDOT to advance rapid transit throughout our region. Additionally, we sent a letter in support of the Land Value Tax proposal as a way to encourage redevelopment on parking lots and vacant lots.
Recognizing unprecedented levels of federal funding now available for US transportation projects, we also collaborated with several partner groups from across the Midwest to develop a new report, “Flex Your Grants: Leveraging Federal Dollars for Clean Transportation Projects.” This resource was authored by the Shared Use Mobility Center in collaboration with the RE-AMP transportation team. We pushed both MDOT and SEMCOG to prioritize clean mobility projects and trained activists to fight for the same.
To broaden understanding of why transit is important, we relaunched our Transit Impact Story series, sharing the personal transit experiences of Kathy, Patty, and Mitch. We welcome your transit story too, if you have one you want to share. Additionally, we partnered with the Towards Equitable Electric Mobility Michigan cohort to record videos of a dozen Michiganders sharing how clean mobility can improve our state and our lives – stay tuned for those!
Sadly, we lost several valued members of the transit community over the past year, including long-time activist Brother Thomas Zerafa, passionate transit supporter Mark Flanders, SMART employee Janice Bauer (killed in a tragic bus crash), and long-time environmental leaders Lydia Fischer and Anna Holden. We fondly remember these wonderful individuals and wish the very best for their families.
More joyously, we trained several great young interns – including Duane, Jennifer, Aaron, Stanley, and Petra – and dozens of fabulous activists. It’s always exciting to help develop tomorrow’s transit champions!