All-day bus service could return on key Detroit routes

The Detroit area's suburban bus service is considering a proposal to restore all-day service along two key routes into Detroit, an effort aimed at returning a seamless public transportation connection between the city and suburbs.

The proposal from the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan is getting applause from transit advocates, but its reception with the board of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation has been mixed.

The proposal envisions boosting service for SMART buses along Woodward and Gratiot from the handful of hours they run in Detroit each day, a reality in place for several years because of cutbacks in service.

In a letter to the SMART board, Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, urged approval of the service changes.

"Restoring all-day service into Detroit would be a win-win-win. It’s a win for suburban SMART riders who get convenient reliable rides to major destinations at the times they need. It’s a win for Detroiters who can more reliably get to work at suburban jobs. And it’s a win for suburban businesses that get more reliable employee attendance," Owens wrote.

Joel Batterman, a coordinator with the advocacy group Motor City Freedom Riders, said he was pleased by support for the effort shown by SMART board members during a special meeting Tuesday.

"It's important because it would be the biggest step toward a seamless regional transit service that we've had in quite some time," Batterman said.

Board Chair Abdul (Al) Haidous, one of two Wayne County representatives on the SMART board and a county commissioner, said he was unhappy with how the process was initiated because a prior meeting was held with some board members, and he as chair was not included. He said he is open to changes in service if it makes financial sense, but he noted that much is unknown about how the service changes would work.

"If there's a need, I'm for it, but we have to find the funding, too," Haidous said. "We're open for change, but the change needs to be well-calculated in a safe way (that) prevents failure in the system in the future."

The RTA estimates the cost would be an additional $4.5 million, but Haidous believes that does not account for employee benefits and other costs. SMART's own estimate is almost $5.7 million, he said, and it could go higher.

RTA CEO Michael Ford said the RTA is committed to resolving the issue soon, possibly by the end of the month.

The service cuts at issue date to 2011, when SMART cut approximately 22% of its service because of a reduction in revenue from its millage because of the recession, according to spokeswoman Beth Gibbons. She said the RTA is being asked to provide more information about its proposal."We're all in this boat together. We need to improve … the services that our public desperately needs," Ford said. "We're trying to address the needs of the region and being able to have more service on the street would be a step in the right direction as we continue to move forward on our regional master plan."

Those cuts reduced SMART service in Detroit on the key Woodward and Gratiot routes, among other rollbacks, to the morning and evening rush hours, meaning that suburban riders who work late or need a bus at other times have had to rely on the Detroit Department of Transportation fleet and transfers.

DDOT Director Dan Dirks has said Mayor Mike Duggan strongly supports a return of SMART service in Detroit.