Connect Wayne County

08/06/2026

Wayne County voters have approved countywide transit expansion - with a whopping 67% majority!

This is a historic milestone for a better-connected region.

The millage renews public transit for communities in the SMART system and adds a new tax for those in 17 others that do not have the bus service.

08/03/2026

"Lack of adequate public transportation is the biggest problem holding me back from greater community involvement. Nankin Transit is a great service, but it alone does not provide the transportation I need to be engaged in the community."
- Canton Resident

Tomorrow, on Tuesday, Wayne County votes on public transit, including SMART service throughout the county, and expanded funding for local agencies like Nankin Transit. Learn more at VoteTransit.org.

08/01/2026

"I just want the people in our community, the differently abled community, to have the same rights and access that other people do."
- Kim Snider, Livonia Resident

Public transit lets our neighbors with disabilities get around and live full lives. Imagine how you would live if you couldn't get around Metro Detroit. August 4, Wayne County votes on public transit. Learn more at VoteTransit.org.

07/27/2026

"Too many seniors and people living with disabilities have not been able to meet their public transportation needs. With the proposed enhancements of the millage, they will better fulfill their needs"
- Ronald Taylor, President & CEO, Detroit Area Agency on Aging

Expanded paratransit means connecting seniors too their community. On August 4th, Wayne county residents will get a chance to vote on countywide transit expansion. Learn more at VoteTransit.org

07/27/2026

"When you offer better transportation, it's a lifeline to so many different people," says Detroiter Deanne Austin, who once had to navigate the commute to a manufacturing job in Livonia.

“Who rides the bus?” Austin said. “They say poor people or Black people ride the bus, and now that that's changing, people realize that there's so many people of different nationalities and ethnicities that need to get around."

Communities are no longer allowed to opt-out of SMART service, so the entire county will vote on the Wayne County Public Transportation Millage on their primary ballots.

07/25/2026

‼️Wayne County Voters ‼️

Early voting is NOW OPEN in your community. As required by Michigan state law, each community will have early, in-person voting available from today to August 2nd. Want to know where the polling location is in your community? Check out where you can vote on our website.

https://www.connectwaynecounty.org/voter-information/

07/22/2026

"Without access to reliable transportation, students may lose the opportunity to achieve their educational goals and pursue their dreams."
- Laurie Kattuah-Snyder, Chief Student Services Officer, Schoolcraft College

Expanded transit means connecting students to opportunities and community. On August 4th, Wayne county residents will get a chance to vote on countywide transit expansion. Learn more at the link in our bio, or votetransit.org

07/16/2026

"When you’re going to hire more prospective employees, easy transportation is a plus."
- Terry Wagner, Owner of Heritage Logo Works, Livonia

When you can't get around, you can't get a job and are isolated from opportunity. Connecting communities with public transit means connecting families to work, jobs, services, and one another. Learn more about what expanded transit could do in Wayne County at ConnectWayneCounty.org.

07/10/2026

An important note about "empty buses."

About those "empty buses"...

It's true that not all buses are full all the time - just like not all our roads (or cars!) are full all the time.

As with our roads, the most transit travel happens on major routes during commuting hours (as seen here on SMART's 261-Michigan FAST). But it's important to offer people options on other corridors and at other times, too.

In lower-density areas, it can sometimes be more efficient to offer demand-response service in smaller vehicles. That's where SMART's Flex service comes in.

Ultimately, transit ridership is first and foremost a function of how much transit is provided. The more service is offered to more places, the more people will ride! That's why TRU strongly supports the Connect Wayne County public transit proposal as an important step towards a more affordable, accessible region.

07/06/2026

"From what we see in our work every day helping families move from crisis to stability and from stability to prosperity, we know that reliable transportation is not a luxury: it is a necessary ingredient for thriving families and strong communities"
- Dr. Darienne Hudson President and CEO, United Way for Southeastern Michigan

When you can't get around, you don't have opportunity. Connecting communities with public transit means connecting families to work, jobs, services, and one another. Learn more about what expanded transit could do in Wayne County at ConnectWayneCounty.org