SMART regional bus service is planned to return to Plymouth and Canton after an absence of roughly 30 years. A coalition of seven western Wayne County communities wants a say in where the routes go.

The Moving Together coalition, which includes Canton Township, the City of Plymouth, Plymouth Township, both Northvilles, Van Buren Township and Westland, is preparing to release a report recommending specific changes to SMART's proposed route maps. The recommendations emerged from months of surveys and community meetings conducted with help from OHM Advisors, as reported by the Plymouth Express on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Wayne County voters approved a 10-year public transportation millage in August, including majorities in Plymouth and Plymouth Township. The millage rate of 0.9831 mills amounts to just under $1 per $1,000 in taxable property value and is expected to raise about $57.6 million countywide in its first year. Nearly $17 million is expected to support SMART's 2027 budget from the Moving Together communities alone, according to the Plymouth Express.

The coalition formed after Public Act 236 of 2024 ended the ability of communities in high-population counties to opt out of regional transit. Six of the seven members had opted out of SMART service since the 1990s. Westland is the exception, already receiving SMART buses.

What the coalition wants changed

The most popular recommendation from community sessions: a rapid north-south airport shuttle along I-275 connecting the Plymouth-Canton area to Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

SMART's draft maps include no direct airport route from the Plymouth-Canton area. Riders would have to transfer to one of two local routes that already serve it.

Joel Batterman of Transportation Riders United echoed that demand at the SMART Board of Directors meeting in late August, saying there is strong interest in a direct western Wayne airport bus, the Plymouth Express reported.

Other Moving Together recommendations include:

• Adding a second route to downtown Plymouth
• Placing a bus stop at Plymouth-Canton Education Park, home to three public high schools serving Plymouth, Canton and Salem Township
• Extending a proposed route south into Van Buren Township, Belleville and then to the airport
• Routing a downtown Plymouth bus south on Haggerty Road instead of Lilley Road because of the corridor's job concentration
• Extending the Ford Road route west to Canton's Cherry Hill Village and across the Washtenaw County border into Ypsilanti
• Adding a Plymouth stop on the D2A2 Express, operated by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan, for rapid access to downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor

SMART's own plan

SMART's Wayne County Transit Evaluation, released in February, proposes two new routes through the area. Route 295 Plymouth would connect Detroit, Redford Township, Livonia, Plymouth Township, Plymouth and Canton. Route 345 Haggerty would run from Commerce Township through Novi, Northville, Northville Township, Plymouth Township, Plymouth and Canton to Van Buren Township. The proposed timeline places Route 295 and the Ford Road extension in 2027, and Route 345 in 2029. Routes and launch dates remain subject to final planning.

SMART's Connector service, a reservation-based curb-to-curb shuttle with a $1 fare each way for riders 65 and older or with a disability, will also become available in western Wayne County following the millage passage, according to the Plymouth Express.

What happens next

SMART General Manager and CEO Tiffany J. Gunter told the Plymouth Express the agency is purchasing new buses to be ready when routes are finalized. "What we are now doing is scheduling and preparing for another round of public engagement," Gunter said. "We want to hear from everyone."

The Oct. 7 report did not give public meeting dates. SMART said it will post them on its website and social media. Residents and local groups can also request a transit-related meeting by contacting Paul Johnson, SMART's Wayne County ombudsperson, at [email protected].

Greta Bolhuis, Plymouth's planning and community development director, said the city administration and/or City Commission will discuss the final Moving Together plan once it is released. Transit items may also appear on upcoming Canton Township Board of Trustees and Plymouth Township Board of Trustees agendas, all of which are open to public comment.