The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), the agency that provides metro Detroit with fixed-route bus service, is about to make a serious investment in its fleet of buses. According to Bill Shea of Crain's Detroit Business, SMART is set to purchase 80 40-foot buses at a total cost of $34.6 million.
Shea writes:
"The new buses are BRT or bus rapid transit models that are intended to operate more like streetcar or train vehicles. They also come equipped with a stainless steel rack for three bicycles, LED signs and nonskid flooring. They’re expected to last 12 years on the road, or 500,000 miles."
Currently 88 percent of SMART's 600-bus fleet has exceeded the Federal Transit Administration's useful life standards, reports Shea.
The investment in new buses is made possible thanks to voters in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties approving a millage last fall, which has resulted in a $28 million increase in SMART's annual tax funding.
Read more:
Crain's Detroit Business
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