FAST (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation)

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Fast logo-a.jpg

FAST (the acronym for Frequent, Affordable, Safe Transit) is Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation's (SMART) high frequency, limited-stop service serving the metropolitan area of the American city of Detroit, and a precursor to bus rapid transit, linking together the suburban Woodward, Michigan and Gratiot corridors, including Detroit Metro Airport and Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, with the city of Detroit, D2A2, M-1 Rail QLINE, the Detroit People Mover and Transit Windsor. It launched on January 1, 2018.

History

Following years of studying for bus rapid transit corridors in the Detroit area, the Regional Transit Authority launched a pilot limited-stop service, Reflex, in September 2016, with service from downtown Detroit to Somerset Collection and the North River Park & Ride facility near Mount Clemens, along with a service from Mount Clemens to Wayne State University. Like FAST, Reflex operated in mixed traffic, but unlike FAST, Reflex only utilized simple flags for stations. Over a year later in the fall of 2017, SMART began releasing teasers relating to a BRT service of their own, and on December 27, 2017, the service was officially announced as FAST.

Initial service

The first five lines, 261 FAST Michigan, 461 & 462 FAST Woodward, and 561 & 563 FAST Gratiot, commenced on January 1, 2018. 562 FAST Gratiot began service the following day, January 2. Due to recent heavy snow systems, sign placement along FAST Gratiot's route wasn't completed by the launch day, leaving some stations to do with their former Reflex flags, and even on the launch day and for much of the following day, FAST lines were untrackable on the website and app.

Later history

On March 9, 2018, a new stop serving the Little Caesar’s Arena opened on the 461 & 462 FAST Woodward lines. On April 2, 2018, many stops were renamed and a new stop at the Chesterfield Township Meijer store opened on the 563 FAST Gratiot line. In June 2018, two new stops opened on the 261 FAST Michigan line in Romulus, one at Flynn Drive serving hotels and parking lots north of Detroit Metro Airport and one at a new Amazon facility at Vining and Ecorse Roads that opened to select weekday trips on June 18, though until officially opening on July 26 it was only shown on maps and schedules as Vining Road had not yet been extended to Ecorse Road.

The 261 FAST Michigan and 461 & 462 FAST Woodward lines were extended slightly to new stations in the southeast section of downtown Detroit on January 7, 2019. A stop on the 461 FAST Woodward at Big Beaver and Crooks Roads opened on April 1, 2019. The 462 FAST Woodward received a second extension on October 5, 2020, which replaced local route 753.

Dedicated shelters

The first dedicated FAST shelters were erected in July 2018 at the Schaefer station on the 261 FAST Michigan and on the southbound side of the 9 Mile station on the 461 & 462 FAST Woodward. Additional shelters were erected at the Meijer P&R and Crocker stations on the 563 FAST Gratiot in August 2018, on the southbound side of the Detroit Zoo station on the 461 & 462 FAST Woodward on September 11, 2018, on the northbound side of the 9 Mile station on the 461 & 462 FAST Woodward by February 11, 2019, on the northbound side of the 11 Mile station on the 461 & 462 FAST Woodward by March 15, 2019, on the northbound side of the 8 Mile station on the 561, 562, & 563 FAST Gratiot on April 18, 2019, on the southbound side of the 23 Mile station on the 563 FAST Gratiot on April 24, 2019, and on the northbound side of the Masonic station on the 561, 562, & 563 FAST Gratiot by May 4, 2019.

Routes

Fleet

FAST uses a fleet of specially branded and assigned buses built by Gillig that are equipped with free Wi-Fi services.

Active vehicles

Fleet
number(s)
Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Destination sign Seating Terminal Notes
3708-3710, 3717, 3719-3721, 3725, 3731-3734, 3736-3737, 3739, 3772
Bicycle rack equipped busWifi-logo.png
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation 3732-a.jpg May-August 2017 Gillig BRT 40'
(G27D102N4)
Cummins L9 Allison B400R Luminator Horizon 38 American Seating Vision 3701, 3717, 3719-3720, 3731-3732, 3734 - Oakland

3708-3710, 3721-3721, 3725, 3736-3737, 3739, 3772 - Macomb

3801-3803, 3805-3809, 3811-3813, 3817, 3819, 3821, 3823, 3825-3832, 3834-3835
Bicycle rack equipped busWifi-logo.png
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation 3826-b.jpg October-November 2018 Gillig BRT 40'
(G27D102N4)
Cummins L9 Allison B400R Luminator Horizon 38 American Seating Vision 3801-3803, 3805, 3826-3830 - Wayne

3806-3809, 3817, 3819, 3831-3832, 3834-3835 - Oakland


3811-3813, 3821, 3823, 3825 - Macomb

3901, 3912-3913, 3917
Bicycle rack equipped busWifi-logo.png
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation 3913-a.jpg 2019 Gillig BRT 40'
(G27D102N4)
Cummins L9 Allison B400R Luminator Horizon 38 American Seating Vision

3901 - Wayne


3912-3913 - Macomb


3917 - Oakland

4001-4004, 4011, 4023[1]
Bicycle rack equipped bus
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation 4011-a.jpg February 2021 NFI XD60 4001-4004 - Wayne

4011, 4023 - Oakland

  • 2020 models.
  • Piggybacked from a Commonwealth of Virginia order.
  • Delivered April 5, 2021.

In addition, any bus from SMART's local fleet can rarely be found on FAST services.

Retired/transferred vehicles

Fleet
number(s)
Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Destination sign Seating Terminal Notes
3701-3707, 3711-3716, 3718, 3722-3724, 3726-3729, 3733, 3735, 3758
Bicycle rack equipped busWifi-logo.png
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation 3704-a.jpg May-August 2017 Gillig BRT 40'
(G27D102N4)
Cummins L9 Allison B400R Luminator Horizon 38 American Seating Vision 3702-3705, 3716, 3718, 3733, 3735 - Oakland

3706-3707, 3722-3724, 3758 - Macomb


3711-3715, 3726-3729 - Wayne

Transferred back to SMART's local fleet in 2019 and 2020.

References

External links

v·d·e
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation new logo-a.png
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, 400, 415, 420, 430, 494, 495, 525, 550, 615, 796
Crosstown Routes 140, 250, 275, 280, 305, 375, 405, 710, 730, 740, 760, 780, 790
Commuter Routes 255, 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, 315, 330, 385, 410, 435, 440, 455, 465, 470, 475, 482, 485, 486, 488, 492, 498, 520, 525, 540, 559, 565, 567, 598 & 599, 625, 630, 720, 750, 753, 754, 755, 757, 758, Gateway Express, Pistons Express
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, State Fairgrounds 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 M-1 Rail
Detroit M-1 Rail
RTA
Sarnia
Detroit suburbs
Tecumseh
Windsor
University of Michigan
  1. Board of Directors Meeting - August 27, 2020, Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, retrieved August 27, 2020