Citywide SMART bus opt-in or opt-out for Wayne County voting proposal

[Danny]

Since Oakland and Macomb Counties voted for a citywide opt-in or opt-out of SMART Bus System. Can the people of Wayne County do the same? So far new SMART bus routes had been extended further to Downtown Rochester and as far as Novi, Wixom, Waterford TWP and White Lake Township.

Wayne County Commissioner Warren Evans wants to put the proposal in the 2026 ballot, if passed to could make SMART Bus System to extend their routes to Livonia, Northville TWP, Northville, Plymouth and Plymouth TWP Canton TWP, Belleville and further downriver areas pass to Flat Rock and Rockwood.

What do you all think about this proposal?

[Sandhouse]

There will be no more city-by-city opting out of SMART. Here's a summary of what the legislature enacted last year:

HB 6088 WAYNE and OAKLAND COUNTY OPT-OUT [[Farhat+9) Amend Public Transportation Authority Act of 1986 to deny Wayne and Oakland County units the ability to opt out of membership in a public transit authority [[17 opting out now: Detroit, Canton Township, Belleville, Brownstown Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Township, Livonia, Northville, Northville Township, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Rockwood, Sumpter Township, Van Buren Township and Woodhaven. Oakland County imposes county-level millage.). Require all local units in Wayne and Oakland Counties to become members of SMART when the current 0.994-mill transit millage expires in 2026—Detroit News. H-1 passed 56-52. P.A.236 of 2024.

This would enable more comprehensive bus service. I suppose a whole county could still decline its millage in 2026.

[Danny]

There will be no more city-by-city opting out of SMART. Here's a summary of what the legislature enacted last year:

HB 6088 WAYNE and OAKLAND COUNTY OPT-OUT [[Farhat+9) Amend Public Transportation Authority Act of 1986 to deny Wayne and Oakland County units the ability to opt out of membership in a public transit authority [[17 opting out now: Detroit, Canton Township, Belleville, Brownstown Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Township, Livonia, Northville, Northville Township, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Rockwood, Sumpter Township, Van Buren Township and Woodhaven. Oakland County imposes county-level millage.). Require all local units in Wayne and Oakland Counties to become members of SMART when the current 0.994-mill transit millage expires in 2026—Detroit News. H-1 passed 56-52. P.A.236 of 2024.

This would enable more comprehensive bus service. I suppose a whole county could still decline its millage in 2026.

That vote to also have Oakland County to have a county-wide open opt-in or out of SMART bus service has been overturned by Oakland County voters in 2023. This was due to the controversy of Auburn Hills City Council voting to to opt out SMART Bus service in their city which it's been overturned by the Oakland County Public Transit Authority. Warren Evans plans to overturn the Wayne County's city wide opt in or out SMART Bus service and may be added [[If signed by petitioners) to the 2026 November Ballot.

[Danny]

Take a look at this.


https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...t/73997981007/