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Existing Bus Routes |
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Existing Bus routesOnly SMART 24 hours buses on THE Plan routes for best service. Both DDOT and SMART connect in downtown Detroit to fully connect Detroit with the surburbs. Bus routes form a regional system by elimination of duplicated efforts. Creation of transfer points in nearby suburbs in areas of heavy commerce activity such as Northland and Fairlane Malls. ( Pictured Below ) |
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** Wonderland is no longer a mall. This area is now the crossroads for Target, Wal-Mart, Meijer, Home Depot, a nearby SMART park and ride , existing suburban / downtown / airport bus transfer point. There are many new and planned senior citizens housing units in this area. Bus schedules for both SMART and DDOT are included to be fully coordinated in one format with proposed route sharing as described to increase ridership. Traffic signaling using railroad technology is very adaptable in this area which can move buses fast through heavy traffic. This is done by using lane sharing with cars to clear the way for buses. Think of a railroad crossing, then replace the train with a bus. Cars wait for the bus then proceed. |
Downtown Detroit streets have few driveways and many alleys which make them easy to convert to bus only streets or with bus only lanes. This will work to create a pedestrian friendly area fully connected to trains, planes, buses and cars. |
- Stop at an outdoor cafe while transfering to a bus to the airport from Royal Oak
- Stop for lunch while going to the Amtrak station in Dearborn from Troy.
- Stop for a newspaper and coffee while going to work form Roseville to Westland.
- Stop for breakfast on the way to the zoo coming from Lincoln Park.
- Enjoy improvded transit on the Woodward Corridor on the way to the Cranbrook Institute coming from Taylor.
The building of a central bus terminal complete with bus only roads as above are essential to get SMART and DDOT buses in and out of downtown fast. The bus only roads eliminate bus gridlock during rush hours, festivals, conventions and sporting events and are consistent with moving cars off of I-94 and I-75 thus moving trucks faster and building a much stronger state ecomony. The costs of the downtown Detroit changes are very significant but will pay for themselves in greatly increased bus ridership. |
- Bus only streets in downtown Mt. Clemens and Pontiac similar to above.
- Southfield and Troy to have extensive bus only lanes, roads and cut-throughs.
- Bus turnaround at Metro Airport separate from traffic.
Getting in and out of downtown will be as fast as a car and a "no-brainer" with the THE Plan system. Computers do the thinking instead of bus schedules making transit fun again, like nearly a hundred years ago. |