Happy holiday! Happy holiday! That’s how the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) wants you to feel when you ride some of their buses this holiday season. They want you to take that spirit with you when you ride.
DDOT is rolling out a selected number of holiday-themed buses that will run between Tuesday, December 12 and January 31. The holiday buses are sponsored by the Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund (QLCIF) and DTE.
When the bus pulls up you’ll see a cheerful holiday theme on its front. When you get on you’ll be greeted by holiday lights, garland and other festive decorations.
Beginning December 16 the department will offer complimentary fare on one featured downtown route each Saturday.
The complimentary fare schedule is as follows:
The idea is to promote DDOT as a convenient way to access downtown activities. Complimentary rides will be provided from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. The routes will provide residents a chance to visit downtown to enjoy events such as Winter in Detroit and the Downtown Detroit Markets.
“It’s a great time of the year for Detroit and thanks to the support of the Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund and DTE, this is our way of spreading holiday cheer to our riders,” says DDOT Director Dan Dirks. “Customer experience has always been of the utmost importance to our department and this is a great enhancement.
“Whether you’re shopping downtown, or visiting a neighborhood grocery store, our hope is that when you’re waiting at your bus stop and you see our holiday bus approaching, this enhances your DDOT bus experience. We hope to make this a DDOT tradition and make it bigger and better each year,” he says.
The decorated buses will not be assigned to specific routes. Instead, they’ll be mixed in across several routes servicing the west side, east side and coming into downtown on any given day and time. The idea is to give all Detroiters an opportunity to enjoy the holiday buses.
All riders are encouraged to post pictures while riding the buses using the hashtag #RideDdotHolidayBus. Pictures can be posted to DDOT’s Twitter and Facebook pages.
“The holiday season is a magical time in Detroit, especially in the heart of downtown where shoppers and ice skaters are surrounding the brightly-light Christmas tree,” says Helen Johnson, vice president of strategic investments, Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund. “We are proud to help bring downtown to life for the holidays, but we’re even more excited that we are connecting more Detroiters with downtown dining, shopping and fun for the whole family. Not only that, but the holiday buses on all the routes will make every day a little more festive.”
Regular bus schedules are available online.
DDOT buses to be merry and bright this holiday season added by Marge Sorge on
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