In Detroit, transportation isn’t a privilege – it’s a necessity for basic living. For Tonya Christerfield, it’s a lifeline to her loved ones.

Christerfield, who is blind, is among the 17.7% of residents in Detroit with a disability. She relies on Detroit’s paratransit system, which, to Christerfield, is more than just a ride – it’s a symbol of progress in a city where reliable transportation for people like her hasn’t always been available. 

The Detroit Department of Transportation launched same-day paratransit service in June, a departure from a previous system that required those services to be scheduled at least two days in advance. 

“It’s more comfortable for the people, more comfortable for myself,” said Christerfield, who is visually impaired due to a brain tumor.

The new service, DDOT Now, is offered between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and can be booked as quickly as one hour ahead. Since June, trip requests have nearly doubled, increasing from approximately 850 to nearly 1,500, according to DDOT.

The service area and $2.50 fare are unchanged from DDOT’s standard paratransit service. 

Paratransit service in Detroit has undergone a massive overhaul in recent years amid a flood of complaints from riders and community advocates over long wait times, missed pickups and dropoffs, inadequate accommodations for people who use wheelchairs and allegations of abuse by drivers.

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The city launched its new strategy for the service in January 2023, weeks after Detroit’s City Council rejected a five-year contract extension with the French company Transdev, which provided 70% of the paratransit services in Detroit. 

To avoid the threat of legal action and bridge the service gap, Mayor Mike Duggan authorized emergency contracts with several companies to keep the service at full capacity while the city sought bids for a long-term provider. Detroit is required to provide paratransit services to residents under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The changes also shifted the service’s dispatch, eligibility screening, scheduling, call center and other functions in-house and led to additional staffing. Later that year, new paratransit service contracts were issued, with a focus on improving reliability. 

On-time performance for each of the existing providers has increased to more than 98%, and a performance dashboard is now available for viewing via the paratransit website. Under Transdev, 87% of rides were on-time, but that dropped to 82% in the last six months of 2022, officials with DDOT have said.

The customer complaint score sits at 0.04% (12 complaints over 30,912 boardings), according to August figures.

BridgeDetroit accompanied Christerfield on paratransit ride during Disability Pride Month in July  and spoke with other disability advocates in the city to find out how paratransit users are being impacted by the service improvements. 

During the ride, Christerfield noted that the paratransit vans are cleaner, the service is more prompt and the drivers are more mindful of the riders, too.

“They (the drivers) are more considerate,” she said. “The drivers really take pride in ensuring that me as a passenger gets to my place.”

For people reluctant to use the service following past problems, Christerfield has a message: “I understand what you went through before, but give them a try and just see before you kick them to the curb.”

Jamie Junior, a Detroiter and disability advocate, has relied on the services for years and said it is “100 times better” than before. 

“They’re (the drivers) much more respectful, much more helpful. The drivers are on time a lot more. So it’s been really a good experience,” said Junior, who has cerebral palsy and osteoarthritis, noting one particular driver who went the extra mile for her. 

“One time I had to go to Ford Field for a meeting for work and I couldn’t find a door, but instead of him (the driver) letting me out, he stayed with me and rode around to help me find a door.”

DeMarcus R. Garrett, DDOT’s interim executive director of paratransit, spoke with BridgeDetroit about the department’s efforts to address the past challenges, ensure long-term improvements, and rebuild trust with the disability community.

Garrett noted that the 2023 overhaul allowed the city to handle scheduling for service in-house, which was streamlined from the prior system under Transdev, which shared scheduling and trip performance responsibilities with subcontractors. 

“This new model allows us to monitor performance more closely and address rider concerns in real time,” he said.

Additionally, DDOT discontinued its New Freedom program, which allowed one-way trips up to 25 miles beyond the service area. While that program served a limited number of riders, its inefficiencies harmed system performance, he said.

“Approximately 8,000 trips out of 250,000 took upwards of two hours to perform, limiting vehicle availability and increasing hold times,” Garrett said. 

The department’s new DDOT Now program is expected to facilitate over 32,000 same-day trips annually within the service area, offering riders more flexibility and reducing wait times.

Garrett highlighted several other initiatives aimed at improving accessibility, safety and reliability for riders with disabilities. Among them are:

• Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System: This system notifies riders of scheduled trips, allows for cancellations or confirmations, and provides real-time updates on vehicle arrivals.
• QR Codes in Vehicles: Riders can now provide direct feedback during their trips by scanning QR codes placed in advanced-day service vehicles.
• DDOT Now Service: Replacing New Freedom, this program allows riders to book unplanned trips within the service area on the same day

Looking ahead, DDOT is exploring hybrid vehicle programs to transport seniors to predetermined destinations, cashless payment options, and app-based trip booking alternatives. 

Garrett also emphasized the importance of expanding the department’s call center hours to reduce phone hold times.

DDOT, he said, has made significant strides in meeting service goals, like on-time performance, and rebuilding trust with the disabled community.

Outreach efforts have also been expanding, with DDOT working closely with local advisory groups and senior living facilities to better understand and address the needs of these riders. 

“We are committed to providing the highest level of service possible and continuously exploring more options toward that endeavor,” Garrett said.

Detroit is taking meaningful steps forward to serve its residents with disabilities, according to Junior and fellow advocate Lisa Franklin, who represents the nonprofit advocacy group Warriors in Wheels.

“When people come from out of town, if they have eligibility in another city, they’re eligible for paratransit in our city,” Franklin said. “When we have visitors come and need transportation that have disabilities, it looks good for a nice vehicle to pull up with the name on the side and professional drivers. It’s good for everyone.”

Franklin said she hopes that awareness and inclusion for the disabled community in general continue to improve.

“Just people having a little more consideration about a person in a wheelchair, about a person who may be deaf, a person who may need large print, a person who needs interpretation,” Franklin said.