High-speed service great idea, suburban bus GM says

From the Detroit Free Press:

Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal for high-speed bus service on major routes including Woodward, Gratiot, Michigan Avenue and M-59, connecting downtown to key suburbs, Metro Airport and Ann Arbor, would be a huge boost for moving people to jobs at a crucial time in metro Detroit, the general manager of the region’s suburban bus system said.

John Hertel said the speedy buses wouldn’t undercut service provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation or SMART, the suburban bus system, or the proposed $550-million light-rail line on Woodward from downtown to 8 Mile that Detroit plans to begin building next year.

Instead, it would help stabilize bus service in Detroit and the suburbs, freeing up DDOT and SMART to focus on better service on other routes, and the more reliable, expanded services could boost ridership and public support for transit expansion, Hertel said.