The Detroit Connector, a University of Michigan bus service connecting the Ann Arbor campus to the city of Detroit, will add a stop at UM-Dearborn beginning Monday, Oct. 30. The expansion will provide an additional transportation option for UM-Dearborn faculty, staff, students and the general public looking to travel between the two campuses or to Detroit.
Bus stops will include the Central Campus Transit Center (CCTC) in Ann Arbor, the circle drive in front of the University Center at UM-Dearborn, and the University of Michigan Detroit Center.
The new stop comes at the same time that the Detroit Connector schedule is expanding service hours, with Fridays and Saturdays beginning as early as 7 a.m. and concluding at 1 a.m. The new schedule is available online at detroitconnector.umich.edu/schedule.
“The University of Michigan is deeply committed to creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive campus environment,” said Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity & inclusion and chief diversity officer at UM-Ann Arbor. “The Detroit Connector helps us break down existing barriers and better connect the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Detroit communities. By expanding service and opening it to the public, the Detroit Connector can improve access to the region’s numerous research, academic and cultural opportunities.”
The Detroit Connector, which launched in the fall of 2013, operated on grants, donations and funding by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Detroit Center. In support of the expanded service, riders will now be able to make reservations online, with one-way trips ranging between $6-$10. Pell Grant students from UM-Ann Arbor and UM-Dearborn will be able to ride the Connector for free, with reduced fares available to U-M students and faculty who engage in community service or class activities in Detroit.
Indian Trails, the Detroit Connector’s bus provider since 2014, will shift daily operations to its Michigan Flyer division, which currently supports a similar service, called AirRide, between Ann Arbor and Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
“Our experience in developing the Michigan Flyer airport shuttle service should prove valuable for the Detroit Connector,” says Chad Cushman, president of Indian Trails. “One key to building ridership is frequency of service. Though not otherwise publicly funded, Michigan Flyer used a one-year, one-time federal grant to help increase its roundtrips between East Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Detroit Metro Airport from eight to 12 daily. As a result, passenger volume grew to more than 200,000 per year, ensuring the service was self-supporting.”
Detroit Connector buses are wheelchair accessible and include amenities such as Wi-Fi, coach seating, individual climate controls, in-seat AC outlets, onboard restrooms, and bike storage. Additionally, an all new online reservation system will provide riders a guaranteed seat on the bus.
The buses will also be co-branded with the Detroit Connector and Michigan Flyer logos.
For more information on the Detroit Connector, visit detroitconnector.umich.edu.
