Canton Township will publicly present the Moving Together coalition's regional transit strategy for the first time on Tuesday, July 28, at the Canton Public Library, giving Ford Road corridor businesses and commuters a look at proposed bus routes and shuttle services — with at least one Ford Road route potentially launching in 2027 if voters approve an Aug. 4 millage.

The town hall runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and covers the "Moving Together: Western Wayne County Transit Strategy," a plan developed by Canton and six partner communities with consulting firm OHM Advisors. The event comes one week before Wayne County voters decide a transit millage that would fund expanded SMART service in Canton, Plymouth and 15 other communities that previously opted out.

The stakes are concrete for Ford Road employers. An OHM business survey conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 found that 18% of responding businesses said lack of reliable transportation has hurt their ability to keep employees. Plymouth Township Supervisor Chuck Curmi said in a June 2026 Plymouth District Library article that transit could help workers along major corridors get to and from their jobs, "especially lower-wage workers."

The Ford Road corridor near I-275 holds the highest concentration of jobs in the seven-community project area, according to OHM's analysis presented to Plymouth officials on March 2, 2026. U.S. Census Bureau data shows 20,405 workers commute into Canton and 41,660 commute out daily.

Among transit options under consideration: fixed bus routes, microtransit shuttles, flex routes with off-route pickups, and demand-response paratransit. In a community survey that drew 935 responses — 508 from Canton residents alone — 56% of participants said they were most interested in fixed-route service. Business owners favored microtransit and express routes.

The seven Moving Together communities are Canton Township, the City of Westland, Van Buren Township, the City of Northville, Northville Township, the City of Plymouth, and Plymouth Township. Canton initiated the coalition after Public Act 236, passed by the legislature in 2024 and signed into law April 2, 2025, eliminated the ability of Wayne County municipalities to opt out of SMART membership.

"We don't want to just be a donor community with no service," City of Plymouth Planning and Community Development Director Greta Bolhuis said in a June 2026 Plymouth District Library article, explaining why the seven communities conducted their own transit needs assessment ahead of the millage vote.

If the Aug. 4 millage passes at a rate of 0.9831 mills, about 98 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, SMART estimates it would spend roughly $23 million a year on new service to the former opt-out communities. A draft SMART evaluation shows a potential Ford Road route extension into Canton that could go into service in 2027.

The full Moving Together report has not yet been released publicly; the July 28 town hall appears to be the first public presentation of its recommendations. A recording will be posted for those who cannot attend. Residents with questions or seeking to RSVP can contact Erin Schlutow at [email protected] or 734-394-5179.