County recommends $2 million transit grant program and renews contracts with local operators

Oakland County's economic development committee recommended a $2 million Access to Transit grant program for 2026 and moved to renew multi‑year operating agreements with four local transit providers, staff said.

Eli Cooper, county transit manager, told commissioners the Access to Transit program will fund projects such as shelters, sidewalks, lighting, intersection design, off‑road bike access, mobility hubs and park‑and‑ride enhancements. "A funding level of $2,000,000 was made available and advertised to local government," Cooper said. The committee voted to recommend the 2026 program to the board (6–0). Staff said six projects were funded from the initial program in the prior year and the county will offer application webinars and outreach to encourage broader participation.

The committee also recommended renewing interlocal agreements with four transit operators for public transit services and capital replacement. Staff summarized the 2026 recommended amounts as follows: North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA) — approximately $8.7 million (this includes about $1.762 million of previously authorized facility renovation funds being reauthorized); Oakland Paratransit Consortium (OPC) — about $2.7 million (including two additional vehicles); People’s Express — about $7.1 million (including six new vehicles); and Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA) — roughly $5.3 million (plus reconciliation of prior unused funds, yielding total resources in excess of $6 million when reconciliation is included). Combined, staff said, the four operator agreements total about $21.9 million for 2026.

The NOTA agreement includes a reauthorization of prior construction funding that did not proceed in the prior year and funding for eight new transit vans. Staff said vehicle procurements accompany growing demand and that the county is working with SMART on regional dispatch software to improve scheduling and reduce service delays.

Commissioners flagged scheduling issues with one provider and discussed how additional vehicles and planned regional dispatch software should improve service reliability. The committee recommended forwarding the operator agreements and the Access to Transit program to the full board for approval (motions carried unanimously, 6–0).

Votes at a glance: Committee recommended the 2026 Access to Transit grant program ($2,000,000) to the board (6–0) and recommended renewal agreements with NOTA (~$8.7M), OPC (~$2.7M), People’s Express (~$7.1M) and WOTA (~$5.3M plus reconciliation) (all 6–0).