A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#1

Post by kshatrea » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 3:21 PM UTC

A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit
popularmechanics.com

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#2

Post by aristidb » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:03 PM UTC

If they need to be five times more efficient, why is the plan to spend a lot of money on things that do not directly impact customer service, like giving away rides to poor people, and using self-produced Biodiesel?

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#3

Post by gvb » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:19 PM UTC

aristidb wrote: post #2

If they need to be five times more efficient, why is the plan to spend a lot of money on things that do not directly impact customer service, like giving away rides to poor people, and using self-produced Biodiesel?

Giving away rides: makes paying riders feel good about paying, good advertisement.

Self-produced biodiesel: beyond the "feel good" advertisement, they may actually be saving money if they get the used cooking oil for free. "Right now we’re starting with a downtown loop, which serves primarily entertainment venues, bars, and restaurants." -- Restaurant owners likely are donating their used cooking oil to the bus that stops at their establishment and drops off patrons.

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#4

Post by mukaiji » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:22 PM UTC

It's an interesting experiment. If it succeeds, it would be ironic that the solution to America's public transportation is coming from Detroit: after all, GM & co are the guys who bought America's trolleys in the 1950's and disassembled them to boost sales of cars.

EDIT: related story on SF's private lines http://stamen.com/zero1/

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#5

Post by rickyconnolly » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:31 PM UTC

As a European, I don't understand the significance of this. Why is the establishment of a private bus company such a big deal?

Is this not America, bastion of free market capitalism? Surely many cities must have private services.

Here in Ireland we have many private bus services running alongside public companies.

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#6

Post by ebiester » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:38 PM UTC

What I don't understand is how the Jitney hasn't been allowed by regulation in the US -- they're incredibly convenient, and a fleet of minivans from the key districts to various park n' ride locations would make a ton of sense.

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#7

Post by sneak » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:40 PM UTC

rickyconnolly wrote: post #5

As a European, I don't understand the significance of this. Why is the establishment of a private bus company such a big deal? Is this not America, bastion of free market capitalism? Surely many cities must have private services. Here in Ireland we have many private bus services running alongside public companies.

Everything you have come to know about living in the first world becomes negotiable in Detroit.

There are huge chunks of the city where there is no postal mail delivery. The streets are not plowed or salted. Calling 911 because an ambulance is required can mean hour-plus waits.

America is an insane place, and Detroit is a special microcosm within that insanity.

Another thing to consider is that most major urban centers have huge amounts of regulation prohibiting new business operations like this (or rendering them practically impossible). Detroit is fairly unique in that almost anything you can think up, you're free to just go ahead and do it. (The cops are too busy even to deal with all of the big, real crimes.) It also means you're basically on your own if someone decides to torch your whole bus fleet - the city that would regulate transit stuff is too busy to do that - but also too busy to properly patrol everything and deter crime. It's a mixed bag.

It really is the closest thing to a functioning anarchy that one can find in the first world. I think it's wonderful, but I wouldn't want to live there (again).

(I am a born-and-raised Detroiter living in Berlin by way of Manhattan.)

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#8

Post by icebraining » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:41 PM UTC

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#9

Post by w1ntermute » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:45 PM UTC

mukaiji wrote: post #4

It's an interesting experiment. If it succeeds, it would be ironic that the solution to America's public transportation is coming from Detroit: after all, GM & co are the guys who bought America's trolleys in the 1950's and disassembled them to boost sales of cars. EDIT: related story on SF's private lines http://stamen.com/zero1/

If this becomes successful, I wouldn't be surprised if Big Auto did the same thing with the companies behind this.

Re: A Private Bus Company Debuts in Detroit

#10

Post by ihsw » Sat, Oct 20, 2012, 4:45 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #7

rickyconnolly wrote: post #5

As a European, I don't understand the significance of this. Why is the establishment of a private bus company such a big deal? Is this not America, bastion of free market capitalism? Surely many cities must have private services. Here in Ireland we have many private bus services running alongside public companies.

Everything you have come to know about living in the first world becomes negotiable in Detroit. There are huge chunks of the city where there is no postal mail delivery. The streets are not plowed or salted. Calling 911 because an ambulance is required can mean hour-plus waits. America is an insane place, and Detroit is a special microcosm within that insanity. Another thing to consider is that most major urban cente…

By anarchy you mean lack of government-enforced order rather than simply lack of order, right?