Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan delivers a press conference on the porch of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island during the annual Mackinac Policy Conference. (Ryan Felton/Metro Times)
Detroit's bus system is showing signs of improvement, Mayor Mike Duggan said Wednesday on Mackinac Island.
Speaking at the 34th annual Mackinac Policy Conference, Duggan told business leaders and lawmakers the Detroit Department of Transportation requires 225 buses to adequately transport its 100,000 daily riders efficiently.
When he took office in January, the city only had 143 buses operating -- a "heartbreaking" reality for riders considering the "brutal winter we just went through," Duggan said.
The city expects to receive 50 additional buses from a federal grant, which Duggan has said he'd like to have in service this fall.
"We're gonna get them," he said.
Even without the additional buses, with the steps his administration has taken, Duggan said last week the city had 200 buses on the road.
And with 50 additional buses, the city would start meeting posted schedule times, he said.
"Schedules will mean something again," Duggan said.
