[nFBMI-Talk] New Bus fares for Detroit

[J.J. Meddaugh]

Another step toward simpler bus riding in Detroit and the suburbs. Adult 
fare is now $2 for 4 hours and will cross between DDOT and SMART. Other 
reduced fare options are available. Simpler regional passes are also now 
available. We will want to keep an eye on the mobile app to ensure it is 
accessible for us.


I've written the SMART FAST bus from Dearborn to the airport on a couple 
of occasions and it has worked well. There is obviously still a long way 
to go but the transit situation vs. where it was just a couple of years 
ago is certainly improved.


Here's info from DDOT. Changes will start on may 1.


https://detroitmi.gov/departments/detroit-department-transportation/new-fare-effective-may-1-2019


One thing that I think Michigan could do to make our cities more 
connected is to help jump start regional services that run frequently. 
Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor-Detroit, Lansing-Grand Rapids, among 
others. The annual cost for such a network of buses would probably not 
be terribly high. Cities are reluctant to do things like this because it 
falls out of their boundaries.