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 new 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 Detroit. This newly combined route would be known as Route #97 WOODWARD-
JEFFERSON. Service would operate from the Michigan State Fairgrounds on the far 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 by a lack of communication
between the terminal locations, resulted in numerous sporadic gaps within the service.
Michigan, Oakland, Vernor and Woodward, would no longer terminate downtown, but would now be combined to
form four new routes. These new 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 Detroit. This newly combined route would be known as Route #97 WOODWARD-
JEFFERSON. Service would operate from the Michigan State Fairgrounds on the far 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 by a lack of communication
between the terminal locations, resulted in numerous sporadic gaps within the service.
| The above map displays DDOT Route #97 Woodward-Jefferson during its nearly two 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 rather short-lived) route swapping project. Effective
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 routes #25
E. Jefferson and #37 Michigan , while SMART resumed
operation of its routes along Fort Street and John R.,
which had been operated by DDOT during the route
swapping project.
long. The service was discontinued, for the most part,
after DDOT and SMART joined forces in a cooperative
(but rather short-lived) route swapping project. Effective
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 routes #25
E. Jefferson and #37 Michigan , while SMART resumed
operation of its routes along Fort Street and John R.,
which had been operated by DDOT during the route
swapping project.
| Click here to return to the "BUS ROUTE HISTORY" Main Page. |
| (January 1, 1994 Woodward–Jefferson D-DOT Transfer courtesy of the Stan Sycko Transfer Collection) |
| Route operated under D-DOT |
| © 2006 (PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON 08-25-07) |
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