A new high-frequency, limited-stop bus service unveiled Wednesday will for the first time provide a direct connection to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and also will connect Detroit’s suburbs to its downtown, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation said in a news release.

SMART's new FAST buses debuted today at the Troy Terminal and will launch on Jan. 1, according to the statement. The name stands for Frequent Affordable Safe Transit.

The FAST Michigan route will provide direct service to the McNamara and North terminals at the airport; FAST Woodward serves Pontiac and Troy, four hospitals, the Detroit Zoo, Midtown and Downtown; and FAST Gratiot provides service to 23 Mile, Mt. Clemens, Macomb Mall, Midtown, Eastern Market and Downtown, according to the news release.

“The new FAST service will make the commute from the suburbs to downtown Detroit quicker and more convenient for riders,” SMART General Manager John C. Hertel said in the statement. “By creating a limited-stop route, we are able to streamline the service and provide better commuting options to help connect people to work, school, medical facilities, shopping and the growing entertainment district that downtown Detroit has to offer.”

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The Free Press reported in early December about SMART’s plans to launch express routes that would run on Woodward, Gratiot and Michigan avenues and replace the RefleX bus service, a limited-stop service with buses that run every 45 minutes during peak hours.

The FAST Gratiot and Woodward routes will run every 15 to 20 minutes, and FAST Michigan buses will run every 30 minutes, according to maps provided by SMART. There would be lower frequency on nights and early mornings on all routes.

Stops will be located about every mile, and riders are only able to board and deboard at official FAST stations, according to the news release.

The FAST Michigan route will run from 5 a.m. to midnight, and FAST Gratiot and Woodward will both run from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.

A one-way fare is $2 and transfers are 25 cents, according to the release. Service on the FAST bus routes will be free from Jan. 1-15, said SMART spokeswoman Beth Gibbons.

For route maps and more information, go to http://on.freep.com/2l9VY9J.

Free Press staff writer Eric D. Lawrence contributed. Contact Hasan Dudar at hdudar@freepress.com.