FeedsJones wants ‘SMART’ Plymouth
The same drive and determination that made Hayes Jones an All American at Eastern Michigan University and a two-time Olympic champion track athlete is the same fervor he will use to grow regional transportation in southeastern Michigan.
In front of more than 100 members of Kiwanis Club of Colonial Plymouth, elected officials and leaders of the local business community, Jones, the 69-year old general manager of the Suburban Regional Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) said it is time for Plymouth and Plymouth Township to “get on the bus”
“We have the belief that every individual in this region should have the opportunity of mobility of choice,” said Jones, while urging the leaders of the Plymouth community to join the public transportation program.
SMART was created as an authority in the 1970s to bring the small, independent local travel agencies under one umbrella. In the 32 years since, Jones said the system has become a checkerboard of service instead of a continuous stream.
Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Canton Township and Livonia are some of the western Wayne County communities that have left SMART through the years. And according to Jones, that is weakening the concept of regional travel.
“We cannot have a strong regional (transportation system) when communities and municipalities can say ‘hey let them just do it’.
We are building a system that can service an entire region,” he added.
Jones said those who work and live in Plymouth would, like residents from Wayne, Inkster and Dearborn, benefit by reducing their gas costs by traveling on public transportation. Fifty percent of SMART riders live outside Detroit.
Since the spike in gas costs, SMART has grown in popularity. During the week of April 21, more than 255,000 rode the bus compared to around 207,000 during the same period in 2007.
“We’re finding that people are looking for ways to cut their expenses,” said Jones, who added that a significant number of riders are people older than 60. “They don’t have to depend on someone else,” he said
Plymouth Township Supervisor Richard Reaume said the Plymouth community provides transportation for seniors through the Plymouth Community Senior Transportation service, a joint effort between the two Plymouth municipalities, Plymouth Community United Way and Plymouth Council on Aging.
The group recently purchased a new $70,000 transportation vehicle for seniors. The service is available to any destination in the City of Plymouth or Charter Township of Plymouth. Transportation is also available to certain area hospitals and medical facilities.
“Our seniors have options,” said Reaume.
City of Plymouth Commissioner Gerry Sabatini said he is open to the concept of regional transportation.
“This is the optimal time to establish it,” said Sabatini, referring to the cost of gas. “People want to realize the cost savings.”
Jones admitted that in order to bring public transportation to Plymouth, residents would see between a $47-$52 bump in their taxes. When asked by a Kiwanian how the SMART program would take shape in Plymouth, he said the model could consist of a myriad of choices.
“We can tailor-make the program to fit the needs of the community.”
