FAST (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation)
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
- 261 FAST Michigan - Jefferson and Beaubien, Downtown Detroit to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, coloured Peruvian blue on maps and schedules
- 461 FAST Woodward - Jefferson and Beaubien, Downtown Detroit to Troy Civic Center Park & Ride, coloured tomato red on maps and schedules
- 462 FAST Woodward - Jefferson and Beaubien, Downtown Detroit to Great Lakes Crossing Transportation Center, coloured tomato red on maps and schedules
- 561 FAST Gratiot - Larned and Griswold, Downtown Detroit to North River Park & Ride, coloured lime green on maps and schedules
- 562 FAST Gratiot - Wayne State University to Executive Drive in Harrison Township, coloured lime green on maps and schedules
- 563 FAST Gratiot - Larned and Griswold, Downtown Detroit to Chesterfield Meijer Park & Ride, coloured lime green on maps and schedules
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 |
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 |
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 |
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] |
February 2021 | NFI | XD60 | 4001-4004 - Wayne
4011, 4023 - Oakland |
|
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 |
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
- SMART Unveils New Service! Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. Retrieved on December 28, 2017.
External links
- ↑ Board of Directors Meeting - August 27, 2020, Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, retrieved August 27, 2020