Getting to Art Fair with D2A2

👋 Hey, it's Sam. I used the D2A2 bus for the first time Friday to spend the afternoon at the Ann Arbor Art Fair.

• Tickets to and from Detroit and Ann Arbor are $6 each, there's free wifi and plenty of space for bikes in the luggage space.

How it works: A bus heads to Ann Arbor every hour between 5:45am and midnight at Grand Circus Park between W. Adams Avenue and Bagley Street, and back to Detroit 6 am to 9 pm.

• The ride itself is quick and quiet. There were less than a dozen people on the 12:15 bus to Ann Arbor, which dropped us off in Ann Arbor about 45 minutes later at 5th Avenue and William Street across from the Ann Arbor Public Library.
• There were even less people on the 6:30 back to Detroit.

Why it matters: The route is much needed in light of Southeast Michigan's non-existent regional transit system.

• Parking in downtown Ann Arbor during the annual art festival is also a pain.
• And I wanted to bring my bike, which doesn't fit inside my Honda Civic.

Between the lines: Bus stops are also important community water coolers, where small talk can easily become lively conversations that spawn new friendships.

• Hope you're reading this, Clarence.