City of Berkley Expands Bus Fleet

Berkley, MI (May 8, 2007) The City of Berkley expanded their bus fleet today with the delivery of a 32 foot, 22 passenger bus. The bus was funded through the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation’s (SMART) Community Partnership Program.

“The senior population is growing and I have joined it,” said SMART General Manager Hayes W. Jones.  “We are going to need more services so we can go out in our communities and enjoy a better quality of life and be independent. And we are making sure that happens through mobility.”

“This is wonderful,” said Berkley Mayor Marilyn Stephan. “I went to the ballgame in the bus last year and this bus has seat belts and shocks and it’s just really wonderful. I have to thank SMART for all their hard work and we will really enjoy this.”

The bus made its maiden voyage to the Detroit Institute of Arts, just one of many planned trips. It is the third in the city’s fleet and will help to fill increasing demand for transportation within the community. Wheelchair lift-equipped, residents of all ages can also take advantage of recreational opportunities and a planned series of outings through Berkley’s 20-100 Club, an organized group of residents, relatives and interested outsiders looking for some fun. A Detroit Tiger Baseball Game is scheduled for the end of May.

“We don’t provide great service just for the seniors, we want to include everyone,” said Tom Colwell, Berkley Parks and Recreation Manager. The bus will also be used for children’s camp programs throughout the summer.

SMART’s Community Partnership Program (CPP) was started in 1997 as a way to encourage more transit options for local residents. Berkley is one of 75 different communities who partner with SMART to develop their unique transportation programs. Dearborn acquired the vehicles for a fraction of their cost.  The program is a cooperative effort between SMART and participating communities in which funding is made available to develop and operate transportation services.

The CPP program enables communities, using a portion of their SMART Community Credit allocation, to pay 20 percent of the cost of a new vehicle. SMART, using its federal grant dollars pays for the other 80 percent.  In effect, this unique program enables SMART to return additional federal dollars directly to the residents of the partners for transportation services designed and operated by local authorities. The bus was paid for through a 5310 grant.   

SMART is the regional transit system in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties and services more than 1200 square miles. Recognized nationally as an innovator in community based service for its unique partnerships with 75 communities, SMART is posting record ridership with more than 12 million passengers using the service annually. For more information, go to www.smartbus.org or call Customer Information at 866-962-5515.

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