Wayne County public transit expansion inches closer to reality after bill clears Michigan House
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Legislation to expand public transit in Wayne County cleared the Michigan House by a party-line vote on Tuesday
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The bill would end the opt-out rule that communities in Wayne County, enabling them to not buy into the SMART bus system
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Voters would still need to approve expanding transit in the county
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Legislation to expand public transit in Wayne County cleared the Michigan House by a party-line vote on Tuesday
-
The bill would end the opt-out rule that communities in Wayne County, enabling them to not buy into the SMART bus system
-
Voters would still need to approve expanding transit in the county
FOX 2, Lansing, Mich.On Tuesday, a bill that would remove the opt-out feature that some cities utilize to avoid paying into the system in order to improve public transportation in Wayne County passed the Michigan House.
HB 6088, which was passed by a party-line vote, will eliminate the disorganized system of SMART bus stops that has impeded Southeast Michigan’s transit system’s progress toward greater coherence.
In Wayne County, over a dozen villages do not support transit.
Backstory: What does the public transit legislation do?
Over one-third of Wayne County’s forty-three towns do not support the transit system.
Although the existing law gives local governments the authority to decide whether or not to have bus stops or other forms of public transportation in their communities, it has turned into a roadblock to a more interconnected system.
By eliminating the opt-out rule for counties with a particular population size, the measure aims to remove that obstacle.
The law was drafted to solely apply to Wayne County because it is the largest in Michigan.
Who will the transit bill impact?
Seventeen towns have chosen not to use public transportation in Wayne County.
Among them are Woodhaven, Plymouth Township, Rockwood, Sumpter Township, Huron Township, Northville, Northville Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Belleville, Brownstown Township, and Woodhaven.
has its own bus system operated by the Detroit Department of Transportation, but it is also regarded as an opt-out community.
What happened and what’s next?
The bill, which was sponsored by Representative Alabas Farhat of Dearborn, passed the Michigan House 56–52. In November, the Committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance gave it its blessing.
Before becoming law, the plan must pass the Michigan Senate, which will continue to be controlled by Democrats for the next two years.
The House chamber will be dominated by Republicans again when the next session starts in 2025.
During the lame duck session, which is the time after the election but before the next session starts, it was one of the bills that was scheduled to be passed.
The big picture
While Oakland County eliminated the function through a millage that was passed in 2022, Macomb County does not allow opt-outs.
With the support of all three local counties, the governor’s signature would provide a clearer path for metro Detroit’s transit system to grow into a more integrated system.
Expanding transit begins with ending the opt-out restriction. The extension would still require voter approval, most likely in the 2026 midterm elections or another election.
Public transportation might draw larger financing rounds and open the door for more ambitious projects across the area if voters approve it.
By eliminating the possibility for cities to opt out of the network, Wayne County may soon be able to expand its public transportation after years of waiting. This is how it might occur:
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