Detroit, MI – The SMART Board of Directors approved the purchase of 80 new 40-foot Gillig buses at its August board meeting.  As promised during the 2014 millage, SMART continues to take significant steps to replace its aging fleet within the next 3 to 4 years.  Approximately, one year ago SMART ordered the first installment of 59 buses with delivery expected in late spring 2016.  The second installment of 80 buses will be delivered in 2017.

“We are making great strides to replace our aging fleet as quickly as possible,” said John C. Hertel, general manager, “We are keeping the promise we made during the millage.  Not only will there be new buses on the road soon, but our riders will get to experience a much improved ride and better service.  They deserve it given their support during the millage and their understanding of the importance of the bus service for the region.”

Earlier this year, SMART introduced 61 propane autogas Connector buses to its fleet establishing it as the second largest propane autogas powered paratransit fleet in Michigan and one of the top five largest in the United States.  The new propane Connector buses are fueled with affordable, clean, domestically produced propane gas which will help reduce fuel and maintenance costs and extend the life of the engine. 

The SMART maintenance department repairs and maintains a mix of more than 600 buses including Fixed Route, Connector and Community Transit buses.  More than 80 percent of the Fixed Route buses have exceeded 500,000 miles with some reaching more that 700,000 miles.  Because of the age and number of miles accumulating daily on the fleet, SMART is intent on getting new buses ordered and on the road as soon as possible. The buses are manufactured by Gillig Corporation and are a BRT design, with stainless steel bike rack for 3 bikes, new illuminator LED signs and non-skid flooring.  In addition, SMART’s entire fleet of buses have been equipped with cameras and the new buses will have 11 cameras installed on each, providing a 360 degree view of the interior and exterior of each bus.  The cost for these new buses is approximately $433,000 each. 

In August 2014, the SMART millage was overwhelmingly passed with a 66% approval.  The SMART public transit millage was a renewal and increase from .59 mils to 1.0 mil.  This was the first tax increase for the authority since 2002.  The additional $27 million generated from the increased millage has been used to stabilize SMART’s budget and to purchase new buses to replace those that have exceeded 500,000 miles. 

Even with the increased millage, SMART still has the lowest millage rate in Michigan, yet serves a larger population and geographic area than the nine largest transit agencies in the state combined.  SMART provides 10 million rides annually with 70 percent of riders going to work.  Seniors and people with disabilities ride SMART 1.8 million times annually, using the service for dialysis treatments, medical appointments and for grocery trips. 

Serving residents since 1967, SMART is southeast Michigan’s only regional public transportation provider, offering convenient, reliable and safe transportation for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties. SMART’s Fixed Route and small bus services connect people to employment and educational institutions, medical appointments and shopping centers. For routes and fare information, visit smartbus.org.

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​SMART buses will begin detours on Wednesday, September 2 at 6 p.m. through Tuesday, September 8 until 7 a.m.  The following routes are affected and delays may be possible:

• 430 Main Street/Big Beaver
• 450/460/465 Woodward
• 730 Ten Mile
• 740 Twelve Mile

Please note the date and time the detour is in effect by viewing the corresponding Service Bulletin.

Heading to the Festival?

Anyone interested in attending the festival or needing to get to downtown Royal Oak should be prepared to transfer, bike or walk to their final destination.  The closest bus stop locations to downtown Royal Oak are:

• Woodward and Lincoln (Route 450/460/465)
• 11 Mile and Washington Avenue (Route 430/730/740)

Royal Oak Transit Center

Due to the road closures, the Royal Oak Transit Center will be closed Thursday, September 3 through Monday, September 7.

Holiday Schedule
Don’t forget Monday, September 7, SMART services will operate the Holiday schedule (Sunday Service).

Service Changes

Monday, September 7^th, service changes go into effect.  Take a minute to review the time and routing changes.

Starting Monday, September 7th, the following routes are changing:

TIME CHANGES

• 140 Southshore
• 160 Downriver
• 250 Ford Road
• 450/460 Woodward Local
• 730 Ten Mile
• 740 Twelve Mile

To view your new schedule, click here.

ROUTING CHANGE

• 760 Thirteen/Fourteen Mile
  Westbound: From 14 Mile, North on Crooks, west on Meijer Dr., south on Delemere, West on 14 Mile
  Eastbound: From 14 Mile, north on Delemere, east on Meijer Dr., south on Crooks, east on 14 Mile
  
  
  
  

The SMART Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2015 at 2:00 PM.  This meeting will be held in SMART’S Board room located on the sixth floor of the Buhl building, 535 Griswold Street, Detroit, Michigan 48226.

This meeting is open to the public.

Due to the anticipated traffic congestion on Woodward Avenue, Routes 450 and 460 will detour after 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 15th,  north of the State Fair Transit Center. Passengers may board SMART buses by flagging at any safe location along the detour route. Please take a minute to check out the corresponding service bulletin.

Regular fares apply for all SMART services. Please anticipate delays and plan your SMART trip accordingly.

SMART is proud to introduce into its fleet this month, 61 new Connector paratransit propane autogas fuel system buses.  The new propane Connector buses will be fueled with affordable, clean, domestically produced propane gas; making SMART the second largest propane autogas powered paratransit fleet in Michigan and one of the top five largest in the United States.  

“SMART is committed to responsibly and eco-consciously serving the communities in southeast Michigan.  By using domestically produced propane we help support local jobs and our economy,” said John C. Hertel, General Manager, “In addition, using the autogas technology will improve our operations, lower costs and preserve the environment in which we work, live and play.”

By investing in the new autogas vehicles, SMART will reduce emissions, save money, and extend the life of the vehicle.

The total fuel and maintenance savings is projected to be $1.1 - $1.7 million over the lifetime of the fleet with a return on investment of less than four months.  

Further, SMART anticipates the autogas vehicles will last longer.  This technology has been shown to extend vehicle life due to less wear and tear on the engines by other autogas fleets.

SMART began its search for alternative fuels to meet the goals of the authority:  lower fuel costs and resolve the stringent and complicated emission control issues experienced with the diesel-fueled paratransit buses.  After researching various alternative fuels, propane became the clear winner.  It is affordable and is readily available.  Propane is a byproduct of natural gas processing and is becoming increasingly available in the United States due to the abundant supply of natural gas.   In addition, the cost of building on-site refueling stations at each of its three terminals was determined to be less expensive than other refueling station options. The vehicles and propane stations are grant funded.

“Residents in Southeast Michigan are breathing easier due to SMART’s decision to fuel paratransit buses with propane autogas,” said Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for ROUSH CleanTech. “Plus, this abundant alternative transportation fuel means reduced operating and ownership costs for the transit agency.”

The Connector, small bus vehicles serve seniors and people with disabilities helping to get them to work, school and medical appointments throughout the region.  It is an advance reservation, curb-to-curb service where riders may travel anywhere within a 10 mile radius of a designated service area. One of the biggest differences customers will notice is a much quieter ride.

Several local businesses participated in the effort to bring the new autogas buses to SMART.  Mobility Transportation is the commercial dealer for Champion the bus manufacturer.  ROUSH equipped the vehicles with the CleanTech propane autogas fuel system. 

Delivery of all 61 SMART Connector autogas vehicles has been on-going since February and to date 14 vehicles have been placed into service.  After receipt of a bus, SMART performs an FTA inspection and then transfer’s equipment from the retiring bus to the new bus.  This includes the removal and installation of the cameras, farebox, radio and automatic vehicle locator (AVL) system equipment.  The full fleet is expected to be in service by the end of July.

*Autogas is the term for propane when used in an on-road engine. 

About SMART: Serving since 1967, SMART is southeast Michigan’s regional public transportation provider, offering convenient, reliable and safe transportation for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties. SMART’s Fixed Route and small bus services connect people to employment and educational institutions, medical appointments and shopping centers. SMART is supported by federal and state funding, local contributions through a transit property tax millage from opt-in communities and bus fares. For routes and fare information, visit www.smartbus.org.

About ROUSH CleanTech: ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of alternative fuel vehicle technology, is a division of ROUSH Enterprises based in Livonia, Mich. ROUSH CleanTech designs, engineers, manufactures and installs propane autogas fuel system technology for light- and medium-duty Ford commercial vehicles, and Type A and Type C Blue Bird school buses. As a Ford QVM-certified alternative fuel vehicle manufacturer, ROUSH CleanTech delivers economical, clean and domestically produced fueling options for fleets across North America. Learn more at or by calling 800.59.ROUSH. 

About Mobility Transportation:  Mobility Transportation Services provides Michigan built buses and commercial passenger vans throughout the U.S. and Guam.  (800)496-4280.  Info@mobilitytrans.com. www.mobilitytrans.com

About Champion Bus:  Champion Bus, Inc., a subsidiary of Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), manufactures small and medium sized commercial buses for public transit, paratransit, parking, airport, hotel/resort, assisted living, group tour, church and university markets. Founded in 1953, Champion Bus was the first bus manufacturer to become QVM certified by the Ford Motor Company. All bus models manufactured at the company’s ISO 9001 certified facility in Imlay City, Mich. are Altoona tested, FMVSS/CMVSS compliant and have passed FMVSS No. 220 and ECE r.66 rollover safety tests. Backed by a dependable dealer network in North America, Champion Bus provides quick delivery of replacement parts and responsive customer service and technical support. For more information, visit www.championbus.com.

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Thursday, April 23, 2015 - SMART is proud to introduce its new RideSMARTBus mobile app – putting important SMART information at the rider’s fingertips.  Designed for iPhone and Android, the app features routes, schedules, service alerts and Bus Tracker - SMART’s realtime arrival information system.

“SMART is always looking for ways to improve service for our riders and the communities we serve,” said John C. Hertel, General Manager, “By using technology we help our riders get the information they need when they need it and help to reduce the wait time at their stop.  We believe the app helps our riders and we hope it encourages others who may not have used SMART in the past, to give us a try.”

Bus Tracker was launched in the fall of 2014 and is also a key feature on the app.     Bus Tracker stores the rider’s last trip and let’s them watch the bus as it travels along the route toward their stop and count’s down the time to arrival.  This gives the rider a sense of comfort in knowing exactly where the bus is located.

The SMART bus app can be synced with a rider’s personal MySMART profile giving them instant access to their favorite routes and stops.  Notifications of any service changes will be sent automatically for favorite routes, so rider’s can be assured they have all the information they need before they set out on their trip.  The app also offers the ability to look for other ways to ride SMART, with quick access to the Trip Planner feature for the best route to take.

The RideSMARTBus MOBILE APP can be downloaded from the App or Google play store or by visiting smartbus.org.

Check out this video on the new RideSMARTBus App!

Below is a specific list of all the RideSMARTBus App features:

Routes
Use this tool to get a listing of SMART routes and published times.

Tracker
This feature provides realtime bus arrival at a bus stop.

Favorites
By becoming a MySMART member, quickly access favorite bus routes and stops used most often.

Nearest Stops
See the SMART stop nearest an address, a street intersection, or a landmark (such as the Royal Oak Transit Center).

Trip Planner
What's the best trip on SMART? Enter the trip details to get detailed information about the best route options.

Alerts (If activated under Preferences)
When service changes or issues occur, it is nice to have a message waiting. When logged into MySMART, when a favorite route is detoured or bad weather hits, the RideSMARTBus app will send a notification.

Serving since 1967, SMART is southeast Michigan’s only regional public transportation provider, offering convenient, reliable and safe transportation for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties. SMART’s Fixed Route and small bus services connect people to employment and educational institutions, medical appointments and shopping centers. SMART is supported by federal and state funding, local contributions through a transit property tax millage from opt-in communities and bus fares. For routes and fare information, visit smartbus.org.

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Introducing Bus Tracker!  Where you can get the real, real-time arrival of your bus any time you need it.  Using GPS technology and other wiz-bang stuff, you can use Bus Tracker by Map and watch as your bus move along the route on a map, or try Tracker by Time and see as the time counts down to your bus’s actual arrival at your stop!  Better yet, use Tracker by Text and receive a text message with the time you can expect the bus at your stop!  Three marvelous ways to help you plan and ensure that you don’t miss the bus! 

Here are your options to view Bus Tracker…

Tracker Map

Where is my bus along the route? Track all active buses along your route on the Bus Tracker map. Learn more. 

Tracker Time

When will my bus arrive at this stop? Check if the next bus is just around the corner. Our Tracker Time tool tells you the estimated arrival time of the next SMART bus.  Learn more.

Tracker Text

How do I get bus arrival information on the go?  Text SMART anytime to get a listing of bus arrival times at your stop. Learn More.

On the go? Bus Tracker by Text is the easiest and quickest way to find out when your bus will be arriving at your stop. Text SMART anytime to get the listing of bus arrival times in the next 30 minutes! 

Just locate your Bus Stop Id by clicking here. 

Then follow these easy steps to receive a text with the estimated time of arrival!

1.     Text SMART [stop id] to 41411

2.     Receive a return text with the estimated arrival time

Beep Beep...SMART buses are now stopping in Lathrup Village!  SMART can now easily connect residents to work, school, doctors and more.

Residents have always been able to catch a Fixed Route bus on 12 Mile, now they can catch a bus at one of twelve stops along Southfield Road, between 12 mile and Lincoln.  Check out the 420 or the 740 schedule to see where SMART can connect you.

Connector Service is also available to residents.  This curb-to-curb, advance reservation service is geared towards seniors and people with disabilities.  For information on who qualifies and how to book a trip, click here.

For a detail listing of services available to Lathrup Village Residences, check out the Community Page.