DDOT to install new bus shelters and fareboxes

Within the last week, DDOT announced two new service upgrades that will help riders, especially in the winter months.

The city will install 40 and replacement another 19 bus shelters. The new, “state-of-the-art” shelters will come equipped with solar-powered lighting systems and USB charging ports. The upgrades will help improve safety, add an amenity, and of course keep riders sheltered while waiting for the bus to arrive.

Twelve shelters will be installed by the end of the year, with the rest completed by the end of summer 2020.

“The bus shelters are another step in the right direction for DDOT in revamping the transit experience for our customers,” Angelica Jones, interim director of DDOT, said in a release. “We are committed to making transit a system of choice for everyone and that includes bettering our amenities on and off the buses.”

More upgrades are on the way thanks to a $8.49 million grant from the U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Transit Administration. Detroit will use the funds to purchase new fareboxes for all 300 of its buses.

The goal is to reduce the cost of repairs, improve boarding times and schedule performance, and expand payment options. DDOT and SMART recently introduced a unified payment system, DART, to which the new fareboxes could be integrated.

The FTA grant was part of $423 million dispersed to municipalities around the country.