Jason Hargrove Transit Center
Jason Hargrove Transit Center | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General information | |||||
| Location | 1121 8 Mile Road Detroit, Michigan United States | ||||
| Coordinates | 42°26′36″N 83°07′0.52″W / 42.44333°N 83.1168111°W | ||||
| Owned by | City of Detroit | ||||
| Operated by | DDOT | ||||
| Bus routes | 13 | ||||
| Bus stands | 11 | ||||
| Bus operators | DDOT SMART | ||||
| Construction | |||||
| Structure type | At-grade | ||||
| Bicycle facilities | MoGo Bikeshare | ||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||
| History | |||||
| Opened | May 11, 2024 | ||||
| Previous names | Michigan State Fair Dairy Cattle Building | ||||
| |||||
The Jason Hargrove Transit Center (JHTC) is a major public transit station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the third iteration of the State Fair Transit Center, located at the old Michigan State Fairgrounds,[1] near the intersection of 8 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue. It serves as the secondary hub for the Detroit Department of Transportation bus network, as well as a major transfer point for the suburban SMART network, served by 13 bus routes between the systems.[2]
The JHTC repurposes the former Dairy Cattle Building, the last remaining structure from the Michigan State Fair at the site.
Services[edit]
Services from the transit center include 13 bus routes, 10 of which terminate at the station. As of May 2024[update], the transit center is expected to serve 25,000 passengers per week.[3]
| Operator | Route | Direction | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| DDOT[4] | 4 Woodward | Southbound | Downtown Detroit |
| 12 Conant | Belle Isle | ||
| 17 Eight Mile | Eastbound | Ascension St. John Hospital | |
| 17 Eight Mile | Westbound | Northland Center | |
| 30 Livernois | Southbound | Jefferson & Brennan | |
| 54 Wyoming | Jefferson & West End | ||
| SMART[5] | 405 Northwestern Highway | Westbound | Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital |
| 450 Woodward Local | Northbound | Phoenix Center, Pontiac | |
| 460 Woodward Local | Somerset Collection | ||
| 461 FAST Woodward | Troy Civic Center | ||
| 462 FAST Woodward | Great Lakes Crossing | ||
| 461 FAST Woodward | Southbound | Downtown Detroit | |
| 462 FAST Woodward | |||
| 492 Rochester | Northbound | Oakland University | |
| 494 Dequindre | Beaumont Hospital, Troy | ||
| 495 John R | Oakland Mall |
History[edit]
Fairgrounds[edit]
The Michigan State Fairgrounds, an approximately 160-acre (65 ha) site at 8 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, hosted the annual Michigan State Fair from 1905 to 2009. The fair went on hiatus in 2009 amidst funding difficulties, and returned in 2012 at a different site. Under the administration of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, the northwestern portion of the site was redeveloped into a shopping center, anchored by a Meijer store. Additional redevelopment proposals were made in the late 2010s, and much of the site was redeveloped for industrial uses by 2023.[6]
The redevelopment of the State Fairgrounds was controversial. Following the construction of the shopping center, the proposals to redevelop the rest of the site for industrial use were met with resistance. Preservationists highlighted the historic value of the buildings on the site, which included the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, the Dairy Cattle Building, and a historic band shell. In 2021, the plans for the State Fairgrounds redevelopment were revised, which included retaining the Dairy Cattle Building as a new transit center, and relocating the band shell to Palmer Park. The Coliseum was demolished in 2022.[7]
Transit center[edit]
The original State Fair Transit Center, located at what is now the corner of Woodward Avenue and Remington Street, had existed since the era of the Department of Street Railways, and was once served by streetcars. Amid construction at the Fairgrounds site, which necessitated a new access street, the original Transit Center closed permanently on November 6, 2022, with only one week of public notice, and was demolished soon thereafter. A new, temporary transit center entered service the next day.[8][9][10]
Construction on the new transit center began in May 2023, with extensive interior demolition of the Dairy Cattle Building. The station features a heated indoor lobby, with a ticket office and vending machine, public restrooms, and artifacts preserved from the Coliseum, including a sign, stadium seats, and a scoreboard.
Namesake[edit]
The transit center is named for DDOT bus driver Jason Hargrove, who died in April 2020 from complications of COVID-19. Hargrove, a father of six, had worked for DDOT since 2016, and was an active member of the Amalgamated Transit Union.[11][12] He gained national attention from a viral video he posted on Facebook, in which he described being coughed on by a careless passenger, and advocated for stronger protections for DDOT bus drivers in the then-early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hargrove's video was the subject of national media coverage, highlighting the serious nature of the COVID-19 crisis, and its effect on frontline workers.[11][12]
References[edit]
- ^ Lawrence, Eric D. (March 15, 2024). "New Detroit transit center to be named for DDOT driver who died after COVID-19 warning". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ "Mayor: New Transit Center will be named in honor of late DDOT Driver Jason Hargrove". City of Detroit. March 15, 2024.
- ^ Martin, Kylie (May 11, 2024). "Mayor Duggan takes bus to opening day at Detroit's new Jason Hargrove Transit Center". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ DDOT System Map (PDF) (Map). Detroit Department of Transportation. April 25, 2022. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ SMART System Map (PDF) (Map). Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. September 11, 2023. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ Reindl, J. C. (July 26, 2023). "Newly open Amazon Fulfillment Center employs 1,200+ people, mostly Detroit residents". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ Wethington, Lauren (January 27, 2022). "Public says goodbye to Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum as demolition nears". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ "STATE FAIR TRANSIT CENTER CLOSURE & RELOCATION NOVEMBER 7, 2022". Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. November 3, 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-12-04.
- ^ Huffman, Bryce (November 21, 2022). "Some bus riders left cold and confused by temporary State Fair transit hub". Bridge Detroit.
- ^ "DDOT announces new transit hub location as work on new State Fair Transit Center continues". City of Detroit. November 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ a b Jaffe, Greg; Gowen, Annie (April 13, 2020). "The high price of keeping Detroit moving". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ a b Witsil, Frank (April 3, 2020). "After Detroit bus driver's death and another infection, workers question what is essential". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2024-05-13.