A huge thank you to everyone who has come out to the DDOT hearings, called Mayor Bing, and otherwise spoken out against gutting DDOT!
The turn out at the hearings and rally has been amazing, with hundreds of people packing each one so far! And while some of the chants at the rally and some people’s hearing comments have been off-message and not helpful, the overall message to DDOT and to Bing through the media has been loud and clear – Detroit can’t afford these cuts!
And they’re hearing it. City Council members spoke out strongly yesterday in opposition to the cuts. The Mayor’s staff has backpedaled, repeating that the cuts are not final and they’re "working around the clock" to figure out other budget solutions.
Keep it going!!
If you haven’t yet, please go to one of the remaining hearings.
Call Mayor Bing’s office (313-224-3400).
Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper.
Make sure to clearly articulate why you oppose the cuts. Explain which ones would hurt you the most and why. (IE – "I’m especially concerned about Sunday cuts because I have to work on weekends.") If you have ideas of what else should be cut instead, share those. It can also be helpful to point out that we really need a dedicated regional funding source for transit, like every other major city has.
But most important, keep the message going! While we may not be able to prevent all the cuts, we may be able to preserve much of the service so many people rely on. Keep up the great work!