SMART to offer bus route in Rochester Hills starting in April
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The city of Rochester Hills will soon be on the map for public transit starting next month.
On April 22, route 492 will make stops through Rochester Hills, Ferndale and Royal Oak. It is the first time public transportation through SMART will bring these specific communities together.
"As the old song says, 'Change is coming,'" said Bernard Parker III., SMART vice president of external affairs.
Oakland County is expanding its bus route.
"This is something that's going to connect three different communities: Ferndale, Rochester Hills as well as Royal Oak. The important thing is for this particular route, 492, it stops at the state fairgrounds which is the new Hargrove transit center," Parker said.
Since 1967, SMART has served Southeast Michigan providing public transportation through Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties for nearly 8 million riders daily.
"We cover about 2,100 square miles, over 5,000 stops. It's a lot," said Parker.
Parker says mass transit comes down to connecting communities.
"Freedom to ride, go to a store or a restaurant, a club. Freedom to go visit your friends, opportunities for our children to go to different places in terms of various universities. I mean, it's endless. It really is endless," Parker said.
This new bus route, starting next month, is an expansion that's been in the works for quite some time. It's one that Parker says is needed in the region.
"In November 2022, Oakland and Macomb counties voted overwhelmingly to have non-opt-out communities, and so prior to that, there were some communities that didn't have transit. And so, for us, this is exciting because now we are literally opening up the doors to everyone who wants to participate on transit," Parker said.
As far as any other routes ahead for SMART, Parker says stay tuned as they're always looking to expand.