By Traci Davis, VP of Microtransit
I’ve worked in transit for about 15 years, spending much of that time in on-demand services with Flint’s MTA before joining SMART this January. When people ask me what’s different about microtransit, I tell them this: it’s the connector between fixed-route service and paratransit that too many people didn’t have access to before.
For riders who don’t live near a fixed route or don’t qualify for ADA paratransit, microtransit is the door that opens access to everything else. It’s how a senior gets to a doctor’s appointment, how college students get to campus, how families make it to the grocery store or laundromat. It’s solving a real gap in how people move through their communities, and it does so affordably. SMART Flex costs $2 for trips within five miles of your zone. For seniors 65 and older and people with disabilities, it’s $1. Compare that to ride-sharing services, and the value becomes immediately clear.
We currently operate in five zones—Troy, Farmington Hills, Pontiac, Dearborn, and Auburn Hills—providing about 36,000 trips per month. We’re working to expand to Romulus, Rochester, and Bloomfield, and actively partnering with Wayne County and Dearborn Township to grow our reach. The way microtransit is set up gives riders more flexibility than traditional transit. You don’t have to wait at a stop for long periods or ride circuitous routes. It’s more direct, more personable. We get great feedback through our customer service line about how drivers connect with riders and make the experience feel human, not transactional.
Learning Who We Serve
My focus at SMART is understanding all the zones and finding out what communities are interested in our service. We recently added tracking for where people are going and why. If 50% of riders in a zone are heading to work, how can we better reach other potential riders in that area? If medical facilities are a major destination, how do we partner with healthcare providers to spread awareness? We’re also looking at age demographics because each group has different needs and awareness levels. College students want to use this service but may not know it exists. Seniors need it but might not understand how it works.
That’s why we’re actively engaging in communities through senior centers, student centers, and community organizations. We’re talking to Oakland County services, Richmond Lenox, and OPC, which operatesboth as a transit agency and an activity center for seniors. We’re giving out brochures, hosting conversations, and meeting people where they are. The reality is we’re still educating people about this service. Many residents don’t know microtransit exists or understand how it’s different from fixed-route buses or paratransit.
Making It Work Better
I want to be honest about where we’re still improving. Wait times are a concern we hear about, and we’re actively working to address them. Currently, our average monthly wait time is about 21 minutes, which reflects the strong demand and growing use of the service. Riders worry about whether they’ll make connections from fixed routes to Flex service on time, and that’s a legitimate concern. Our team has been working overtime on real-time monitoring and operational improvements to bring that average down to 15 to 18 minutes. We’re committed to faster, more reliable service while maintaining the flexibility and accessibility riders depend on.
The technology helps. SMART Flex operates through Via, a third-party platform that handles operations while we focus on accessibility and service quality. This setup allows us to reach more people than we couldindependently. We’re also rolling out new branding for SMART Flex vehicles that will make our service more visible and recognizable across the region. This isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about clearly communicating that SMART Flex is a modern, technology-driven mobility solution that meets riders where they are, building greater trust and visibility in the communities we serve.
Long-term, I’d love to see us evolve toward more dedicated and personalized service, like picking up clients directly from a doctor’s office. That’s possible as we grow and learn what riders need most.
Microtransit isn’t meant to replace fixed-route service or ADA paratransit. It’s the bridge between them. For someone who lives too far from a bus line but doesn’t qualify for paratransit, microtransit provides freedom they didn’t have before. It gives people confidence that they can get where they need to go for an affordable price.
That confidence matters. It’s the difference between being able to accept a job offer or having to turn it down because you can’t reliably get there. It’s the difference between isolation and community connection. It’s access to healthcare, education, and daily necessities that many of us take for granted. Microtransit is one of the greatest innovations I’ve seen in transit because it acknowledges a simple truth: not everyone’s transportation needs fit neatly into traditional service models. Some people need something more flexible, more responsive, more tailored to how they actually live
