Riders board a bus.
By: Brendan Losinski | Metro | Published November 9, 2022
Residents in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties voted to approve a new millage and opt into an agreement with the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation as a whole instead of on a community-by-community basis.
In Oakland County, this was approved 336,473 votes to 252,725. In Macomb County, the votes came in 228,841 yes and 120,648 against.
“Voters from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties overwhelmingly voted to pass their respective public transportation millages on Tuesday,” Paul Hillegonds, the chair of the Regional Transit Authority board of directors, said in a statement. “Residents let their voices be heard and opted to enhance vital transportation services that will provide the ability to improve transit options in their communities. This vote is a win for the future of transit and mobility in our region. It sets us on a path of improved quality of life, better job access and development opportunities, environmental sustainability and job creation. The Regional Transit Authority looks forward to working with regional leaders, transit riders, and citizens to make Southeast Michigan a leader in transit and mobility.”
The measure asked residents to pay 0.95 mill, which is 95 cents of every $1,000 of taxable value of a home, for 10 years. Expansion will include additional bus routes; the growth of the SMART Flex service, an orderable, ride-share style service that is currently in a testing stage in certain communities; and possibly more frequent service, officials said.
“The tax burden will remain basically the same for current opt-in communities (including all of Macomb County) — just under 1 mill, which works out to about $8 a month for a house valued at $200,000,” Megan Owens, of Transportation Riders United, said in a previous report. “SMART bus fares are generally $2 for four hours of unlimited rides, with discounted rates for seniors and people with disabilities of just 50 cents for four hours of rides. That’s also the cost for the on-demand Flex service in the zones that have it. Day, week and monthly rates are also available.”