It'll be a transportation field day when you can check out a bike in Detroit as easily as you can a book from the library. Detroit Bike Sharing co-founders Stephanie Lucido and Jenna Przybycien share their plans for how the Motor City can be a cycle city.
Jenna Przybycien: Why Bikes Need to be in the Driver's Seat
Posted By: Jenna Przybycien & Stephanie Lucido
Posted: 10/20/2011
Detroit is synonymous with the automotive industry; after all, it's the Motor City. And when you are a city based around cars, public transportation takes a back seat:
"Poor bus service is hardly news in the Motor City. For decades, Detroit and its suburbs have operated the nation's most underfunded transit system. Southeast Michigan spends less per capita on transit than any other metropolitan region -- about 25 cents for every dollar spent nationally." Detroit Free Press, 10/9/11
"The Detroit City Council was outraged to hear (Tuesday) that out of the 200 broken city buses, only 30 have been repaired after several weeks of horror stories from residents including 3 1/2-hour waits for buses and lost jobs." Detroit Free Press, 10/12/11
"'Literally, as we speak, people are losing their jobs,' Councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins said referring to riders' complaints that late buses have gotten them fired." Detroit Free Press, 10/12/11
"Bus tardiness has grown steadily since January, from 28% of the DDOT buses running late to 38% in August." Detroit Free Press, 9/27/11
Twenty percent of the people living in Detroit do not own a vehicle, which means they rely solely on the bus systems to get them from point A to B. Public transportation should not be a reason that people can't get to work or school on time or unable to get to the grocery store or pharmacy.
I have been to other cities like Minneapolis and New York, where public transportation is a common way for people to get around and offers people a convenience. They have subway systems, light rails, bike sharing and buses. In Detroit, buses are really the only option, and as of lately, extremely inconvenient. Our city deserves better. The people living here deserve better.
And real solutions are in the works. Many people have probably heard about the Woodward Light Rail; a rail system that plans to extend from Detroit's Midtown to 8 mile. It is scheduled to be completed in 2016 to provide fast, reliable transportation and improve access and mobility in the area. TRU (Transportation Riders United) is a nonprofit that is working to advance, build and strengthen transportation throughout the Greater Detroit area. And Detroit Bike Sharing is working hard to bring a healthy and eco-friendly public transportation alternative to the city of Detroit and its suburbs. With all of these great things happening in Detroit, there is hope for the Motor City's transportation problems.