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Politics & Government

Township Expanding SMART Bus Schedule, Hiring Additional Drivers

Longer hours are needed to accommodate Macomb Academy students transported by SMART and local seniors who use Macomb Township's Dial-A-Ride program.

Those needing public transportation within Macomb Township may soon have additional hours to get to their destinations. 

A committee made up of SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) officials, along with a handful of Board of Trustees members, met last Friday to discuss expanding service to accommodate the approximately 15 Macomb Township residents who attend the Macomb Academy, a school for adults ages 18-26 with disabilities located within Clinton Township. 

The township wants to expand service for Macomb Academy without affecting the current Dial-A-Ride program, meaning longer hours for service outside the typical 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. day. The township is also working with SMART to design routes to transport the Macomb Academy students efficiently. In addition, four part-time bus drivers will be hired. 

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The money to expand the program comes through a community partnership with SMART and will not be taken out of the township’s general fund. The talks are in light of the Aug. 22 Board of Trustees’ decision against construction of a 6,000 square-foot pole barn to house the township’s three Dial-A-Ride buses. SMART and the federal government would have funded the pole barn project at a cost of about $750,000. 

During the Sept. 12 Board of Trustees meeting, a few senior residents showed their support for the SMART program and the Board of Trustees, as well as SMART officials. The Board assured residents that their service will not be impacted by these changes.

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