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"Transportation and infrastructures
Get in
By car
Several interstates converge in downtown Detroit. I-75/the Chrysler (N. of Downtown)/the Fisher (S. of Downtown) Freeway North/South runs from Toledo through downtown Detroit to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-94/the Ford Freeway runs East/West from Chicago to Detroit and continues up to Sarnia. I-96 East/West heads from Detroit to Lansing, Michigan. I-696/the Reuther Freeway runs along about 3 miles north of city limit (8 Mile), connecting the eastern suburbs (e.g. St. Clair Shores) to Southfield. I-275 connects with the suburb of Livonia. Highways, the Lodge Freeway, M-14, M-23, and the Southfield Freeway are major freeways which interconnect with the Interstates in the Detroit metro area to ease navigation. The Southfield Freeway, connects Dearborn to Southfield. The Lodge Freeway, connects Southfield to downtown. Highway M-14 connects Ann Arbor to Detroit via the Jeffries Expressway. Bypassing Ann Arbor, highway M-23 connects I-94 to I-96.
The metro area's major Interstates and freeways were overhauled in preparation the 2006 National Football League Super Bowl XL in Detroit and are in good condition.
As with any major city, traffic during rush hour can make travel really slow. This is especially aggravated during shift changes at the local automotive plants. But due to economic hardships for the region, rush hour traffic lasts less than an hours, and some freeways are clear all day. The Mixing Bowl (see Get Around, By Car), 75/696 Interchange the 94/Ford Freeway through Detroit, and the Southfield Freeway can be slow in late afternoons.
For smaller streets, the Detroit area is laid out in wheel-and-spoke, grid, and strip-farm configuration. This was due to first French development (strip farms along the river), early city layout (wheel and spoke from the river's edge), followed by the modern North/South grid. Mile roads run east-west, starting at downtown Detroit and increasing as you travel north. These mile roads may change name in different cities, so pay attention. There are also several spoke roads, including Woodward Ave, Michigan Ave, Gratiot Ave, and Grand River Ave. Only in the old downtown business district is the original Washington D.C./L'enfant style wheel and spoke layout found (it is quite confusing, with several one-way streets added for fun). In areas along the River and Lake St. Clair, the colonial-era French practice of allocating strips of land with water access is seen as main roads parallel the water, and secondary roads perpendicular to it. This is very confusing to non-residents.
By bus
* Greyhound. Service west to Chicago (5-8 hours, $35) , east to Toronto (5-6 hours), and south to Toledo (1 hour, $15), as well as all over Michigan. The terminal is near downtown at 1001 Howard St.
* Megabus. Discount bus service to and from Chicago (6 hours, $1-$25), with connections at Chicago to many Midwestern cities. Part of the reason why it's so cheap is that there is no terminal–-the bus simply stops at a street corner, either Cass and Warren, near Wayne State University and the museum/cultural district, or at the Rosa Parks Transit Center at Cass and Michigan.
* Transit Windsor. Running seven days a week for $3.75. Service from 300 Chatham St West in Windsor into, and around downtown Detroit.
By train
* Amtrak. Train service to and from Chicago on the "Wolverine" route (5-6 hours, $25-$50), with many connections in Chicago. Deeply discounted tickets at short notice are often available at Amtrak's Weekly Specials page. For travel to the east, a bus connection is available to the Toledo Amtrak station, with trains to New York (21 hours, $75-$150) and Washington, D.C. (16 hours, $65-$130), but travelers may find the middle-of-the-night departures unappealing. The train station is conveniently located at 11 W. Baltimore at the corner of Woodward Ave., in the midtown area of the city.
Get around
Detroit's street layout is truly unique, combining wheel-and-spoke, grid, and strip-farm (near the River) layouts. Six major spoke roads radiate out from downtown; they are, in clockwise order, Fort Street, Michigan Avenue, Grand River Avenue, Woodward Avenue, Gratiot Avenue, and Jefferson Avenue. Woodward Avenue runs north-south (more or less) and divides Detroit into east and west; West Warren Street, for instance, becomes East Warren Street when it crosses Woodward. Smaller streets generally conform to a strict grid pattern, although the orientation of the grid and the size and shape of blocks frequently varies to fit better with the spoke roads. Downtown, the layout abandons the grid design, with the spoke roads converging in a confusing but oddly logical arrangement of diagonal, mostly one-way streets.
By car
Detroit spreads over a large area, and getting around may prove to be difficult without a car. Nonetheless, an extensive freeway system and ample parking make the region one of the most auto-friendly in North America. Detroit has one of America's most modern freeway systems. See the Michigan Department of Transportation website for a current listing of downtown road closures and construction projects. Downtown has parking garages in strategic locations.
Greektown Casino, located downtown, has a free 13 floor parking garage. Visitors are welcome to pay to park at the Renaissance Center garage. There are plenty of pay-to-park garages, lots, and valet near the Greektown/stadium areas. Premium parking right next to the stadium is well worth the extra price and usually available during a game. Downtown has an ease of entry from the freeways which may surprise new visitors. Valet parking is available at four Renaissance Center locations, the main Winter Garden entrance along the Riverfront, the Jefferson Avenue lobby, Marriott hotel entrance west, and Seldom
Detroit has an abundance of taxi, limo, and shuttle services. Car rental prices are reasonable.
While MDOT has since discontinued emphasis on the names of freeways, most locals still are clinging onto their names. Here they are: I-75, The Chrysler Freeway, The Fisher Freeway, "The DT" Expressway ("DT" stands for Detroit-Toledo); I-96, from downtown to the 275 Junction: The Jeffries Freeway; I-94, through Detroit: The Ford Freeway, through Macomb and St. Clair Counties: The O'Hara Freeway; I-696, entire way: The Reuther Freeway; M-10, from Detroit to the Mixing Bowl: The Lodge Freeway, north of the Mixing Bowl Northwestern Highway; M-8, entire way: The Davison Freeway; M-39: The Southfield Freeway; M-53: The Van Dyke Expressway (commonly called, but not "officially designated").
The Mixing Bowl is the confluence of the Lodge/Northwestern, the Reuther, Telegraph Rd, and Franklin Rd. The Spaghetti Bowl is the confluence of 96/275, the Reuther, the M-5, and the Haggerty Connector. The Junction is the confluence of the Jeffries, 275, and M-14 on the far west side suburbs. The Triangle is the beginning of the Jeffries at the Fisher Freeway. The Interchange is the interchange of the Reuther and the Chrysler Freeways.
A car is helpful for getting around the rest of the city, but due to the unusual layout and large number of one-way streets, getting out and walking for a few blocks is a good way to see downtown. Bike rentals are available in downtown Detroit along the International Riverfront at Rivard Plaza from Wheelhouse. Downtown and the riverfront are usually bustling with visitors.
By bus
The Detroit Department of Transportation provides mass transit bus service within the city of Detroit. Downtown has a the new Rosa Parks Transit Center. DDOT buses are yellow and green. For safety, DDOT buses may be patrolled by the Wayne County sheriff's deputies. 17 routes serve the central bus terminal, which is downtown at Griswold and Shelby streets. The standard fare $1.50; transfers are $0.25.
By elevated rail
Completed in 1987, the People Mover is a fully automated, elevated rail system that runs a three mile loop in the downtown area. It is the best way to get around the downtown area. A round trip excursion, covering thirteen stations, takes approximately 20 minutes and offers great views of the city's downtown landmarks. Signature stops include the Renaissance Center (GM HQ & Retail Complex), Greektown, Joe Louis Arena (Home of the Detroit Red Wings), Cobo (Convention) Center, and Cadillac Center (Campus Martius Park). The stations feature original works by local artists. Standard fare $0.50 in cash, a token can also be bought at the same price."
This articol is release from Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0. It use material from Wikitravel voices: "Detroit".
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