D-DOT Route #97
| WOODWARD-JEFFERSON |
In 1992, DDOT management announced that the following eight bus routes; Baker, Gratiot,
Jefferson, Joy Rd., Michigan, Oakland, Vernor and Woodward, would no longer terminate
downtown, but would now be combined to form four new routes. These lines were to provide
DDOT passengers with non-stop "through-routing" service in-and-out of the downtown area.
Effective Saturday, September 5, 1992, DDOT routes #53 Woodward and #25 E. Jefferson
were combined and through-routed out of downtown. This newly combined route would be
known as Route #97 WOODWARD-JEFFERSON. Service would operate from the Michigan
State Fairgrounds on the north end, to the Wayburn Loop on the east side, although some
Woodward service terminated downtown at Beaubien and Jefferson.
Despite the numerous problems encountered during the mid-seventies after the combining
of the Michigan and Gratiot routes, DDOT management was determined to implement this
combining of routes on a much larger scale. Consequently, numerous service problems were
encountered with the operation of the new routes being assigned to two different terminals.
Unpredictable coach and manpower shortages, compounded with a lack of communication
between the terminal locations, resulted in numerous sporadic gaps within the service.
Jefferson, Joy Rd., Michigan, Oakland, Vernor and Woodward, would no longer terminate
downtown, but would now be combined to form four new routes. These lines were to provide
DDOT passengers with non-stop "through-routing" service in-and-out of the downtown area.
Effective Saturday, September 5, 1992, DDOT routes #53 Woodward and #25 E. Jefferson
were combined and through-routed out of downtown. This newly combined route would be
known as Route #97 WOODWARD-JEFFERSON. Service would operate from the Michigan
State Fairgrounds on the north end, to the Wayburn Loop on the east side, although some
Woodward service terminated downtown at Beaubien and Jefferson.
Despite the numerous problems encountered during the mid-seventies after the combining
of the Michigan and Gratiot routes, DDOT management was determined to implement this
combining of routes on a much larger scale. Consequently, numerous service problems were
encountered with the operation of the new routes being assigned to two different terminals.
Unpredictable coach and manpower shortages, compounded with a lack of communication
between the terminal locations, resulted in numerous sporadic gaps within the service.
| The route map for DDOT Route #97 Woodward-Jefferson during its few years of operation. |
However, the combined routing arrangement
didn't last long. The service was discontinued,
for the most part, after DDOT and SMART
joined forces in a cooperative (but short-lived)
route swapping project. Effective on Saturday,
June 25, 1994, SMART took over operation of
DDOT's Michigan and Jefferson routes. As a
result, the combined #93 Gratiot-Michigan
and #97 Woodward-Jefferson routes were
separated.
The cooperative agreement between DDOT and
SMART was canceled after just nine months,
after SMART began campaigning to institute a
suburban transit tax to only support suburban
bus service. Effective Saturday, April 1, 1995,
DDOT took back the operation of its #25 E.
Jefferson and #37 Michigan routes, while
SMART resumed operation of its routes along
Fort Street and John R., which had been
operated by DDOT during the route swapping
project.
didn't last long. The service was discontinued,
for the most part, after DDOT and SMART
joined forces in a cooperative (but short-lived)
route swapping project. Effective on Saturday,
June 25, 1994, SMART took over operation of
DDOT's Michigan and Jefferson routes. As a
result, the combined #93 Gratiot-Michigan
and #97 Woodward-Jefferson routes were
separated.
The cooperative agreement between DDOT and
SMART was canceled after just nine months,
after SMART began campaigning to institute a
suburban transit tax to only support suburban
bus service. Effective Saturday, April 1, 1995,
DDOT took back the operation of its #25 E.
Jefferson and #37 Michigan routes, while
SMART resumed operation of its routes along
Fort Street and John R., which had been
operated by DDOT during the route swapping
project.
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