The Detroit Department of
Transportation (DDOT) was established as a municipally owned and
operated transportation system under the Detroit City Charter - Detroit
City Code Reference 7-1401. As Detroit celebrated its 300th Birthday in 2001, DDOT marked its 79th anniversary of providing public
transportation to city of Detroit residents.
The City
of Detroit, through the Department of Street Railways (D.S.R.), began
operating public transportation services during the early 1920's. In
1937, to increase the flexibility of transit services within the City,
bus service began to be substituted for streetcars. Eventually,
streetcar service was phased out in 1956.
Today, under
the authority of the 1997 Detroit City Charter, DDOT is the largest bus
transit carrier in Michigan. It is responsible for operating
transportation equipment (including scheduling of service, performing
necessary maintenance and repairs to buses and service vehicles) and
maintaining, replacing and repairing all DDOT properties, including
buildings, structures, systems and bus shelters.