LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - A bill that would expand public transit in Wayne County by removing the opt-out function that some communities use to avoid paying into the system cleared the Michigan House on Tuesday.
Clearing the legislative hurdle by a party-line vote, HB 6088 would end the patchwork of SMART bus stops that has acted as a barrier toward more cohesive transit in Southeast Michigan.
More than a dozen communities do not buy into transit in Wayne County.
Backstory: What does the public transit legislation do?
There are 43 communities in Wayne County, but more than a third do not buy into the transit system.
While the current law allows local governments control over whether they want public transit like bus stops in their community, it has become a barrier toward a more connected network.
The legislation targets that barrier by ending the opt-out rule for counties of a specific population size.
Because Wayne County is the largest in Michigan, the law was written so it only pertains to it.
Who will the transit bill impact?
There are 17 communities that have opted out of Wayne County public transit.
They include Belleville, Brownstown Township, Canton Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Township, Livonia, Northville, Northville Township, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Rockwood, Sumpter Township, Van Buren Township and Woodhaven.
Detroit is also considered an opt-out community, but it has its own bus system that is run through the Detroit Department of Transportation.
What happened and what's next?
Sponsored by Dearborn Rep. Alabas Farhat, the bill cleared the Michigan House by a 56-52 vote. It previously cleared the Committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance in November.
The legislation still needs to clear the Michigan Senate before becoming law - which will remain in Democratic control for the next two years.
When the next session begins in 2025, Republicans will return to the majority of the House chamber.
It was among the pieces of legislation that was on schedule during the lame duck session - the period of time after the election but before the next session begins.
The big picture
There are no opt-outs in Macomb County, while Oakland County removed the function through a millage that passed in 2022.
Once signed by the governor, the roadmap toward expanding transit into a more connected system in metro Detroit would become more clear with all three counties in the area on board.
Ending the opt-out rule is the first step toward expanding transit. Voters would still need to approve the expansion, likely during the 2026 midterms or another election.
If approved by voters, public transit could attract bigger rounds of funding that could pave the way for larger projects throughout the region.
Steps to expand Wayne County public transit could start with November vote in legislature
After years of waiting, Wayne County could soon expand its public transit by removing the option for communities to opt-out of the network. Here's how that could happen: