DDOT Service Cuts 2012 – PUBLIC HEARINGS & RALLY

[important]On Friday the Detroit Department of Transportation has planned two locations and two times for the public to be heard.

logo from Transit Riders United

“DDOT will conduct meetings to discuss the implementation of a series of route adjustments and alternatives to help the transit system improve,” the department said in a public notice.

Organizations pledging support and organizing presence:

• Transit Riders United
• Occupy Detroit
• Trans4M
• Detroit Empowerment Movement

If your organization would like to be included in this list please email contactmedia@googlegroups.com

[/important]

Impacts Across Metro Detroit

The level of cuts in weekday and weekend service will affect residents and visitors to Detroit. DDOT plans to drop all  service from 1-4:30 a.m. Employers of people affected by these changes: we NEED your presence and testimony — about the impact cuts will have on your business — at the hearings.

• People who depend on the bus system will find it harder to get to work, to shop, to take in entertainment, to get medical care, and to travel freely across the city.
•  Budding tourism may be severely affected; visitors from other cities expect functional mass transit in a major city.
• Hospital workers, please bring stories about how people ride the bus to get treatment (sometimes in the middle of the night, when service is being cut).
• Employers, we need your hearing testimony about how the cuts will affect your business operation.
• If your transit time lengthens by hours or becomes unworkable, please share your story! If the cuts affect your work or living situation, your voice is critical!

Public mass transit is a VITAL and CRITICAL service in Detroit. The mayor and DDOT should have proposed these changes in a transparent process that included  the public. They didn’t. Nor will the changes create the “improved transit system” DDOT says it will.

ALL AGES welcome. Young people,  seniors, and disabled riders, we want to hear from you. If a disabled rider needs help communicating, please let us know so we can ensure help will be there at the hearings.

Event Postings

The links here will take you to further information about when and where to find each hearing and rally. Please attend as many as you can. If you would like to arrange additional interview time with Occupy Detroit’s media team, please email contactmedia@occupy-detroit.us.

If you are unable to attend, please watch the streaming video that will be broadcast live.
These channels will be streaming from different locations.
http://bambuser.com/channel/OccupyDetroit
http://bambuser.com/channel/OccupyDetroitOfficialChannel

Contact the Occupy Detroit media team (contactmedia@occupy-detroit.us) if you will be offering live stream, photo coverage, or audio coverage of the public hearings. New Flickr group open for photos and video submissions: http://www.flickr.com/groups/detroitmasstransit

Other Media Links To Note

• Voice of Detroit – Feb. 23
• Voice of Detroit – Feb. 16
• Fox 2 News – Feb. 16
• Michigan Citizen – Feb. 19 

DOCUMENTS TO REFERENCE

The following links lead to PDF documents on the DDOT site and, if necessary, from this site.

• Public Hearings March 2012 Booklet | DDOT_Public_Hearings_March2012_Booklet
• Weekday Service Changes Brochure | DDOT_Service_Changes_March_Weekday_2012
• Weekend Service Changes Brochure| DDOT_Service_Changes_March_Weekend_2012

Please check out the files to see how these proposed changes will affect you.