| ROUTES & NUMBERS — – – — (1966-1974) |
In 1966, the Detroit Department of Street Railways (DSR) attempted to implement a new "bus–by–number only"
system to identify its bus routes. A combination "route-number & route-name" identification system was used first, and
began to first appear on DSR buses upon the arrival of its fleet of new GM model TDH–5303 coaches (#2401-2500),
which were delivered in September of 1966. It was originally intended that eventually the street route names were to be
removed, leaving only numbers. However, to this day, both the route names and the route numbers are still displayed
on Detroit city buses.
The new DSR route numbering system, for the most part, arranged its bus route names in alphabetical order, assigning
even route numbers to identify east–west bus routes and odd numbers to north–south routes. This would account for
the missing routes numbers and gaps found throughout the listing (see chart below).
The one major exception to this numbering sequence would be whenever U.S. Highway route numbers were used to
identify those bus lines that traveled along major U.S. highway routes. For example, Woodward was identified as route
#10 WOODWARD, and Michigan as route #12 MICHIGAN, because those were their then current U.S. Highway
route designations.
The following is a listing of the DSR bus route numbers in effect during the later DSR years, before the DDOT change-
over. The chart can also allow visitors to our site an opportunity to glimpse at the level of service available to Detroiters
during the early 1970's. Since the DSR did not assign different route numbers to its express routes, available express
service will be noted under the "Express" column.
system to identify its bus routes. A combination "route-number & route-name" identification system was used first, and
began to first appear on DSR buses upon the arrival of its fleet of new GM model TDH–5303 coaches (#2401-2500),
which were delivered in September of 1966. It was originally intended that eventually the street route names were to be
removed, leaving only numbers. However, to this day, both the route names and the route numbers are still displayed
on Detroit city buses.
The new DSR route numbering system, for the most part, arranged its bus route names in alphabetical order, assigning
even route numbers to identify east–west bus routes and odd numbers to north–south routes. This would account for
the missing routes numbers and gaps found throughout the listing (see chart below).
The one major exception to this numbering sequence would be whenever U.S. Highway route numbers were used to
identify those bus lines that traveled along major U.S. highway routes. For example, Woodward was identified as route
#10 WOODWARD, and Michigan as route #12 MICHIGAN, because those were their then current U.S. Highway
route designations.
The following is a listing of the DSR bus route numbers in effect during the later DSR years, before the DDOT change-
over. The chart can also allow visitors to our site an opportunity to glimpse at the level of service available to Detroiters
during the early 1970's. Since the DSR did not assign different route numbers to its express routes, available express
service will be noted under the "Express" column.
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(For a comparison with D-DOT bus routes see: D-DOT ROUTES )
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| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
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