Transit Impact Stories: Allister Bell Jr.

I’m a lifelong student, a lover of science, fantasy and an avid tech enthusiast! Transit has always been integral to my education and my family’s ability to access resources needed on a daily basis.

“If I didn’t have public transit it would’ve cost me my education.”

Although I haven’t taken the bus regularly in years, the fact that public transportation is essential has always been clear to me. When I was in high school the bus helped me get to and from school. My dad couldn’t afford to pick me up or drop me off during high school, so the bus was my only form of transportation. If I didn’t have public transit it would’ve cost me my education. Transit has been essential for me when attending college at Western Michigan University as well. By making it possible for me to carry groceries and resources to my dorm, public transportation quickly became a life saver at crucial times in my life.

“When you have a reliable transportation system it will encourage more people to take advantage of that public service.”

I haven’t taken a bus in a while, I mostly drive now. My most recent public transit experience was last year when I took a Lansing bus to visit the zoo, before then it had been about 8 yrs or so. I don’t take public transportation as much as I’d like because the inconsistent service and shotty reliability. I’d like to take public transit more frequently, as it’s way cheaper than owning a car. On average I spend $150 to $200 per month on car related expenses! Although I haven’t taken the bus in a while, several of my family members rely solely on the Detroit region’s bus system. My grandmother, niece, nephews and sister make it clear that without public transit they couldn’t reasonably get to appointments, fill out prescriptions, go to school, or even get groceries. They often complain about wanting cleaner buses, cheaper fare and an increase of bus frequency. I know public transit is good for the region, but transit would be even better if it were scheduled to run at shorter intervals, if the hours extended longer, and was overall more safe.

“If I could tell DDOT and SMART one thing, I would say invest more into transit and create an electric regional rail system!”

In Kalamazoo for example, the buses are more frequent, running every half hour. There’s security cameras at the front of the coach, the buses are cleaner and the fare is cheaper. Students could get on the bus for free after showing their student ID, I thought that was pretty cool. Compare that to Detroit’s transit, where the buses can be scheduled to show up hourly on some routes and the students have to pay to travel. With the infrequency of the buses at times, my family has waited two to three hours for a bus. When you don’t have enough buses that are running frequently you have residents who can’t meet their basic needs. It can lead to mothers with limited childcare options because they can’t ensure they’ll be on time, a situation my sister has dealt with countless occasions. On the contrary, when you have a reliable transportation system it will encourage more people to take advantage of that public service.

Ideally, a train system that could connect the region would be greatly efficient and complimentary to the bus system. A regional rail system would take stress off of the bus system, and all the many dedicated people who keep it running. Imagine going from Detroit to Flint or Kalamazoo with no fuss or hours long inconvenience on a routine basis. We could connect communities in the region in a way I’ve never seen before in my lifetime. If I could tell DDOT and SMART one thing, I would say invest more into transit and create an electric regional rail system!

“When you don’t have enough buses you have […] mothers with limited childcare options “

I’ve been talking to my friend who does a lot of environmental justice work, and I’ve learned that a major benefit to an increase in public transportation usage, is that it can positively impact the environment. The more people on buses, bikes, trains, scooters and walking means fewer cars we’ll have on our roads. Although the bus isn’t the most carbon neutral, it’s still much better on emission rates compared to cars. One of the best ways I can think to improve the current system and ridership, is by increasing driver pay. I drove for several companies commercially, and the pay was always very important to my colleagues and I. It can be difficult dealing with the public, while safely handling such large vehicles. I didn’t deal with half as much as bus drivers do but I was paid more. I think drivers should get paid at least $35 an hour for dealing with long hours and dangerous passengers/situations. I’ve been eye witness to so many fights and dangerous scenarios. I believe their wages should act as an incentive that fosters attitudes of wanting to come to work, and welcome the challenges they face in their positions as essential public servants. I am hopeful that in time, I’ll see these concerns addressed and look forward to seeing improvements and expansions to Michigan’s public transit system.