DETROIT – A popular shuttle service that has been providing free rides to older Detroiters and people with disabilities is set to end soon. Accessibili-D, introduced as a one-year pilot program, will phase out at the end of June, leaving many users wondering about their transportation options.
Residents like Loray Curenton and Sharon Aquil have relied on this service for months, finding it convenient for their daily needs.
“It takes me to the grocery store. It takes me to the doctor,” Curenton shared, highlighting the shuttle’s importance in his life.
Accessibili-D operates similarly to rideshare programs like Uber, allowing residents aged 62 and older, or those with disabilities, to reserve rides from their doorstep to various critical locations. Sharon Aquil mentioned using the service to visit the pharmacy, hospital, and grocery store, emphasizing its role in her daily routine.
As the pilot program nears its conclusion, users have been notified that Accessibili-D will cease operations at the end of June.
Sherry Moore, another user, expressed her concerns, stating, “It will be hard. Got to get out on this bus. As a person with disabilities like myself, it will be hard.”
In response to these concerns, Tim Slusser, Chief of Mobility Innovation for Detroit, assured users that the city is working to provide resources to meet their transportation needs.
“We’re working with those riders to provide them with all of the resources that we have here at the City of Detroit to try and fill their transportation needs,” Slusser stated.
The department is currently collecting data to explore how to best integrate autonomous technology into Detroit’s transportation system. Slusser mentioned ongoing discussions with the Detroit Department of Transportation about issuing a Request for Proposals for a potential future solution that could address these transportation needs.
Despite the uncertainty, users like Curenton remain hopeful.
“They need to come up with another route similar to this one, so that people can go back and forth,” he suggested.
City staff aims to provide Accessibili-D users with more information at the beginning of June, allowing them to explore options as the pilot program winds down. For more information about Accessibili-D, visit Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation here.
