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SMART director warns state budget cuts could force service reductions in Macomb County
Summary
Tiffany Gunther, general manager of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), told the Macomb County Board of Commissioners that rising ridership and a potentially reduced state allocation could collide, putting as many as 50,000 service hours at risk unless legislators act.
Tiffany Gunther, general manager of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), told the Macomb County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 18 that the regional bus system is seeing ridership gains even as it faces a potential drop in state funding that could force service cuts.
Gunther told the board SMART’s “mission” is to “connect people, we strengthen our community, and we drive economic growth by delivering safe and reliable mobility services.” She said the agency serves roughly 1.8 million riders annually on major routes, has seen a 26% increase in paratransit rides in Macomb County and provided about 63,000 rides in an on-demand zone — a 3% increase year over year.
Gunther said SMART’s total budget is about $176,000,000 and that roughly 60% of that comes from property-tax millages levied in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, with the remainder…
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