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| MDOT, DDOT and SMART offer HOV lane and shared transit service from downriver to downtown Detroit
Contact:
Brenda V. Peek, MDOT Metro Region, 248-483-5109
Agency:
Transportation
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February 15, 2008 - - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit (SMART) are making Michigan history. Working together, the three agencies are advancing two initiatives that promote transit and save fuel by encouraging two or more occupants to travel together. In the first initiative, MDOT will designate Michigan's first High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. In the second initiative, DDOT and SMART will form a historic partnership to operate a new commuter bus service.
The HOV lane will open on Monday, Feb. 25, to serve as one of the alternate routes available to commuters during the 22-month closure of a section of I-75 from Rosa Parks Boulevard to Clark Street in southwest Detroit as part of MDOT's Ambassador Bridge Gateway Project. MDOT is closing I-75 from Rosa Parks Boulevard to Clark Street on Monday, Feb. 25. The HOV lane will run along a 5.25-mile stretch of Michigan Avenue from Wyoming Avenue to Detroit's Central Business District. Like HOV lanes in other states, it will decrease the number of vehicles moving through a congested corridor by encouraging commuters to use car pools, commuter vans, and buses instead of driving alone.
MDOT is closing I-75 in Detroit during construction on the MDOT Ambassador Bridge Gateway Project, which is expected to improve the flow of traffic at the Detroit-Windsor border and provide a direct connection between the Ambassador Bridge, I-75, I-96, and other Detroit-area freeways. It also will improve safety by removing truck traffic from neighborhood streets. "This is an important partnership for transit in Metro Detroit," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "We commend DDOT and SMART for coming together to make this
possible. We hope it represents the first of many partnerships involving MDOT, DDOT and SMART."
The Gateway Express is a first-time partnership with DDOT and SMART to jointly operate a route. This all-new commuter bus service extends 19.25 miles from the Gibraltar Trade Center to Larned and St. Antoine streets in downtown Detroit. The route includes travel along the new HOV lane. The Gateway Express will run Monday through Friday during morning rush hours from 6 to 9 a.m. and during evening rush hours from 3 to 6 p.m. The Gateway Express will pick up commuters at three SMART Park & Ride lots in the downriver area located at:
-The Gibraltar Trade Center on the south side of Eureka Road, a block west of I-75 in Taylor
-Faith Christian Church on the north side of Outer Drive about a half of a mile west of I- 75 in Melvindale
-The Melvindale SMART lot on the northeast corner of Allen Road and Outer Drive in Melvindale
Commuters can ride for $2 per one-way trip. Economical multi-ride passes from DDOT and SMART also will be available. Commuters may ride free of charge from Monday, Feb. 25, to Monday, March 3. For more information on Gateway Express service, call SMART Customer Service at 866-962-5515, or DDOT Transit Information at 313-933-1300.
"The opportunities are great, as DDOT combines efforts with MDOT and SMART to address the transit challenges during the Ambassador Bridge Gateway Project construction," said DDOT interim director Lovevett Williams. "We look forward to working with MDOT and SMART to provide reliable and customer-friendly service alternatives during this historic and monumental project."
"When I tell people we are working together with MDOT and DDOT to develop the first HOV lane in Michigan, they are ecstatic. Between the new routes, changed service and the HOV lane, a huge amount of planning went into this project to relieve congestion and keep traffic moving. But this collaboration has gone one step further; we are giving the community mobility options they never had before. We invite new customers who may never have used public transportation before to try it out," said SMART general manager Hayes Jones.
Ice and Snow, Take It Slow
Remember: Don't Crowd the Plow
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