Emma Case (00:00):
Welcome to Inside The Senior Alliance, a podcast exploring resources and issues in the field of aging. I’m Emma Case, Planning and Advocacy Manager at The Senior Alliance, the Area Agency on Aging, serving Western and Southern Wayne County. Joining me today is Daniel Whitehouse, Vice President of Para-transit and On-Demand Services, Jim Henderson, Assistant Vice President of On-Demand Services, and Paul Johnson III, Wayne County Community Relations Ombudsperson. Daniel, Jim, Paul, thank you for joining me today.
Daniel, Jim, Paul (00:28):
Thank you for having us, Emma. Yes, thank you. You are welcome.
Emma Case (00:30):
Daniel, I want to start with you for listeners who may not be familiar with SMART, can you give a brief history and how the organization’s mission has evolved over time?
Daniel Whitehouse (00:40):
Absolutely. So SMART initially was created in 1967 under Public Act 204 as Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority known as SMTA. Back in 1989 as part of Act 481, it was amended and reorganized into SMART, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. From there we began our funding structure with local millages and that’s one of the methods today that SMART is still gaining operating funds. So recently we have had a shift in leadership and a bigger look on our system as a whole and what services, what options for riders need to be in what areas. We have done that through a few different studies, one of which is starting implementation here in the next year to increase our fixed-route and our micro-transit services.
Emma Case (01:37):
So Daniel, why is public transportation so important to communities within Southeast Michigan, especially those for older adults, people with disabilities and those without access to a car?
Daniel Whitehouse (01:47):
So public transportation is an economic driver in the region. One of our core values under SMART is a multiplier effect. For every dollar that we invest in public transit, the region sees a $4 return on investment, which really spurs economic growth, job growth, quality of life, both socially, health-wise and economically for people. Transits is an independence maker for so many riders in our region. When we look at the senior population, those with disabilities and those who are, you know, choice riders or do not wish to drive or can’t drive for different reasons, public transit becomes their lifeline. Going back to the independence factor, it allows them the ability to get up in the morning and go to work, go to school, go to a social center. The more services that we have and the availability of those services are what people are depending on. And again, every investment that they’re making in public transit now has economic benefits for our region.
Emma Case (02:53):
Paul, I wanted to ask you, how does SMART help reduce barriers to healthcare access, grocery shopping, employment and social connections for seniors and other residents?
Paul Johnson III (03:03):
SMART regularly meets with the public. SMART’s only successful because of the riders that we work with in our community business partners. They could be having our regular monthly board meeting so we can hear feedback from our public, our smarter mobility where we listen to the concerns of businesses, riders, as far as route options. We have a fantastic planning department which allows us to dictate or work with different municipalities as far as different new routes. We also have our Para-transit services, which allows seniors and people with disabilities be able to be more independent by going to the grocery stores or be able to get a haircut or going to the bank. We want to make sure people are connected by listening and being transparent as far as any changes. And also as a community and bus person, I guess again the best thing is listening. Listening to feedback, knowing that it’s not about me, it’s about how can we serve the public.
Emma Case (03:59):
Now Jim, many older adults struggle with transportation and many need more personal connections than a typical transit can provide. At SMART you all have created the SMART Flex program to address this. Can you explain what that program is, how it works, and how it makes a difference in the traditional fixed-route bus service?
Jim Henderson (04:18):
Sure. So we created Flex as a pilot project in 2021, but Flex is an on demand shared ride, micro-transit service And micro-transit, I mean we have these individual zones throughout the region and the trips are typically meant to be either within that zone individually, so the trip can be accomplished all within that one zone or if you need a first last mile connection to and from like a fixed-route bus for a longer journey. So we started with three zones in 2021 and quickly grew to five zones when we’ve found the need for it. So we have five zones right now, which are Pontiac and Auburn Hills, Troy and Clawson, Farmington and Farmington Hills. Those are three zones in Oakland County. In Wayne County we have the Dearborn zone, which is all of Dearborn, stretches down into Taylor, Allen Park, Melvindale, parts of Lincoln Park, parts of Southgate, so a good chunk of the Downriver area.
Jim Henderson (05:12):
And then in Macomb County we have the Hall Road zone, which stretches from like Sterling Heights all up along Hall Road and all the way up into New Baltimore. So the trips in this micro-transit zone, again, they must start and end within one of these individual zones. So the service is app based, so similar to an Uber Lyft where you can book rides through the app and track where the vehicle is as it approaches. But if you don’t want to use an app, you can call our customer support number, which is 734-212-8429 and they can assist with setting up an account or booking trips. The service is typically corner to corner, but a concession can be added for seniors 65 or older or riders with a disability, which turns the service from corner to corner to a curb to curb service where it’ll pick you up and drop you off at the address that you put into the app or that you give to the customer support agent.
Jim Henderson (06:05):
We also have wheelchair accessible vehicles available for riders who may need one for their trips. The cost is $2 base fair up to five miles and then it’s an additional 40 cents per mile with a maximum fare of being a potential of $8. But for seniors and riders with disabilities that have that concession, the fare is cut in half, so it’s a dollar for the base fare and then 20 cents for additional miles beyond five miles with a maximum of a $4 fare. It is a cashless system so you either have to put a credit card on your account or you can use the Dart Pass, which is the regional pass from DDOT and SMART. Some riders do choose to add like a prepaid card if they feel uncomfortable putting a credit card on there. They can go preload a card that they pick up at a Rite Aid or CVS or something like that and then just use that prepaid card on their account. We operate seven days a week. All zones are 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM with the exception of the Hall Road zone up in Macomb County, which is 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM, but seven days a week.
Emma Case (07:06):
And who is eligible for SMART Flex and what types of trips can people use it for?
Jim Henderson (07:10):
It’s really open to the public. We have people using it for all types of trips, medical, work, school, leisure, grocery trips, although because we do use vans, we’re a bit size constraint, so we do ask that riders limit grocery trips to three bags, but we see all types of trips used by all types of riders. Again, seniors and riders with disabilities who need a curb to curb experience can get that concession added. We do have step stools available for those riders that may need a little more help getting into the vehicle if the step into the van is difficult, but if more assistance is needed then maybe something like that, then a true door to door experience where possibly an operator has to go up to the door to help the rider than Para-transit might be a better option at that point.
Emma Case (07:57):
Daniel, beyond SMART Flex, what are some other programs or transportation options that SMART offers specifically to support older adults?
Daniel Whitehouse (08:06):
So SMART at its crux, you know, offers fixed-route services. So if you are familiar with our traditional 40 foot or 60 foot fixed-route buses on Woodward, Michigan Avenue, Gratiot, those are available to seniors and people with disabilities. They’re all accessible vehicles. Drivers are able to assist operators in identifying landmarks or stops if they need to. That service for those who need true independence to get up and go in the morning is a service that is available to seniors, people with disabilities. Beyond Flex, we also have a Para-transit department and so that service is aimed to provide curb-to-curb or door-to-door services for people with disabilities who can’t access our fixed-route system. That is an application process where the applicant will fill out what their disability is and how it impacts their travel skillset. On top of that, we also have a demand response program, which is available on a limited basis to areas that aren’t served by ADA. And then in conjunction with that, our communities also operate a demand response that’s aimed at seniors and people with disabilities. And that community-based program is set up by each local community, some partner with multiple communities to provide a service, but they’re looking at the needs of their local area. They create their own service areas, their hours of service, really the structure of that system. And that system combines a lot of times with SMART to really open up transit throughout the metro Detroit region for seniors and people with disabilities.
Emma Case (09:45):
Paul, as your work as an Ombudsperson, what are some common misconceptions about public transportation and how does SMART work to address these concerns around safety, convenience, or reliability?
Paul Johnson III (09:58):
The biggest misconception is that public transportation is only for poor people or low income. This is definitely not the case or that we just have the big giant bus. Working at SMART for the last year I’ve learned as far as that we have a fleet of family services such as a Flex and our Para-transit services, which allows people to get to point A to point B. And then how do we work with addressing different concerns? Again, our public meetings because we’re transparent, we want to hear from the public. For me, going into the community, whether it’s sponsoring an event, sitting at a table, listening to people’s concerns, one of the things is reliability. So we just in the collaboration have the new transit app, which is really good because now I can see when the bus is coming real time and that’s really helpful because if I’m coming from work or going to work, I can say, hey, the bus is coming five minutes from now, so then I don’t have to wait in the cold if I’m like in my building. So those things are really helpful. As far as safety, we have a safety committee where we kind of just actually a safety department just to kind of work on those key issues. And convenience, again, just being transparent, being in the community, you have to be able to listen and if you’re able to listen then you’re able to implement newer transformative services.
Emma Case (11:13):
Yeah, I love that. You talked about listening to the feedback and the experience. How has SMART used that to make senior transportation more accessible or make more services for older adults to better their quality of life, independence and mobility?
Paul Johnson III (11:29):
So there’s two ways. Adding new routes. So we just instituted a new route into Hamtramck. Now I know that’s not specifically for seniors, but by listening we’re able to kind of add new routes that will service the whole community. Now, as far as helping seniors, obviously we have our Para-transit services and that’s really helpful as far as, again, I have two parents that are senior and just to have that peace of mind for them to be able to take the Para-transit, they’ll be able to get to the grocery store or to a doctor’s appointment. That means that if your son or a daughter, you know that they safely can get to their appointments without you having to take a day off. And that’s really helpful as far as in the grand scheme of things, as far as being a caregiver. And then as far as just a quality of life, again, when you’re not able to drive, just having that independence that gives you dignity. SMART gives seniors, people with disabilities, dignity to go on and live a life, go to the park, go see the Lions win, the Tigers, have those abilities to be independent or even just go to Target or Walmart to get a present for their grandchildren.
Paul Johnson III (12:40):
Those are things that we want. We want to be able to be not only an economic catalyst, but a social connection that will prevent social isolation for many riders and people within the Wayne County, but all the Tri-County area.
Emma Case (12:53):
Daniel, as the population continues to age, how is SMART planning to meet the growing transportation needs of older adults in the community in years ahead?
Daniel Whitehouse (13:02):
One of the things that SMART has done recently is embarked in its SMARTer mobility project and that looked at all of our services across the metro Detroit region. From that we looked at where and what services need to be in, what exact areas we mentioned earlier. So you’ll see expansions of our fixed route network over the next few years, which is opening up transit to many new areas in our region that not only has an impact on those who access and utilize our fixed-route, but also the Para-transit compliment as well for those who have disabilities, even those who are seniors who can’t use that fixed-route network. But we also looked at our flex service and where that needed to go, making sure that we have connections to our fixed-route, but also that we have services that are available in different areas and it is the right service.
Daniel Whitehouse (13:50):
So if it’s an area that isn’t right for a fixed-route, that there is a service that has an independence factor available. We know that people can’t always pre-book their trips, and that’s one of the biggest challenges with public transit. So by having these services that are independence based, kind of same day service availability, it does open up the region, create more independence and growth. Additionally, you know, we’re looking at how do we grow not only Para-transit, but also that community partnership program that we talked about. We’re looking at the funding models, we’re looking at technology and how can we have as much availability for the region in terms of rides and availability as possible. We know that our ridership is continually growing and so we are making sure that, you know, our commitment is met and that is to have available services and the correct services for riders in our region.
Emma Case (14:44):
Daniel, lastly, for seniors or caregivers or anyone listening who may be unsure where to start, what is the easiest way to connect and learn about available services eligibility and how to schedule a ride with SMART?
Daniel Whitehouse (14:56):
So there’s a lot of ways to start. First off, our website, smartbus.org is going to be growing over the next year. So we’re going to be updating our website, getting a lot of feedback on what the website needs to entail, if that’s applications, if that’s better information, clear information for people, you know, that’s going to be a big undertaking in the next year. Uh, but the website provides real good service information not only on our fixed routes, but also there’s a Services by Communities page. And if you go to that page and you click on the city you live in, all the services that are available within that city or community are showing up on one page of our website. The phone numbers for those services are listed, the route numbers are listed. You can access our schedules through the website. So it’s a real good starting point.
Daniel Whitehouse (15:44):
You know, if you live, let’s say in the city of Royal Oak and you click on Royal Oak, you’ll get to see the fixed-route systems that are routes that are within the city limits of Royal Oak. And then the phone numbers to the Community Partnership program, SMARTS, Para-transit program, the ability to download our ADA Para-transit application is available on the website, but for those people who don’t utilize the website calling our main number, which is 866-962-5515, and connecting with either one of our customer service departments, so SMART has two. We have one on the customer information side that helps on the fixed-routes side. It can provide route timing and schedule information. We also have a customer service department on the Para-transit side and that department can look at where you live, work with you on where you need to go, and then walk you through the steps of eligibility. They’ll also talk to you about that community partnership program and then potential tie-ins based on individual needs. So that Para-transit call center is really good at the individualistic, you know, I live in this city, I need to commute to X, Y, and Z cities, and they’ll walk you through how that process works, what the fair structure is, and again, if there’s any application process, what those next steps and the timing of that are.
Emma Case (17:03):
Daniel, Jim, and Paul, thank you again for joining me today.
Daniel, Jim, Paul (17:06):
Thank you for having me, Emma. Thanks for having me. Thank you.
Emma Case (17:09):
If you have any questions about services or programs The Senior Alliance offers, you can call us at (734) 722-2830 or email us at info@thesenioralliance.org. Information about our agency or the programs and services we offer can be found on our website at www.thesenioralliance.org. Finally, on Facebook, we can be located by searching for The Senior Alliance. I’m Emma Case. Thank you for listening to this episode of Inside The Senior Alliance.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Inside The Senior Alliance is a production of The Senior Alliance and Blazing Kiss Media.
