DDOT adds 500 trips per week, Wi-Fi on all coaches

The city's Department of Transportation is improving bus services for Detroiters with upgraded service on ten of the city's most popular routes. City officials say they hope becoming a DDOT rider will be a great decision for many more, thanks to changes that include a new logo and a ConnectTen service upgrade that will add 500 trips per week on key routes.

"These are ten routes that are our busiest routes. You're going to get service every 15 minutes at peak (hours) every day of the week, and so riders are able to predict when the bus is coming," said Jerrell Harris with the City of Detroit. 

The top 10 routes include the Woodward, Grand River, Greenfield and Gratiot lines and they will be renumbered one through 10. It's a change that has DDOT driver Carletta Hill boasting with pride.

"I'm excited about the routes connecting everyone to downtown and also the frequency, how there will be improved service," she said.

Step inside the bus and riders will find a new feature: Wi-Fi. 

"We're putting Wi-Fi on all the coaches, so you'll have free WiFi access so you can get on social media, check your email, do a little homework while you're on the coach," Harris said. 

Detroit City Councilmen Scott Benson says the changes were needed.

"While the city has not been able and the region to get an RTA, a Regional Transit Authority in place, we're not going to let that stop us from delivering the best quality service for transit," he said.

More changes and upgrades are on the way still, too. 

"You're going to see more new buses roll out, and so this is the first of many to come. There are 30 new buses that are arriving this week and we have about 120 more on order to come the next year or so," said Harris.

"People are still wondering why I'm on the bus when I could have a car. But, it's like, no; we just need to take the bus. It's a better decision for myself, better decision for the community," said DDOT rider Bree Grant. "Mobility advancement is personal advancement and it's city-wide advancement."

For more about the upgrades and ongoing changes to DDOT, click here.