For some Detroit people working in the I-94 industrial corridor or Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the journey to and from get off work may be easier in the coming months.
According to the press release, the city is piloting a microtransportation project funded by a grant, which is scheduled to end in June. The project allows residents to arrange shuttles to and from get off work through the nearest Detroit Department of Transportation bus station. The ride is USD 2 per way (Dart fare cards can also be used), and users can schedule the ride at any time of the day until 5 pm the day before.
The I-94 Industrial Corridor is designated as the area mostly east of Hamtrak, which also surrounds the southern and southwestern parts of the city.
The key to the success of this pilot project is to get employers to work with it, which is why the city’s mobile innovation office held an open day on December 1st from 3pm to 5pm to answer employers’ questions and provide more information (Hind Ourahou, a senior mobile strategist at the Employer’s Mobile Innovation Office, says that you can register at mobility@detroitmi.gov). Detroitans who live anywhere in the city are eligible, and the service will take them directly to the place of work, free of charge to employers.
To determine whether this type of plan is suitable for future transportation services in Detroit, the city wants participating employers to collect and provide data that shows whether employees are more likely to go to work on time and whether services are reduced. Ourahou said regarding absenteeism and turnover.
"We are trying to work directly in the manufacturing corridor, which is known to be a difficult traffic area," Ourahou said. "The manufacturing corridor is in desperate need... We want a plan to target and provide services to the area so that residents, no matter where they are in the city, can find jobs in the area or even in the airport."
Ourahou said that if such a plan proves to be successful, it can help address the real needs of Detroit, help workers find jobs, and help employers maintain operational staffing.
"The disconnect is that employers blame employees, and employees blame the system. We need to bridge this disconnect," Ourahou said.
The program worked with DDOT and was managed by the city’s Mobile Innovation Office, but the city did not pay for it. Ourahou said the $1.4 million plan was funded by federal grants and 50% of the state government's funding. Due to grant restrictions, the program will now end in June. The purpose of using the bus stop to pick up and drop off participants is to promote more connections through DDOT.
The city’s public transportation challenges are no secret, and the impact of the pandemic puts greater pressure on the system and similar systems across the country. Detroit Transportation Executive Director C. Mikel Oglesby told Liberty Media earlier this month that DDOT has missed about 20% of scheduled services, which is why the system is implementing what he calls temporary service changes, including the suspension of three low-carrying capacity Route and reduce the frequency of other routes. He now blames the problem on low passenger flow and a shortage of drivers.
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The microtransportation plan is not a direct response to these issues. It was launched last year but was suspended due to the pandemic. Ourahou said that the plan uses three Ford transport trucks, which are currently limited to three passengers due to the COVID-19 agreement, and pointed out that the trucks will be disinfected between rides. The driver is employed by the contractor.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.