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Transit Guide: Detroit Area Hotels

David Gifford
8 min readNov 19, 2018

Did you know that you can reach dozens of hotels in Detroit & Metro Detroit by using public transit? For this guide we’ll focus on the SMART FAST bus system, Detroit People Mover, & the QLINE.

FAST Bus pulling away from the David Whitney Building / ALOFT Hotel — Photo by David Gifford

When planning a trip to Detroit you may be tempted to pay to rent a car at the airport then drive to downtown. Once you’ve reached your hotel you will likely have to pay to park your car nearby and then pay to park everyplace else you visit. That really adds up. Why not save some money and ride public transit instead? The cost is just $2 per person for 4-hours or $5 per person for a 24-hr pass.

Take the FAST Bus!

What is a FAST Bus? There are two bus providers in Metro Detroit: DDOT & SMART. DDOT runs primarily in Detroit and SMART runs primarily in the suburbs. SMART does offer some peak downtown routes, which means AM & PM commuting hours only, but also offers three all day regional express routes. In January of 2018, SMART started a new service called FAST (Frequent Affordable Safe Transit). These regional buses run all day, not just during peak hours, seven days a week on Gratiot, Woodward & Michigan Ave. They feature free WiFi and make limited stops making for a faster trip than a traditional bus route. Ask for the 4hr or 24hr DART pass when boarding. A 4hr pass is $2 for adults ($0.50 for students & seniors with ID and $0.50 for those with disabilities). A 24hr pass is $5 for adults ($2 for students & seniors with ID and $2 for those with disabilities). Transfers between routes & systems are included. Learn more at www.ridesmart-fast.org or click here for the Transit Guide.

FAST Michigan — Image by SMART Bus

#261 FAST Michigan

Let’s start here at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus. Say you are flying into Detroit and have to get to your hotel once you land. You could A) Rent a car and drive. If your hotel is in Detroit, you’ll likely have to pay to park your rental car. B) Have an Uber, Lyft or taxi pick you up. You’re looking at about $40+ to get to downtown Detroit or more if you’re headed to the suburbs. C) Rely on family or friends to pick you up or D) Head to the FAST Michigan Bus stop and get to Detroit for just $2. If you’re in the Evans Terminal, cross the bridge and take the elevator to the ground transportation level and wait for the bus. At the McNamara Terminal buses arrive and depart at the Air France check in and departure gate. You’ll have to head back up to the top where cars drop people off to reach this bus stop. The FAST bus is the airport’s best kept secret. It runs to downtown Detroit & back all day 7 days a week. Frequency is about every 45 minutes.

Photo by John Good

Romulus

There are over a dozen hotels near the airport within walking distance of the FAST stop at Flynn Drive. Note: many of these hotels provide free shuttles.

Dearborn

West Dearborn

East Dearborn

Corktown

Click here for larger SMART map

Downtown Detroit

FAST Woodward — Image by SMART Bus

#461–462 FAST Woodward

The FAST Woodward buses runs between Pontiac (#462), Troy (#461) and downtown Detroit 7 days a week. There are many nearby hotels along the route. The list below lists the hotel and what stop to exit at.

Troy

Birmingham

Royal Oak

Detroit

FAST Gratiot — Image by SMART Bus

#561–563 FAST Gratiot

The FAST Gratiot buses runs between Chesterfield (#563), Mt Clemens (#561) and downtown Detroit 7 days a week. Route #562 is a M-F peak route. There are several nearby hotels along the route. The list below contains the hotel and what stop to exit at.

Macomb Twp

Mt Clemens

Roseville

Downtown Detroit

Image by Detroit People Mover

People Mover

The Detroit People Mover makes a 2.6 mile loop clockwise around downtown. It connects to over a dozen downtown hotels. Links to hotels and stations are provided. Cost to ride is $0.75.

Image by QLine Detroit

QLine

The QLine runs 7 days a week between downtown Detroit and New Center (3.3 miles). Click here for hours and more info. Cost is currently free.

DDOT Bus

New ConnectTen branding on DDOT

These are the hotels you can reach on the regular DDOT Bus. Ask for the 4hr or 24hr DART pass when boarding. A 4hr pass is $2 for adults, $0.50 for students & seniors with ID and $0.50 for those with disabilities. A 24hr pass is $5 for adults, $2 for students & seniors with ID and $2 for those with disabilities. Transfers are free.

MoGo Detroit

You many notice racks full of matching red bikes downtown. These are operated by MoGo, Detroit’s bike share system. They are a great way to get around the city as a last mile solution or for pleasure riding. Stations are located near all major downtown destinations & near transit stops for easy transfers. Rates vary from $1 to unlock & $0.25 a minute (like scooters) to $10 for 1-hour, $15 for unlimited 60-minute trips over 3 days, $18 for 2-hours of consecutive use as well as monthly & annual passes. Use the TransitApp to locate & unlock bikes.

For more guides on where to take transit in Detroit from breweries to movies theaters, check out Transit Guide: Detroit.

Public Transit
Hotel
Detroit
Airports
Traveling

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David Gifford

Written by David Gifford

53 Followers

Promotor of Detroit, public transit and transit equity. www.transitguidedetroit.com

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