Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation timeline 1989-1998

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A timeline of Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation-related events that took place between January 17, 1989 and December 31, 1998.

[1]

Typical SMART vehicles used during this period

1989

January

1990

January

  • January 2, 1990 - SMART replaces the Pontiac Arrow route with six separate routes running on hourly headways.

1991

July

  • July 1, 1991 - Eight routes contracted to ATE Management & Services launch: 115, 265, 300, 400, 492, 494, 520 and 730. These routes, except for route 115, will eventually be operated directly by SMART. Of these, only routes 400, 494 and 730 continue operating today.

1992

June

  • June 1992 - Route 115 is discontinued, partially replaced by an extension to route 265.

1993

April

  • April 1, 1993 - A standard $1.50 fare, which went into effect on Saturdays and Sundays under SEMTA in 1988, replaces the zone system on weekdays. This fare remained unchanged until rising to $2.00 in 2010.

1994

January

  • January 1, 1994 - SMART's deficit reaches $7.7 million as a result of financial issues that began under SEMTA, putting the agency's future in jeopardy.

June

  • June 9, 1994 - SMART assumes direct operation of routes 265, 300, 400, 492, 494, 520 and 730 after ATE drivers join the Amalgamated, causing the costs of privatization to disappear.
  • June 25, 1994 - SMART takes over operation of DDOT's Jefferson and Michigan routes, while DDOT takes over operation of SMART routes 125, 130, 150 and 495.

1995

  • SMART retires the last remaining buses inherited from SEMTA, as well as the nine 870s.

March

  • March 7, 1995 - SMART requests an 0.33-mill property tax, which SMART claimed would be used to eliminate the deficit in five years and to cut little-used service within Detroit so that emphasis would be put on new service within the suburbs. Macomb County approves a countywide referendum, while individual cities in Oakland and Wayne Counties approve as well, though Bloomfield Hills and Novi vote no on the referendum and opt out of SMART, resulting in a non-stop zone on Woodward Avenue through Bloomfield Hills and the discontinuation of service to Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. Four-year extensions are approved in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and most recently in 2014, with the rate currently 1.00-mill.

April

  • April 1, 1995 - Owing to DDOT's response to the property tax, SMART and DDOT resume operating their respective routes on Fort, Michigan, John R. and Jefferson.

May

  • May 1995 - Canton Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Plymouth, Plymouth Township and Woodhaven opt out of SMART, affecting four routes. 110 lost morning rush hour service to the Ford Woodhaven Stamping Plant, 810 was cut back from the Ford Sheldon Road Assembly plant in Plymouth to Madonna University in Livonia, 830 was cut back from downtown Flat Rock to Fort Street and Van Horn Road in Trenton and 835 was cut back from the Meijer store in Canton Township to Westland City Hall.

June

December

  • December 11, 1995 - The first stage of a restructuring plan is put into place. Ten routes are discontinued, five new routes begin service and other service changes are implemented. The changes were:
    • Routes 130, 265, 435, 470, 492, 499 and 520 are discontinued.
    • Route 835 is replaced by route 255.
    • Routes 165, 295, 405 and 780 are launched.
    • Route 110 becomes a weekday-rush-hour-only route. To compensate, all non-weekday-rush-hour service on route 125 is rerouted via West Jefferson Avenue through River Rouge and Ecorse and back to Fort Street via Outer Drive and all non-weekday-rush-hour service on route 185 is extended from Ecorse to West and Grange Roads in Trenton via West Jefferson.
    • Route 285 is extended north from Schoolcraft Road to the Oakland Community College Orchard Ridge Campus Hub.
    • Routes 240, 250 and 260 are cut back from the Renaissance Center in Detroit to Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn.
    • Routes 730 and 740 are each extended west from Royal Oak to Telegraph Road in Southfield and Haggerty Road in Farmington Hills respectively.

1996

April

  • April 1, 1996 - Routes 275, 465 and 865 are launched.

June

  • June 1, 1996 - The SMART/DDOT Regional Pass, which had been possible since 1994, debuts.
  • June 17, 1996 - West Bloomfield Township opts back into SMART, resulting in extensions to routes 405 and 851, while SMART receives permission from the Wayne County Road Commission to operate service into Detroit Metropolitan Airport, also resulting in an extension to route 165. Route 285 is also extended both north into West Bloomfield and south into Metro Airport.

August

  • August 1996 - Bloomfield Township opts back into SMART, resulting in a westward extension of route 780 from Birmingham to Orchard Lake Road and the relaunches of routes 440 and 445. As of 2014, though, Bloomfield Hills is still an opt-out community.
  • August 1996 - Outdoor Systems replaces Gannett Outdoor as the advertisement provider on SMART.

November

  • November 4, 1996 - Service changes take effect:
    • Route 275 is extended north from 14 Mile Road to the Phoenix Center Hub.
    • Route 510 begins operating half-hourly instead of hourly in midday hours.

December

  • December 1996 - The 265 number is restored on 260 buses that operate on Evergreen Road between Fairlane Town Center and Warren Avenue.

1997

March

  • March 24, 1997 - Route 300 is discontinued, replaced by two new routes, 305 and 315.

June

  • June 16, 1997 - Service changes take effect:
    • Route 295 is extended east from Rouge Park to Grand River Avenue.
    • Route 410 is launched.

December

  • December 8, 1997 - Route 315 is discontinued, replaced by extending some 305 trips to Laurel Park Place and Schoolcraft College.

1998

March

  • March 30, 1998 - Route 315 is restored, this time operating from Grand River Avenue to Livonia Mall via 7 Mile Road.

December

  • December 14, 1998 - Route 540 is launched.

References

  1. Motor Coach Age October-December 2003 edition
v·d·e
Vehicles
Diesel Low Floor 3019-3020, 3601-3659, 3701-3780, 3801-3840, 3901-3938
Diesel LF Articulated 4001-4023
Electric Low Floor 4024-4027
Hybrid Low Floor 3003-3005, 3006-3008, 3009-3018
Former 2101-2140, 3001-3002, 6001-6039, 9001-9033, 9201-9223, 9224-9225, 9301-9367, 9368-9369, 9370-9393, 9401-9423, 9501-9532, 9901-9920, 22301-22348, 22416-22460, 22349-22415, 23301-23357, 23358-23387, 95300-95384
Support Fleet Various numbers
Routes
FAST 261, 461 & 462, 561, 562, & 563
Main Corridor Routes 125, 200, 210, 450, 460, 510, 560, 610
Community Routes 160, 415, 420, 494, 495, 525, 550, 615, 796
Crosstown Routes 140, 250, 275, 280, 305, 375, 405, 492, 710, 730, 740, 759, 760, 780, 790
Commuter Routes 255, 430, 445, 515, 530, 580, 620, 635
Park & Ride Routes 805, 830, 851
School Routes 566
Special Event Routes Woodward Dream Cruise
Former Regular Routes 100, 110, 115, 130, 135, 145, 150, 165, 180, 185, 190, 201, 202, 240, 245, 260, 265, 275, 280, 285, 295, 297, 305 (original), 315, 330, 385, 400, 410, 435, 440, 455, 465, 470, 475, 482, 485, 486, 488, 492 (original), 498, 520, 525 (original), 540, 559, 565, 567, 598 & 599, 625, 630, 720, 750, 753, 754, 755, 757, 758, Gateway Express, Pistons Express, NFL Draft
Former School Routes 112, 196, 203, 209
Former Park & Ride Routes 810 & 820, 832, 835, 849, 865, 875
1994-95 Detroit Routes 25, 37
Facilities
Passenger Downtown Detroit, Fairlane Town Center Hub, Great Lakes Crossing Transportation Center, John D. Dingell Transit Center, Lakeside Mall Hub, Macomb Mall Hub, OCC Orchard Ridge Campus Hub, Oakland Mall Hub, Phoenix Center Hub, Royal Oak Transit Center, Rosa Parks Transit Center, Jason Hargrove Transit Center, Somerset Collection South Hub, Southland Center Hub, Troy Transit Center, Park & ride locations
Non-Passenger Macomb Terminal, Oakland Terminal, Wayne Terminal
Bus Stops 1-9999, 10000-19999, 20000-20999, 21000-21999, 22000-22999, 23000-23999
Timelines
History 1989-1998, 1999-2008, 2009-2018, 2019-present
Detroit Area Transit Agencies
Ann Arbor
Port Huron
Chatham-Kent
Detroit bus
Detroit People Mover
Monroe
Leamington
Detroit QLINE
RTA
Sarnia
Detroit suburbs
Tecumseh
Windsor
University of Michigan