TMD worked as an extension of staff on a multi-year on-call contract working with the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) that sought to completely rethink DDOT’s transit system, including the service network, operations, scheduling, maintenance, and administration to redefine the customer experience while greatly improving system effectiveness, efficiency, reliability, and compliance. Throughout the contract, TMD worked with the City team across all departments. Key tasks included:
- Emergency Action Plan: In November 2021, TMD developed and helped implement an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to stabilize and improve DDOT by rightsizing service to better match available resources and service levels. TMD developed a service plan that revamped spans and frequencies and temporarily suspended several routes/segments. TMD delivered the new production service, vehicle, and crew schedules. New efficiency gains allowed a much smaller service reduction compared with the resource savings to bring back full service delivery.
- Scheduling Support: TMD continued to help deliver production timetables (including run time recalibration) and vehicle/crew schedules in a reoptimized HASTUS™.
- Comprehensive Operations Analysis: TMD undertook a system reimagining of the DDOT network. As part of the COA, TMD utilized the Replica platform to analyze mobility patterns in the City of Detroit and the surrounding Counties. The results of this analysis helped to guide the network design process and confirm our findings from the first phase of public outreach. As part of the COA, TMD closely analyzed DDOT service delivery and maintenance staffing, resources, and practices to identify improvements necessary to position the agency for a successful COA implementation and future capital improvements. TMD supported DDOT in developing capital and operating projects that move the City’s mobility agenda forward using available federal, state, and local funds.
- Fare Pilot and Technology Review: TMD assisted DDOT with exploring a potential low-income or free-fare pilot, including policy implications, cost and revenue impacts, and equity considerations. TMD has also been supporting DDOT in its work with regional transit partners to navigate new farebox technology procurement, improved regional fare integration, and the regional, multi-operator implications for the low-income/free-fare pilot under consideration.
- Bus Operator Recruitment: TMD worked closely with DDOT and City of Detroit HR staff to implement new successful initiatives for bus operator recruitment and retention and improve data reporting of the current workforce and training.
