SMART Launches Free Bus Rides for Students Across Three Counties

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation approved a program on March 26 that lets K-12, community college, and college students ride buses free year-round. Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties are covered. Students can board at no cost by showing a student ID.

The program aims to remove barriers to consistent attendance while easing financial pressure on families, according to Michigan Chronicle.

Tiffany Gunter, SMART CEO and General Manager, became the organization's leader during the summer of 2025. She tackled reliability issues as one of her first priorities.

On-time performance stood at 65 percent when she started an improvement challenge. In the last three-and-a-half weeks, that percentage rose to 77 percent.

"That's still not enough and we still have to do better, but we're going to keep pushing that," Gunter said per Michigan Chronicle.

The Detroit Department of Transportation plans to implement a similar program. Detroit City Council President and co-chair of the mayor's transportation committee James Tate confirmed the alignment between the two systems. SMART and DDOT combined carry about 23 million people per year.

"For too many students across metro Detroit, the absence of a car in the household has meant missed classes and limited access to internships. At the same time, we recognize that transit fares can add up quickly for a family's monthly budget," said Gunter. "This initiative is a game-changer."

Brandy Johnson, president of the Michigan Community College Association, called the plan a key step toward improving student outcomes. "Student success doesn't begin in the classroom. It begins with access," Johnson said.