Smart Bus

**DetroitArmy** · July-23-10, 06:28 PM

I've never taken the SMART bus in my life. I tried to take a look at the website to figure out routes, stops, times etc. I'm no idiot but I literally have to idea how to interpret what how to read the times the buses runs on specific routes with regard to specific stops, where many of the stops are located etc. Specifically I was attempting to figure out how late the 450/460 bus runs from downtown to Birmingham. Didn't seem like it should have been that hard. Can anyone give me some pointers here on how to use the website and ultimately figure out how to use this transportation system. I've never been on a public transportation site in any other city that is this complicated or maybe just user unfriendly. If I'm wrong about this, that's fine, but can anyone give me a little help here? I'd appreciate it greatly.

Retroit · July-23-10, 07:53 PM

Hmmm... I had no trouble figuring it out. You select the route, click "Schedule", select "Outbound", looks like the last bus leaves Woodward & Congress at 1:15 A.M.

Retroit · July-23-10, 07:58 PM

http://www.smartbus.org

**fryar** · July-23-10, 11:20 PM

It looks like the last one gets to Woodward & Daines at 2:04 AM on a weekday. It leaves Woodward & Congress in downtown Detroit at 1:15 AM.

Saturdays, the last bus leaves Woodward & Congress at 12 midnight exactly, and gets to Woodward & Daines at 12:59 AM. Sundays, it leaves at 12:05 AM, and gets to Woodward & Daines a little more quickly, arriving at 12:52 AM. Take that with a grain of salt, though, as a lot of people complain bitterly about the bus schedule being somewhat unreliable.

The link I am using is here: http://www.smartbus.org/Smart/Ride%2.../Route1qr.aspx
I found that I had to highlight the top row of the schedule, which shows the stations, by clicking and draging my mouse across the entire top row. That could be attributable to my using Firefox on their kludgy site [[which it is).

What possesses me to post this at midnight when I'm supposed to be packing my bags, I'll never know.

**professorscott** · July-24-10, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitArmy

I've never taken the SMART bus in my life. I tried to take a look at the website to figure out routes, stops, times etc. I'm no idiot but I literally have to idea how to interpret what how to read the times the buses runs on specific routes with regard to specific stops, where many of the stops are located etc. Specifically I was attempting to figure out how late the 450/460 bus runs from downtown to Birmingham. Didn't seem like it should have been that hard. Can anyone give me some pointers here on how to use the website and ultimately figure out how to use this transportation system. I've never been on a public transportation site in any other city that is this complicated or maybe just user unfriendly. If I'm wrong about this, that's fine, but can anyone give me a little help here? I'd appreciate it greatly.

What browser are you using, 'Army? The SMART web site, sadly, only plays nicely with Internet Explorer. Just a guess, but that might be the problem.

**professorscott** · July-24-10, 08:21 AM

Incidentally, the answer to the original question DetroitArmy wanted answered is: on weekdays the SMART 450 outbound to Birmingham runs from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Until 9:30 p.m. it runs every 15 to 30 minutes, after 9:30 it is every 45 to 50 minutes.

**Zacha341** · July-24-10, 08:38 AM

During extensive car repairs I've done the SMART as a secondary option from the DOT which only does the city. Seems my best info has been from talking to riders and the drivers. The site is a bit incoherent... try calling them it seems to be better: 1-866-962-5515

Originally Posted by professorscott

Incidentally, the answer to the original question DetroitArmy wanted answered is: on weekdays the SMART 450 outbound to Birmingham runs from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Until 9:30 p.m. it runs every 15 to 30 minutes, after 9:30 it is every 45 to 50 minutes.

**Danny** · July-24-10, 08:45 AM

... and don't forget to vote YES, YES, YES, on the SMART bus millage renewal on August 3rd. Because without the millage, the SMART bus system will be gone for good.

**Zacha341** · July-24-10, 09:02 AM

Yes! Many Detroiter's rely on the SMART system to connect to the suburbs for employment. Without SMART many more will be unemployed. Any early morning ride on the bus at say 7:00 AM will reveal many professionals, blue collar workers, domestics, food service staff etc. making their transfers from the DOT to the SMART suburban connections. Many college students use the SMART connections as well...........

Originally Posted by Danny

... and don't forget to vote YES, YES, YES, on the SMART bus millage renewal on August 3rd. Because without the millage, the SMART bus system will be gone for good.

**professorscott** · July-24-10, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

... and don't forget to vote YES, YES, YES, on the SMART bus millage renewal on August 3rd. Because without the millage, the SMART bus system will be gone for good.

Yep - agreement here!

What's really odd is the vote is county by county. Imagine if Oakland and Macomb pass the millage, but Wayne defeats it. Kinda hard to visualize what the resulting service would look like.

Anyhow, as they used to say in Chicago, vote early and vote often!

Retroit · July-24-10, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

... and don't forget to vote YES, YES, YES, on the SMART bus millage renewal on August 3rd. Because without the millage, the SMART bus system will be gone for good.

Of course, trainman would say VOTE NO to save SMART. That always confused the hell out of everyone!

**Danny** · July-24-10, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Retroit

Of course, trainman would say VOTE NO to save SMART. That always confused the hell out of everyone!

Trainman has no ideal what it's writing about regional transit. He thinks that voting NO on the SMART bus millage will save some neighborhoods are developing super freeways. I DON'T THINK SO! He's not a patron for regional transit.

**fryar** · July-24-10, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

... and don't forget to vote YES, YES, YES, on the SMART bus millage renewal on August 3rd. Because without the millage, the SMART bus system will be gone for good.

+1

ten chars.

**miketoronto1** · July-24-10, 05:56 PM

I know it is a small rural town. But a small rural hamlet in Ontario started a very limited public transit system to get residents into the nearby bigger towns for work.
The system costs something like $100,000 a year to operate using van buses.
But they have found that the system has gotten I think something like 35 or 40 residents off welfare, because they can now commute to jobs in the larger towns. The residents coming off welfare, has saved the town government $300,000 in welfare payments.

**goirish1966** · July-24-10, 08:29 PM

On August 3rd, there is a question on the ballot regarding the renewal of the Smart millage. I recommend folks for it. I can remember when I was in high school [[Notre Dame) and college [[Wayne State) without a car. I needed to use the bus. I don't mind assisting those that need this form of transportation.