SMART bus routes expand to include Twelve Oaks Mall

NOVI, Mich. (FOX 2) - The public transportation world hit a major milestone in Michigan this week with the kickoff Route 740.

For the first time ever, bus riders will be able to travel from Southfield to Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, a year after Oakland County voters approved a millage that expanded public transit throughout the region.

Public transit advocates eyed a bus route to the mall as one of their top priorities after the millage passed.

Prior to the 2022 county ballot proposal, there were certain gaps within Metro Detroit bus routes that made it difficult for some riders to reach certain cities like Novi, Bloomfield Hills, and Rochester which previously had the option of opting out of the service.

But this week, SMART began taking passengers all the way to Novi - and Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter tried out the route.

"If you think of Novi, you've got hospitals, you've got malls, you've got restaurants, and you've got workers and visitors who want to go to those things and so Novi's an important place for passengers to go," he said Tuesday.

Anyone who wanted to go to the mall without a car used to need to walk more than a mile from the closest bus stop over a busy highway overpass. 

The latest expansion is part of Oakland County's push to make it more friendly to residents who don't want to drive.

"We have thousands of people in this region that either don't want a car, don't want to drive, or can't and this is a game-changer for them. It means access to things that will give them good quality of life," said Coulter.

MORE: Oakland County adds four new communities to public transit route, boosts hours for seniors

And new routes are expected in the future, including adding bus stops along Woodward Avenue. Next year, Oakland County plans to expand to Rochester, Coulter said.

Additionally, the millage approval has also enabled senior and disabled transit options to expand to rural portions of Oakland County.