Detroit Department of Transportation buses will be free for any K-12 public, private or charter school student beginning Wednesday, April 1.
Mayor Mary Sheffield, during her first State of the City address Tuesday, thanked council for approving the “Rise to Ride” program, which encourages students to show their student IDs to get on city buses any day of the week.
Sheffield’s announcement follows a March 26 announcement from SMART CEO and General Manager Tiffany Gunter, who said that SMART will allow K-12, community college, and college students to ride its buses for free year-round.
Tuesday marked Sheffield’s first State of the City since her blowout victory in the November election, in which she defeated Triumph Church pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. The first term mayor, the former council president who represented District 5 for more than a decade under former Mayor Mike Duggan, highlighted her first accomplishments and budget goals.
After three terms, Duggan is now an Independent candidate for Michigan governor, Duggan, but he found himself in attendance at Tuesday’s State of the State, the first without him in 13 years.
The mayor said she wants to see national retail stores in commercial corridors, announcing the creation of a new director of retail attraction role, called for continued property tax cuts and urged the city’s corporate leaders to follow her lead in paying their workers a living wage.
Sheffield’s recent executive order increased pay for 900 city employees to $44,616/year, or $21.45 per hour.
“This is an opportunity for us, under Mayor Sheffield’s leadership, to learn more about how transit and DDOT in particular can work more effectively for students and their families,” Detroit Department of Transportation Director Robert Cramer said during Detroit City Council meeting Tuesday.
Any K-12 student with a school-issued ID qualifies for the program, the city said.
“While the mayor does not control the school system, we are an important strategic partner,” Sheffield said. “We are actively collaborating with DPSCD and charter schools to address absenteeism, after school programming and transportation.”
Cramer on Tuesday suggested to council members an ordinance change to the fare system.
DPSCD Superintendent Nikola Vitti in a district wide email said that the district supports the city’s effort “to empower youth to use citywide transportation without cost or barriers.”
“This investment by the City will create greater awareness and access to citywide transportation,” Vitti said. “We believe this will support the District’s efforts in promoting stronger student attendance citywide.”
Yellow school buses currently don’t pick up high school students, though the district pays for bus passes for students. Sheffield on stage at Mumford High School suggested that money could instead go toward beefing up after school programs.
The mayor is proposing a $2.2 million budget for after school programs. She said the city’s goal is for there to be an after school program within two miles of every school.
