More Suburban Detroiters Taking the Bus

In "More hop on buses in suburbs: Rising gas prices and newer SMART vehicles are cited for 10% ridership hike", the Detroit News reports that the number of suburban Detroiters taking the bus is increasing. Given the area's commitment to cars and to sprawl, and the relative inefficiency of bus transit for long trips, that's somewhat astounding and an encouraging sign that transit usage can increase despite the rampant subsidies enjoyed by automobile drivers.

Adding bike racks to buses has increased usage as well. Transit planners forecasted 1,000 monthly users of the bike racks, but estimate 5,000 monthly users. If you were from the Detroit suburbs like I am, you would know how momentous a statistic this really is. Except in traditional towns and cities like Royal Oak and Birmingham, most of the main arterial roads (mile roads) don't have sidewalks or shoulders, making biking difficult.