At a series of public hearings this week, SMART is proposing some significant service changes for next year, including the first frequency improvements since the agency’s pandemic-era cuts.
Among other changes, SMART proposes to increase frequencies on all three of its FAST express routes to every 20 minutes; to extend the Van Dyke and Fort Street routes back into Detroit; and to implement new routes in Wixom and Hamtramck. The number of Flex zones – featuring Uber-like service – would be increased from five to ten. Find a full description of changes at this link.
The changes reflect recommendations of the SMARTer Mobility planning process, a systemwide analysis that the agency conducted over the past several years.
Three routes would be eliminated – two of them limited-hours commuter routes serving downtown Detroit. Cumulatively, however, the changes may represent the biggest increase in SMART service since the agency launched its FAST service in 2018.
Due to the low level of regional investment in SMART, most SMART routes will continue to run on an hourly basis – not frequently enough to serve most people’s needs. Nonetheless, after a rough five years for the agency, any service increases are welcome.
The first set of changes – including frequency improvements on the Woodward FAST, Gratiot FAST, and Nine Mile routes – will be implemented in January.
You can submit comments on the proposed changes to [email protected].