Category: Transportation
Posted by Diana McNary (The Detroit News) on Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 6:03 PMThe pedestrian life, month 7: I'm worn down
When my car kicked the bucket in April I was bummed at first, then I became intrigued with the challenge of getting by without it. It was spring and there was a bus stop nearby. I wouldn't have to worry about parking tickets or spikes in gas prices. Maybe I'd lose a few pounds. Yippee!
The weather's still decent enough to leave the house with a smile and I've learned a lot. I'll admit my optimism had blinded me to the nagging reality I already knew: It's really, really difficult being a pedestrian in Detroit.
The walking-bus-biking-bumming rides plan works, but only if circumstances line up just so. A heavy rain, a blister, an encounter with an angry thug - any little bump can make things difficult and erode one's sense of control.
I've found myself watching someone in a wheelchair boarding the bus and wondering how much harder it is for him. How far did he have to roll to the bus stop and were the sidewalks paved and passable? Without a window to roll up and a door to lock, did he feel vulnerable to the weather and meanness of the streets? Do all the buses have working lifts?
Not that it's anywhere near the same thing, but I cut the bottom of my foot a week ago and have been walking with a limp, wishing it would heal already. That small obstacle was enough to scare me away from the bus routine. Pain aside, would a hobbling woman be a target for a knucklehead looking for someone to mess with?
I've been riding my bike instead. I can bundle up against the 40-degree chill, but what about when there's a foot of snow on the ground? What if I need to transport something heavy to somewhere out in Sprawling Burbsville?
All this makes me thankful I'm not in a wheelchair, on crutches or working a job that requires carrying anything other than myself and a change of clothes 12 miles from home. Problem is, plenty of people are. It shouldn't be that way.
It's been eye-opening, I'm worn down and angry about what kind of community - or lack thereof - we've built in Metro Detroit. Much like the U.S. health care system, which the late Walter Cronkite neatly summed up as "neither healthy, caring, nor a system," we have a nonsystem in Metro Detroit that's been carved out by those with health and money to exclude those without. If you can't drive or be driven, for physical or financial reasons, and your circumstances don't line up just so, you're out of luck.
Comments
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Getting around in the D
You seem pretty scared getting around with no car. I would venture a guess that if you become a victim, it is because you set yourself up to be one.
My first contact with Detroit was as a student at Wayne State University, and I did not have a car and lived in NW Detroit near Southfield. I used your method of public transportation/bum a ride (walking and bike riding was impossible), and not once was I nervous on a bus or waiting for one, because I chose not to be. I am from a small college town from the West side of MI and I am grateful for my experiences in Detroit. I was not prepared for the Cass Corridor, but more than not, folks looked out for me and I would say took care of me, naivete and all.
Good Luck on your adventures!!!
I wouldn't say I'm scared; I've been doing this a while now. But I know I need to be cautious. I pictured myself limping down the street, alone, in the dark and thought better of it.
My post was borne more of frustration than of fear. I certainly don't want to scare anyone away from taking the bus or biking, and I'm glad you had a good experience in Detroit.
Thanks for reading!
Diana
Public transportation
Improving public transportation in Detroit is little more than putting a Bowtie on a Pig. Except in this case the Pig (public transportation) drains the already scant resources that are available.
What Detroit really needs is a reason to even go to Detroit. Abscent that, public transportation is just one of a dozen "Rat holes" that the public money is being thrown down.
The Citizens of Detroit have created a City that is almost unlivable (though Kabul, Mogidishu and a few other remain for now more unpleasant). Let them (Detroiters) live with it or seek to improve it on their own.
Worn out. Public Transit
As I've stated before I'm a former Detroiter. I left the city more than a couple of decades ago and as always inspired and motivated by your experiance living in the D. Public transit has and alway's will need to be improved "from the ground-up" literally from a much more functioning system to public perception. Nashville with all of it's own "problems" has a really good transportation system. And with our latest elected Mayor, Karl Dean even using the public transit / using our buses himself, has helped with the image issue. Keep up the great work Diane. BKW Nashville
Living Without a Car
Metro Detroit's lack of an acceptable infrastructure for pedestrians and bicycles is a large part of the reason why I left in the first place. The current infrastructure is lousy, but it can be improved if people are willing to put forth the effort to make it happen, and hold their elected leaders responsible for making the improvements. Some are doing just that - there are advocates in the Detroit area trying to improve conditions. But lasting change won't happen until enough people are unwilling to accept a transportation system that places the convenience of the car above all other options, above all other modes.
To those of you who opted to stay, and improve existing conditions, I salute you, and wish you well. You're fighting a much harder fight than we are in Portland. (not that our fight is easy) There are people making real improvements in Chicago, Minneapolis, even in Los Angeles. Detroit can make improvements too if the will is there.
It only takes a small, committed group of individuals to change the world.
Good Luck! Fight the good fight!
Possible method for forcing city council/mayor to become public transit advocates.
Also this would look good for a city trying to redefine itself as innovative and green.
Possible method for forcing city council/mayor to become public transit advocates.
After reading about JoAnn Watson's shenanigans with her city-owned car & driver at the Red Dawn set, I got to thinking. We need to replace these cars with bus passes and these drivers with bus drivers.
Mayor Bing would not have even considered cutting bus service if he had to take the bus to work. I read a story about he doesn't want to be late after being late once as a child or some such campaign gook. Maybe if he personally would be late he would make improve Detroit metro transit a priority.
Here's the mechanism I had in mind. A ballot initiative which would abolish cars & drivers (& perhaps security) for the city council & mayor. In exchange they'd get an unlimited SMART DDOT pass every month (~$60) along with $20000 of their salary being turned into a bonus received contingent on their riding the bus the majority of their working days.
This would solve many problems in Detroit.
Corruption: if you have to face your constituents in the eyes every day you're not going to steal from them, or you'll get very good at stealing so they don't kill you when they find out.
Lack of reliable public transportation: Coupled with council by districts, we'd have advocates who would troubleshoot and have the power to lobby for improvements to public transit. We also might be surprised at how fast a people mover expansion/rebirth of the light rail system would happen.
Lack of installation of bike racks on DDOT: To fill in the holes in their commute they might want to bike. Detroit is after all very flat and perfect for biking. Unfortunately DDOT has acquired racks, but I've only seen one once. Every bus must be equipped for those racks to be useful.
The holes in SMART as an analogy for the holes in regional cooperation: the council members may want to go to Ann Arbor or Ypsi but find that the SMART hole in Canton stops them. Or should they want to navigate through Livonia.
I'm still developing this idea and would love input and suggestions for lawyers who might be able to write this up.
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