Detroit is famous for cars, but getting around the city is complicated if you don’t drive. Deanne Austin has spent much of her life finding ways to make it work.

“I’m the millennial that never got a driver’s license,” she said. “I still don’t drive.”

After graduating from Michigan State during the recession, Austin returned home and took a job in Livonia. The commute required three buses and, at the end, a ride from her grandmother because the line stopped short of her workplace. That experience shaped how she sees Detroit’s transportation system, one that often gets riders close, but not all the way.

Today, Austin serves on the board of Transportation Riders United (TRU) and continues to advocate for more reliable and affordable public transit. She also worked for Detroit Public Schools Community District, where she saw how limited transportation affects students. “My students would tell me, ‘Miss Austin, I’m sorry I’m late, my bus never came,’” she said.

Austin doesn’t rely only on the bus. She often uses ride-hailing services or gets rides from family, especially when time or health limits her options. That, she said, highlights why Detroit’s transit system still needs attention. 

“We need more funding for buses. We need more drivers. We need the city to invest in the people who move Detroit.”

Her message for city leaders: fixing transit means improving access to jobs, schools, healthcare, and civic life. 

Austin joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to explain how, she said, “transit touches everything,” and what Detroit’s next mayor must do to improve it.

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation.

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