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Support Countywide Transit Investment in Wayne County!

/ millage, SMART, transit funding, Wayne County

In 2026, Wayne County has a chance to expand public transit countywide.

Wayne County will vote on a ballot proposal that will extend this essential service countywide. TRU strongly supports this proposal as an important step towards a better-connected region and a more prosperous County.

Today, ~350,000 Wayne County residents have little to no options to get around if they can’t drive. Public transit helps the economy, the
environment, public health, and the elderly and disabled folks!

Do you support transit throughout Wayne County? Add your name to the petition!

Currently, many Wayne County communities have little or no public transit.

A new state law has eliminated “opt-outs,” so all of Wayne County will vote as a whole in 2026 on a transit millage.

In these communities, municipal leaders have “opted-out” of previous ballot votes on Wayne County transit funding, which passed with large voter support in participating areas. As a result, these suburbs receive no regional transit service and most provide very little transit for the residents. This creates a large gap in Western Wayne County.

A new state law has eliminated “opt-outs,” so all of Wayne County will vote as a whole in 2026 on a transit millage.

Map of metro Detroit opt-in and op-out SMART communities, with fixed route transit lines mapped. Oakland and Macomb Counties are fully opt-in, and Detroit has DDOT service. However, many communities in Wayne County op-out of SMART service, and bus lines stop near their borders

What is a transit millage?

Millages are property taxes based on a home’s value, generally approved by voters. They help fund services like:

Public services listed like police and fire departments, public transit, sanitation and public health, and public schools and libraries

Millages provide essential services to our community!

What would my community get out of the millage?

While every community will get a different service, each community will gain something

  • If you live in a suburban community with SMART service:
    • You will gain new connections to Wayne county communities that don’t have bus service right now, at no cost for you!
    • These are: Allen Park, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Ecorse, Garden City, the Grosse Pointes & Harper Woods, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Inkster, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Redford, Riverview, River Rouge, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Wayne, Westland, Wyandotte,
  • If you live in a suburban or rural area without SMART service:
    • Your community will gain a new bus route or dial-a-ride service, or both! This will come as extended routes from existing service areas and new routes, along with transit access to Detroit.
    • These are: Brownstown, Canton, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron Twp., Northville, Nortville Twp., Plymouth, Plymouth Twp, Rockwood, Sumpter Twp, Van Buren, Van Buren Twp., Woodhaven,
  • If you live in Detroit:
    • You will gain enhanced FAST and SMART service, potentially including increased frequency and service hours.
    • Additionally, Detroiters will gain access to more services, jobs, schools, and communities in the suburbs.

What would a transit millage cost?

A family whose house is worth $200K has a taxable value of $100K.

Formulae showing how much a family with a home work $200k would pay under a millage. A 1 mill tax is equal to .001 of the taxable value of the home ($100,000 in this case), and would equal a tax of $8/month. A 1.5 mill tax would be $12.5/month.

In 2026, some communities will renew their transit millage. Others will be added to the system and gain access to public transit! If you live in a suburban community that already has SMART service, you will see no new taxes!

What can be done with a transit millage?

Image showing buses and what can be done with a transit millage. SMART bus with caption "More bus routes running more often". SMART Paratransit with "Longer hours and more door-to-door rides". D2A2 with "More connections to more places".

How can I help?

  • Add your name to the petition supporting Wayne countywide transit!
  • Tell your elected officials you care about transit, and talk to friends and family about the proposal
  • Vote in the election in August.
  • Connect with TRU and join our Wayne County Transit Task Force! Get involved with us.