Detroit City Guide - Getting Around

A dependable public bus service is operated by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) (tel: (313) 933 1300 or 1 888 336 8287; website: www.ci.detroit.mi.us/ddot/default.htm) within the city centre. The service operates 24 hours a day, every day. Buses run as frequently as every six minutes during rush hour on some routes and about every 20 minutes at other times of the day. A weekly pass is available. Free transfers are allowed and can be used to change up to two buses.

SMART buses (tel: 1 866 962 5515; website: www.smartbus.org) service the suburbs. Major routes begin operating around 0500 and terminate after midnight. Transfers allow passengers to board a DDOT bus as well. There is also a monthly pass for both companies.

A light rail system, called the People Mover (tel: 1 313 224 2160; website: www.thepeoplemover.com), navigates a 4.5km (3-mile) elevated single track surrounding Detroit's Downtown business district, Monday to Thursday 0630-2400, Friday 0630-0200, Saturday 0900-0200 and Sunday 1200-2400. You can purchase a monthly pass but tickets are not transferable to buses. Check out the mosaic tile designs that have been added to make stations more relaxing.

Taxis operate 24 hours a day. In more remote locations, taxi services can be ordered by telephone from companies like Checker (tel: (313) 963 7000) and Yellow Cab (tel: (313) 961 3333). Tipping is not very common for standard journeys.

Traffic is heaviest in Detroit around rush hour (0730-0930 and 1630-1900), as workers fill the Downtown area in the morning and hurry away in the evening. The freeways that connect the city centre with the outlying suburbs can become particularly congested. The city is laid out on a conventional grid system; however, this is sometimes compromised by the meandering shoreline of the Detroit River and Lake St Clair. The most important streets Downtown are Woodward Avenue and Jefferson Avenue.

Many car hire firms operate in Detroit, including Avis (tel: (313) 962 2004 or (313) 963 1483; website: www.avis.com); Budget (tel: (734) 941 3632; website: www.budget.com); Dollar (tel: (866) 434 2226 or 1 800 800 3665; website: www.dollar.com); Enterprise (tel (313) 259 3946 or (313) 393 2344; website: www.enterprise.com); and National (tel: (734) 941 7000 or 1 800 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com).

Drivers must be  21 years or older and drivers under 25 may have to pay a surcharge with certain firms. Foreign drivers must possess a valid national licence, however, it is always advisable to check in advance with the car hire firm in case an International Driving Permit is required. Insurance is available from the car hire firm.

Cycling in Detroit is becoming more popular and is relatively easy in this flat city. Wheelhouse Detroit (tel: (313) 656 2453; website: www.wheelhousedetroit.com) hire out bikes to explore the ‘Motor City', as well as offering guided biking tours around the riverfront and parks.