D-DOT Route #26
| GREENFIELD SPINNER |
The new DDOT route #26 Greenfield Spinner began operations on Monday, February 3, 1997. The
launching of this shuttle service began during a period when the relations between the city-run DDOT
system and the suburban bus operation SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional
Transportation) appeared to be somewhat strained.
Talks between the two transit agencies to begin consolidating bus service along Woodward Avenue
had recently broken down, and the launching of this new "suburban" shuttle service seemed to
coincide with what the media at the time referred to as a "bus system war." By mid-December of 1996,
the SMART bus operation had begun picking-up and dropping-off passengers in the city of Detroit
along seven of its major routes, while DDOT immediately followed with the launching of a number of
suburban shuttle routes. Instead of the two transit agencies working together to coordinate their
services the two now appeared to be competing in a transit turf war. (see DDOT Suburban Bus Routes -
1997)
Beginning Saturday, February 1, 1997, DDOT would launch six new bus lines into the surrounding
Detroit suburbs, all operating along already established SMART bus routes. Effective that following
Monday, the #26 Greenfield Spinner became an actual DDOT bus route — basically duplicating the
SMART #415/420 Greenfield–Southfield suburban route. This route operated from the Northland
Shopping Center in Southfield to Fourteen Mile Road, operating as a two-directional "one-way" loop
service. One route operated via Greenfield, 14 Mile and Southfield roads, while the other operated in
the reverse. The service required an additional $.25-cent zone fare resulting in a $1.50 fare.
Assigned out of the Coolidge Terminal, the small 19-passenger #3300–series Goshen Coach
buses were primarily assigned to the line. With service requiring a few quick trips during peak-hours
no actual Greenfield Spinner runs were ever assigned to the route — with all service operating
through peak hour tripper operation. However, effective April 11, 1997, the Greenfield Spinner
operation was assigned to runs from other lines (a long-time departmental practice), such as route
#22 Greenfield or #21 Grand River runs being assigned to work via the #26 Greenfield Spinner
line. However, effective September 2, 1997, operation along the Greenfield Spinner route was
once again operated as tripper service.
However, DDOT's venture into the surrounding suburbs would be short–lived, for in January of 1998,
DDOT announced that it could no longer afford to run its buses outside of the city of Detroit.
Consequently, as part of a departmental-wide cost cutting move — effective with the operator's pick
that went into effect on Saturday, January 17, 1998 — the DDOT bus system discontinued all of its
suburban bus service, including its route #26 Greenfield Spinner.
Information for the above article was compiled from various Detroit area newspapers articles courtesy of the Stan Sycko newspaper
collection, and from the DDOT Route Update notices, route maps and bulletins archived in the author's collection.
launching of this shuttle service began during a period when the relations between the city-run DDOT
system and the suburban bus operation SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional
Transportation) appeared to be somewhat strained.
Talks between the two transit agencies to begin consolidating bus service along Woodward Avenue
had recently broken down, and the launching of this new "suburban" shuttle service seemed to
coincide with what the media at the time referred to as a "bus system war." By mid-December of 1996,
the SMART bus operation had begun picking-up and dropping-off passengers in the city of Detroit
along seven of its major routes, while DDOT immediately followed with the launching of a number of
suburban shuttle routes. Instead of the two transit agencies working together to coordinate their
services the two now appeared to be competing in a transit turf war. (see DDOT Suburban Bus Routes -
1997)
Beginning Saturday, February 1, 1997, DDOT would launch six new bus lines into the surrounding
Detroit suburbs, all operating along already established SMART bus routes. Effective that following
Monday, the #26 Greenfield Spinner became an actual DDOT bus route — basically duplicating the
SMART #415/420 Greenfield–Southfield suburban route. This route operated from the Northland
Shopping Center in Southfield to Fourteen Mile Road, operating as a two-directional "one-way" loop
service. One route operated via Greenfield, 14 Mile and Southfield roads, while the other operated in
the reverse. The service required an additional $.25-cent zone fare resulting in a $1.50 fare.
Assigned out of the Coolidge Terminal, the small 19-passenger #3300–series Goshen Coach
buses were primarily assigned to the line. With service requiring a few quick trips during peak-hours
no actual Greenfield Spinner runs were ever assigned to the route — with all service operating
through peak hour tripper operation. However, effective April 11, 1997, the Greenfield Spinner
operation was assigned to runs from other lines (a long-time departmental practice), such as route
#22 Greenfield or #21 Grand River runs being assigned to work via the #26 Greenfield Spinner
line. However, effective September 2, 1997, operation along the Greenfield Spinner route was
once again operated as tripper service.
However, DDOT's venture into the surrounding suburbs would be short–lived, for in January of 1998,
DDOT announced that it could no longer afford to run its buses outside of the city of Detroit.
Consequently, as part of a departmental-wide cost cutting move — effective with the operator's pick
that went into effect on Saturday, January 17, 1998 — the DDOT bus system discontinued all of its
suburban bus service, including its route #26 Greenfield Spinner.
Information for the above article was compiled from various Detroit area newspapers articles courtesy of the Stan Sycko newspaper
collection, and from the DDOT Route Update notices, route maps and bulletins archived in the author's collection.
© 2009
| The route-map for the "short-lived" DDOT Route #26 Greenfield Spinner |
