D-DOT Route #5
| FORD MEADOWS SHUTTLE |
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| © 2007 (PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON 9-22-07) |
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 and bulletins archived in the author's collection.
newspaper collection, and from the DDOT Route Update notices and bulletins archived in the author's collection.
Although primarily considered to be a city-based bus operation, the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT)
began operating a suburban shuttle service along Ford Road, within the suburb of Dearborn, in mid-December of 1996.
While a number of city bus routes have operated through this adjoining Detroit suburb for decades, this shuttle would
be the first bus line to operate entirely within that city since the former route #64 Michigan Shuttle -- which operated
from the Wyoming Loop to the Ford Rouge Plant -- was discontinued by the DSR back on June 15, 1973.
Actually, the launching of this new 'suburban' shuttle service began during a period when relations between the city-run
bus system and the suburban bus operation SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation)
had become somewhat strained.
Talks between the two agencies to begin consolidating bus service along Woodward Avenue had recently broken down,
and the launching of this service seemed to coincide with what the media at the time referred to as a "bus system war."
By mid-December, the SMART system would begin picking-up and dropping-off passengers in the city of Detroit along
seven major routes, while DDOT would immediately follow with the launching of a number of suburban shuttle routes.
Instead of the two transit agencies working together to coordinate their services, the two systems now appeared to be
competing in a transit turf war.
began operating a suburban shuttle service along Ford Road, within the suburb of Dearborn, in mid-December of 1996.
While a number of city bus routes have operated through this adjoining Detroit suburb for decades, this shuttle would
be the first bus line to operate entirely within that city since the former route #64 Michigan Shuttle -- which operated
from the Wyoming Loop to the Ford Rouge Plant -- was discontinued by the DSR back on June 15, 1973.
Actually, the launching of this new 'suburban' shuttle service began during a period when relations between the city-run
bus system and the suburban bus operation SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation)
had become somewhat strained.
Talks between the two agencies to begin consolidating bus service along Woodward Avenue had recently broken down,
and the launching of this service seemed to coincide with what the media at the time referred to as a "bus system war."
By mid-December, the SMART system would begin picking-up and dropping-off passengers in the city of Detroit along
seven major routes, while DDOT would immediately follow with the launching of a number of suburban shuttle routes.
Instead of the two transit agencies working together to coordinate their services, the two systems now appeared to be
competing in a transit turf war.
The new Ford Road/Meadows Drive shuttle service originally
began as an extra-service operation by DDOT on Thursday,
December 12, 1996. The line would continue to be operated
as extra-service through the month of January. Meanwhile,
beginning Saturday, February 1, 1997, DDOT would launch
six new bus lines into the surrounding suburbs, all operating
along already established SMART bus routes. Effective that
same day, the Ford Road shuttle service would become an
actual DDOT bus route, known as the #5 Ford Meadows
Shuttle.
The Ford Meadows Shuttle operated from the Wyoming
Loop at Michigan and Wyoming, and traveled via Wyoming
and Ford Road to Greenfield Road, where it would service a
number of small Dearborn shopping malls located along both
Meadows and Mercury Drives. The route operated with
30-minute headways, seven days a week. Service operated
between the hours of 8:00AM and 10:00PM, Mondays thru
Saturdays, and between 10:00AM and 6:30PM on Sundays.
Assigned out of the Gilbert Terminal, the small 19-passenger
#3300-series Goshen Coach buses were primarily assigned
to the line during its first years of operation. But by the year
2000, the #4000–series 27-passenger Chance Bus Corp.
CNG (compressed natural gas) bus-trolleys were assigned to
the route. Although DDOT would discontinue its expanded
suburban bus routes in January, 1998, the Ford Meadows
Shuttle would survive that round of service eliminations.
However, service was eventually eliminated on the #5 Ford
Meadows Shuttle as well, after DDOT discontinued the line
effective on Saturday, September 7, 2002.
began as an extra-service operation by DDOT on Thursday,
December 12, 1996. The line would continue to be operated
as extra-service through the month of January. Meanwhile,
beginning Saturday, February 1, 1997, DDOT would launch
six new bus lines into the surrounding suburbs, all operating
along already established SMART bus routes. Effective that
same day, the Ford Road shuttle service would become an
actual DDOT bus route, known as the #5 Ford Meadows
Shuttle.
The Ford Meadows Shuttle operated from the Wyoming
Loop at Michigan and Wyoming, and traveled via Wyoming
and Ford Road to Greenfield Road, where it would service a
number of small Dearborn shopping malls located along both
Meadows and Mercury Drives. The route operated with
30-minute headways, seven days a week. Service operated
between the hours of 8:00AM and 10:00PM, Mondays thru
Saturdays, and between 10:00AM and 6:30PM on Sundays.
Assigned out of the Gilbert Terminal, the small 19-passenger
#3300-series Goshen Coach buses were primarily assigned
to the line during its first years of operation. But by the year
2000, the #4000–series 27-passenger Chance Bus Corp.
CNG (compressed natural gas) bus-trolleys were assigned to
the route. Although DDOT would discontinue its expanded
suburban bus routes in January, 1998, the Ford Meadows
Shuttle would survive that round of service eliminations.
However, service was eventually eliminated on the #5 Ford
Meadows Shuttle as well, after DDOT discontinued the line
effective on Saturday, September 7, 2002.
Click on printer icon for the Printer Friendly version
| The route-map for the 2½-mile long DDOT Route #5 Ford Meadows Shuttle. Except for the one-block long portion along northbound Wyoming, between Michigan Avenue and Ford Road, the entire line operated within the city of Dearborn. |
|
| Route operated under D-DOT |
