They don't call it the Motor City for nothing. The easiest way to get around the Detroit area is by car. Interstates 75, 94, 96, 275, 375 and 696 and the Davison, Lodge and Southfield freeways easily interconnect to get you from one side of town to the other, usually in about an hour from end to end. On surface streets, the mile roads, from Seven Mile Road in northern Wayne County to 32 Mile Road in northern Macomb County, are quick and easy east/west routes. The main drags -- Gratiot, Woodward, Grand River and Michigan avenues -- spoke out from the downtown hub. Most of the major north/south thoroughfares are usually spaced a mile apart from one another.

Bus service on the DOT buses in the city of Detroit and the SMART buses that service the suburban communities provide essential, but not frequent routes during the weekdays. Weekend and holiday schedules are relatively sparse, and timing transfers can be especially maddening. One suburban newspaper editor who was challenged by SMART officials to take the bus to work found his 20-minute car commute turned into a 1 1/2-hour bus ride, which included a 45-minute wait for a transfer.

The Detroit area has no subway, trolley or commuter train service. The Detroit People Mover, an elevated light rail system, makes a one-way, 13-minute loop around the perimeter of the downtown area and makes strategic stops.

Taxis are usually well-worn rust buckets, which may or may not show up at a pick-up location on time. Patience or a flexible schedule is a must.

With the exception or centralized suburban shopping and entertainment districts, the metro Detroit area is not walkable or bikeable.