Detroit hopes to give its struggling bus system a boost by offering drivers higher pay.
The city re-opened its contract with the transit union representing drivers to add the pay increase. Drivers will start making another $6,000 a year, with an attendance bonus that 75% of current drivers qualify for worth another $2,000 annually. That will put starting driver wages at $19.15 per hour.
Detroit’s bus system has deteriorated since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Transit systems in other Michigan cities like Grand Rapids and nationwide have struggled to hire drivers as they try to restore service to pre-pandemic levels. In November of last year, only about 65% of Detroit buses arrived on-time most days, according to the city’s own data, leaving many riders increasingly frustrated and angry with poor service.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said this raise won’t cure all of the bus system’s many troubles, which also include safety concerns and few adequate bus shelters for riders. But he said it’s an important first step.
“You can't address any of these issues if you do not have a reliable first-class workforce of bus operators,” Duggan said. “These individuals are the face of our organization.”
Schetrone Collier, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, said reopening the drivers’ contract to boost their pay is a “really unprecedented” move that should bring improvements for both bus drivers and riders.
“The passengers now will have a more dependable schedule to count on with this raise, [and] it will improve, definitely, the attraction and retention of the operators that are currently here,” Collier said.
Duggan said Detroit is currently in the process of training another 85 drivers, but is still looking to hire more. He said the city also plans to build up from the 130 buses it’s currently operating, and pledged to improve on-time performance by the spring. “You're going to see continual improvement as 2024 goes along,” he said.
By the end of 2023, the Detroit Department of Transportation was providing about one million rides a month on city buses. The Detroit City Council will need to approve the proposed driver raises.
