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Wed Jan 18 21:44:20 UTC 2012


Farmington opts out of SMART | Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies | hometownlife.com

Farmington voters will not see a SMART bus millage renewal on the ballot this fall.

 

Farmington voters will not see a SMART bus millage renewal on the ballot this fall. / file photo

 

Written by

 

Susan Steinmueller

 

Observer Staff Writer

 

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The Farmington City Council voted 3-1 to opt out of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, after hearing from a standing room crowd

who said they depend on the system.

 

Mayor Tom Buck was absent.

 

Existing service will continue through the end of 2012.

In giving the reason for their vote, council members said that service is no longer adequate, given the money spent. That’s especially after the recent

elimination of a line that goes north and south on Orchard Lake, leaving only a route along Grand River.

“It really pained me to do this,” said JoAnne McShane, council member, after her vote. She said she was ready to opt out two years ago for reasons including

the city couldn’t find out from SMART how many residents use the system. Despite reassurances from SMART, not only did things not improve, she said, “they

pulled the rug out, too.”

“We have a fragmented, inconsistent, low value... bus to nowhere,” said McShane. “I want to see a viable, integrated system.

“I want to see our children be able to go to Twelve Oaks and perhaps have a job at Twelve Oaks,” she said, referring to the mall in neighboring Novi, which

is an “opt out” community. “This vote tonight was a vote of no confidence for SMART.”

McShane said, however, she is committed to finding an alternative.

“We will still have service, whether it’s SMART or an alternative service,” she said.

‘Fiduciary duty’

Councilman Greg Cowley said his vote was one of “fiduciary duty.”

“I think it’s our mission to find out if there is something of equal or greater value,” he said.

Councilwoman Kristin Kuiken said her vote took into consideration that “we are looking at other ways of serving the community that better fit the needs

of our residents.”

Their votes were despite an “11th hour” offer by SMART officials to give the city a 14-seat connector bus that residents could call for use within boundaries

that were yet to be determined.

While Mayor Pro Tem Bill Galvin didn’t make a statement as to his vote against the resolution to opt out, he said later that he did so because he liked

that connector bus idea.

“It’s probably better than what we could do on our own,” he said.

Local units of government have to decide by Jan. 31 whether to place the SMART millage renewal before their voters this year. If they don’t, the SMART millage

renewal of .59 mill, or about $240,000 in Farmington, would have appeared on the ballot automatically in November.

Some cities, such as neighboring Livonia and Novi, are already “opt out” communities and not served by SMART.

Farmington Hills has been an “opt in” community, but will decide on the issue at its meeting on Monday.

‘A necessity’

Farmington residents such as senior Shelly Horne were disappointed in

the council

decision.

During the public hearing, Horne had pleaded with the council not to stop the bus service, saying that seniors at her

apartment complex

on Grand River use it to go grocery shopping, among other reasons.

“Public transportation is not a gift, it’s a necessity,” she told the council. “If it comes up for a vote, give it to us and we’ll go at it.”

Later she said that she found their decision “ridiculous.”

So did Doug Murray, a resident who said he has been taking the bus since the 1950s.

Murray, who is in a

wheelchair,

had also asked the council to save the system. Afterwards he said, “I have a heart condition and it upsets me terribly that I have to vote on something

every two years that is as needed as this.”

Now, he said, “I am going to have to consider getting out” of the city in order to ensure transportation.

“It’s all I have right now,” said Karin Kloker, who uses the bus to go to and from work and run errands.

Jeffrey Cohen and his son, Joshua, 22, a student at Farmington Public Schools’ Visions Unlimited special

education program,

were there to support keeping SMART as it helps Visions students become more self-reliant.

“I don’t want it to shut down,” said Joshua.

John Gerasimos of Farmington said that recently the price of a SMART bus ride went up from $1.50 to $2. In general, SMART should be able to provide better

service and information, he said.

“I agree with Farmington that SMART should have been cooperating from the last time,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said, he may have to move from Farmington in order to be near a bus. He said he had moved to Farmington from Livonia in order to take the

bus.

SMART officials Jim Fetzer and Steve Brown said they were disappointed with the vote.

“Obviously I would like to see Farmington stay in the system,” said Fetzer. “We are the only regional system in the area.”

SMART has been affected by a fiscal crisis as a result of plunging property values, increasing

costs

and union contracts.

 

ssteinmueller at hometownlife.com

(313)222-2241

 



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