Transit Guide: Opening Day in the D

(2023 Update). The following is a comprehensive guide for getting to and getting around downtown Detroit for Opening Day without a car. Opening Day takes place on Thursday April 6th this year. Why ride transit? Because gas is expensive and so is parking downtown Detroit. Save yourself $50 or more on parking and spend it on some of the new offerings at the ballpark this season instead.

STEP 1: Download TransitApp. With this app you can get transit directions using SMART, DDOT, QLINE Detroit, the People Mover, MoGo bikes, Uber or Lyft. You can even locate & use scooters with this app.

TransitApp will show you all nearby transit options and give you multi-modal directions.

STEP 2: Download the Token Transit App. If you don’t have an account it is easy to sign up and link it to a debit or creit card. You can purchase transit passes as easily as paying for parking by phone. Select your fare, purchase and show the driver your phone when you enter the bus. $2 DART* passes are good for 4-hours of unlimited trips & transfers between any SMART & DDOT buses. You can also pay with cash. *Seniors, persons with disabilities & children ages 6–18 = $0.50.

Transit Costs:

DDOT Bus & SMART Bus: Adults $2.00, Kids 6–18, Seniors & Disabled $0.50, kids under 6 ride free (Basic fare good for 4 hours). Buses accept cash, prepaid passes or DART mobile pass.

QLine Detroit: FREE to ride!

Detroit People Mover: $0.75 (quarters or tokens only)

MoGo Detroit: $1 to unlock + $0.25 per minute, $18: 2-hour pass, $20: 1-month pass good for unlimited 60 minute trips.

As you can see on the map above, there are many transit options on Woodward including DDOT, SMART, People Mover, QLINE, MoGo and D2A2.

SMART Bus

[System Map] If you live outside of Detroit, you can drive to a SMART bus Park & Ride or suburban mall parking lot and ride a FAST Bus. FAST is a regional service that runs all day, 7 days a week with no transfers at the city limits.

SMART’s FAST bus routes

What is a FAST bus? FAST stands for Frequent, Affordable, Safe, Transit and is a regional service from SMART Bus. Buses run frequently and make limited stops to keep service moving quickly on Gratiot, Woodward & Michigan Ave. Gratiot & Woodward buses run until midnight (Mon-Sat) and 10pm (Sun). Michigan Ave bus to DTW runs until midnight (Mon-Sat) and 11:30pm (Sun).

Image by District Detroit

Official Park & Ride lots are in Chesterfield, Mt. Clemens, Troy, Dearborn and Detroit. You can also park at Great Lakes Crossing, Somerset and Macomb Mall but they are not official Park & Ride lots. All FAST routes end downtown Detroit at Spirit Plaza but Michigan & Woodward have a closer stop outside the David Whitney Building near the park.

Game day tip: Ride FAST Gratiot to Madison to reach Comerica Park. Ride FAST Woodward & FAST Michigan to Grand Circus Park. There are many awesome spots to pregame in Corktown & along Woodward. For more info on FAST buses, check out this blog.

FAST Woodward stops at Grand Circus Park and is close to Comerica Park.

Detroit Department of Transportation

[System Map] DDOT has been providing public transit to Detroiters since 1922. In 2018, DDOT rebranded their busiest routes calling them ConnectTen. These routes reach all the popular neighborhoods like New Center, Midtown, Eastern Market, West Village, East Jefferson, Corktown, Mexicantown, Woodbridge, Avenue of Fashion, Redford and Grandmont Rosedale. If you live along these routes or you are parked along one of these routes, you can catch a DDOT bus to downtown. Most routes end downtown by the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center or at the Rosa Parks Transit Center on Cass where you can catch the People Mover or walk. ConnectTen routes are 24-hr routes.

Game day tips: Park along Cass Ave and pregame at one of the many great breweries or bars in Midtown & ride #16 Dexter to the Columbia stop. It’s just a short walk to the ballpark from there. There are over 50 places to start out at along DDOT ConnectTen routes then ride to Comerica Park. Also check out this Detroit brewery transit guide for more ideas.

DDOT ConnectTen routes are 24-hr routes.

QLINE Detroit

Detroit’s QLINE streetcar started operating in 2017 and serves Woodward Ave between New Center & downtown Detroit. There are many places to park along the route and many places to visit. Hours are: Mon-Sat (8am-12am) Sun (8am-9pm).

Game day tip: Park at WSU Lot 12 for just $5 & ride the streetcar to Montcalm or Grand Circus Park. The QLINE will be using transit only lanes in the area but could get stuck in heavy traffic. There are bus stops nearby every QLINE stop so keep that in mind if there are long delays.

Photo by QLINE Detroit

The Detroit People Mover

Already downtown? You can park along the People Mover route and take it to Grand Circus Park. It has been serving downtown since 1987. The monorail runs clockwise. Hours are Mon-Thr (7am-7pm) Fri (7am-12am) Sat (10am-12am) Sun (10am-8pm).

Game day tip: Be sure to download the People Mover’s new APP. Convenient parking garages include the Z-Lot, Hollywood Casio in Greektown, Huntington Place and the Financial District.

People Mover Map

MoGo Detroit

MoGo Detroit is a docking bicycle share system. For $1 you can unlock a bike & pay $0.25 a minute to ride. For $18 you can get a 2-hour pass that can be used all at once or over several trips.

Game day tip: Park further away and ride a MoGo bike to the closest MoGo station which is located in Grand Circus Park along Woodward.

Image of MoGo System map

D2A2 Regional Bus

If you are coming from Ann Arbor for opening day, you can ride the RTA regional bus called D2A2. It runs hourly 7-days a week from Blake Transit Center to Grand Circus Park. The cost is $8 at the bus or $6 when purchased in advance online. Seniors & persons with disabilities are just $4.

Photo by David Gifford

*(This blog is for information only and is not affiliated with TransitApp, SMART, DDOT, QLine, People Mover or MoGo.)