SMART debuts extended bus routes connecting to Novi and Wixom

OAKLAND COUNTY — As of Sept. 11, three Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation bus routes have been extended into Novi and Wixom.

On Oct. 17, SMART offered a group of community delegates and members of the media an opportunity to ride the newly expanded route 740 to experience the new service firsthand.

Prior to the extension of routes — including 740, which travels along 12 Mile Road; 305, which makes stops along Grand River Avenue; and 805, which stops along Grand River as well — many people were faced with a challenge of how to get to work in the areas of Novi and Wixom. Some would choose not to take jobs in those areas, due to the lack of transportation, while others would use several forms of transportation to get to work, such as the bus, walking, bicycling and ride-hailing services.

Randall Porterfield takes the bus routinely from his home in Hazel Park to his job at Halsted Place senior apartments, an assisted living facility in Farmington Hills. He said he likes to ride the bus and has seen an uptick in the number of people riding the bus to the Farmington Hills and Novi area.

“People that have to go to, like, Twelve Oaks, people that don’t have cars, you know you can’t bike there from the east side out here. So you got to have some type of a way to reach from point A to point B,” Porterfield said.

“This boosts the economic vitality of Oakland County,” SMART General Manager Dwight Ferrell said. “It provides more people access to jobs, access to whatever it is that they want to do, employers more opportunities to be able to attract talent.”

Deante Brockman, of Detroit, also uses the SMART bus system as a means to get to and from work each day. He said the extension of route 740 makes it easier for him to get to his job. Brockman said that prior to the extension, he would have to take route 405, which did not get him as close to his job.

“I don’t have to get off at the state fairgrounds. I can just take it from the east side,” he said.

The new route also makes a stop at Oakland Community College’s Orchard Ridge Campus in Farmington Hills. OCC Chancellor Peter M. Provenzano Jr. picked up the bus from the campus during the ride for dignitaries Oct. 17.

“I’ll tell you that expanding the route system and connecting our Farmington Hills campus to the western parts of Oakland county is an absolute game changer for our students, because one of the greatest hurdles for them to get to school is transportation,” Provenzano said.

Oakland County Commissioner Gwen Markham, D-Novi, supported the 10-year, 0.95-mill transportation millage on all ballots throughout the county in 2022. She said the new millage was intended to prevent individual communities from being able to opt out of public transit services.

“I’ve been looking at this issue for over 25 years, and I will tell you that one of the first things that caught my eye were people walking on 12 Mile Road, west of Haggerty, where there are no sidewalks — dead of winter and there are these people walking — and so a few times I would stop and I would say, ‘Where are you going?’ Oh, they were coming to work over here, right? The bus only went to Haggerty Road, so they had to walk farther,” Markham said. “I would see people like that all the time, almost every day. For me it’s just been a bit of a progression from, ‘Why doesn’t a city the size of Novi have a bus?” That just never made sense to me. It seems simplistic, but that’s really how it started.”

Markham said she also noticed the same thing occurring on Grand River Avenue. According to Markham, approximately 35,000 people come into the city of Novi to work. She said this inspired her to try to do something about the lack of public transportation.

In November 2022, the transportation mileage passed with a majority of 57% countywide.

“In a lot of areas, elected officials wouldn’t let the people vote on (public transportation), but when the voters got the chance to vote on it, they overwhelmingly voted for it,” said David Woodward, D-Royal Oak, chairman of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners. “I think people understand that workers got to get to jobs. … After almost 30 years, to be able to get people to all corners of Oakland County is fantastic.”

The majority of the millage’s funds, 79%, are allocated to transportation services with SMART, North Oakland Transportation Authority, Western Oakland Transportation Authority, Older Persons’ Commission and People’s Express. This year, 1% went to local governments for reimbursement for transportation they provided in 2023, according to an Oakland County press release. Another 1% has paid administration costs, the release states, and the remaining 19 percent is available for future services and service access enhancements.

“I think it’s great that we’re literally moving forward on what our Oakland County Voters asked for,” said Oakland County Commissioner Ajay Raman, D-Novi. “As someone who is relatively new to utilizing the world of public transit, I found the overall experience to be very easy and user-friendly. I’m thrilled that we are taking monumental steps to finally becoming a more connected Oakland County.”

Denise Sanborn, assistant vice president and banking center manager of First Merchants Bank, 44350 W. 12 Mile Road in Novi, said she loves the extension of the bus route.

“My aunts worked at Comerica downtown, and when it moved, that’s what they did — took the bus. They didn’t have driver’s licenses. They didn’t get them till they were in their 60s. So they always took the bus in Detroit and then out to Auburn Hills. So I really believe in (buses). It’s a good thing. It helps people.”

Sanborn hopes the extended route will bring an increase of traffic to the bank, and she said the nearby area has many stores offering both permanent and seasonal employment, plus services such as medical offices and restaurants.

“It’s a good destination spot to stop,” Sanborn said.

SMART Deputy General Manager Tiffany Gunter said the expansion has brought forth 68 additional bus stops. Gunter said SMART is now working on the infrastructure at the bus stops to improve the customer experience.

“We want to have the most safe and reliable service in the state, and in the nation. … We’re excited about the changes that are here,” said Gunter.

According to a press release, SMART plans to extend fixed routes from Troy into Rochester and from Pontiac into Waterford and White Lake along M-59 in 2024, among other improvements.