It would help if we had a regional transit authority, not the split between DDOT and SMART. DART also has the advantage of a dedicated revenue stream from sales tax. SMART relies on property taxes, which have been declining and isn't levied outside of the member communities. DDOT doesn't have a dedicated funding stream. Fixing those issues won't guarantee that a functional transit system in SE Michigan but you'll never have a high-quality working transit system until those problems are addressed.