Public Transit - Daily Detroit

1500+ Episodes!

Hey everyone! We made it to 1,500 episodes of your Daily Detroit! For an all-local news podcast, this is a rare milestone. A huge thank you to our listeners, supporters, and sponsors over the years - as well as everyone who has ever helped behind the scenes. Norris Howard and Devon O'Reilly join Jer at the studio in TechTown. Here's what we get into: We reflect on 1,500 episodes, highlighting the show's impact and the variety of guests we've had over the years. We also get into the changes in t...

HOV lanesQLINE Public Transit

HOV Lanes coming // QLINE ridership up // Move to or invest in Detroit

Detailed show notes to come. * Norris makes the point about backing up your words with actions about moving to the city or investing in it if you have strong opinions about it or want the benefits as a listener wonders about library cards for non-residents * We talk about rising QLINE ridership and why that’s a good thing, and the surprising statistics as part of it * Plus, HOV lanes look like they’re coming to I-75 in Southern Oakland County. Good, bad, indifferent? * And the worst f...

Public TransitAaron Mondry

Transit is getting even worse in Detroit

Detroit’s bus service is a hot mess right now. From not enough drivers, to late performance, to contract negotiations that seem to be in the he said / she said stage…. plus, there’s expansion plans on the horizon that sound good, but it’s not clear how they’re going to get paid for. There’s a lot to unpack. and there’s so many Detroiters reliant on this transit system. To me, it’s a core local service that should just work. It matters, as in the Motor City a large percentage of residents...

Public TransitDetroit buses Megan Owens

Stranded at the stop: Metro Detroit's bus driver shortage crisis (ft. Megan Owens, TRU)

Today we focus on one topic – Metro Detroit’s bus driver shortage. It’s at crisis levels, with some of the worst on-time performance in the country between Detroit’s Department of Transportation and SMART. The issue? A lack of bus drivers, leaving thousands of people stranded or late regularly. Since the pandemic, it’s been very hard to attract and keep bus drivers, and service hasn’t been the same since 2019. This shortage is due in large part, according to a new report from Transpo...

coffee shopsDetroit development Public Transit

Coffee shops, National Dive Bar day, light rail and self storage

Is the future of vacant office and retail space in America self-storage? Sounds boring and not the ideal of vibrant streets, but it’ll give landlords money and demand seems to just not be there. A conversation inspired by this piece as a historic building that was formerly a Saks Fifth Avenue is adding self-storage in their retail: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/albert-kahn-building-detroit-adding-storage-units Detroit City Councilwoman Calloway wants to look to a future with...

Detroit TigersPublic Transit

Opening Day // Vernors as state pop? // Bus service changes + more

It's Opening Day! We talk about a number of stories around Metro Detroit, from bus service changes at SMART and DDOT, to a Grand Prix track concern, to a champion eater coming to Detroit to a link from a listener to petition to make Vernors the state pop. We do this show each and every weekday covering what to know and where to go in Metro Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to shows. Plus, our new round of etched Daily Detroit rocks glasses are here. They're only for P...

SMART busPublic Transit Dwight Ferrell

A new way to look at transit in Metro Detroit (ft. Dwight Ferrell, SMART)

Dwight Ferrell is the new-ish head of SMART, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation that runs transit services in Detroit's suburbs. Transit is an issue that's been difficult for southeast Michigan to solve. Between political differences, many cities with sprawled-out low population densities, large distances between job centers and differing priorities of what transit should do where the auto industry has been paramount; it's been hard to make progress. And the lack of it...

BussesDetroit Public Transit

SMART Gets Smart, Spends $34.6 Million On 80 New Buses

Some good news for public transportation users as SMART, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit, announced that it will spend $34.6 million on 80 new 40-foot buses. The upgrade is the next significant move by SMART, who has already put 61 new propane-fueled paratransit Connector buses into action this year. The purchase comes as a result of last year’s election, where 66 percent of voters approved a tax increase to help SMART upgrade 135 vehicles through a four-year operating i...

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