DEXTER AVE. BUS PROGRAM

PROJECT SUMMARY

Client: City of Detroit, MI
Typology: Research
Location: Wildemere Park, Detroit, MI
Status: In progress
Research Collaborator: Vidal Marsh

When “white flight” took place in Detroit during the 1950s, hundreds of thousands of Americans left the industrial metropolis, automobile industry job opportunities declined, and the DPS (Detroit Public Schools) system lost much of its student body. By 1970, the overall population of Detroit and surrounding areas fell by 32%, while DPS student enrollment declined by 38%. This greatly affected the neighborhood of Wildemere Park, where Dexter Avenue runs. 

The Dexter Avenue Bus Program aims to create three new school bus routes and six school bus stops along Dexter Avenue to combat this plight. The purpose of this new program would be to safely transport 150 K-5 students from the Wildemere Park area to their respective schools in order to raise the quality of life and education of students in this area.

This program is AERO COLLECTIVE’s first step towards stabilizing the neighborhood. We believe that not only will it raise the quality of life and education in the area, but that it will also serve as a beacon of safety and vibrancy in an area that has been progressively abandoned over the last six decades.

The Dexter Avenue Bus Program, in conception with Wildemere Park native Vidal Marsh, will be in an ongoing Research phase until AERO COLLECTIVE solidifies a plan to execute the best possible transportation system for these children. We are actively working on partnering with Great Schools Detroit and the longstanding school bus entityABC Transportation as the project unfolds.