Wayne County voters will soon have a decision to make about public transportation. A 10-year millage will be up for vote on August 4, 2026 for all of Wayne County. The millage will cost home owners 98 cents per $1,000 of a home’s taxable value. It will cost a homeowner with a home of a taxable value of $100,000 approximately $98 per year. If implemented, there will be new Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) bus routes, route extensions, and microtransit services.
For Rienard Monczunski, transit organizer with Detroit People’s Platform, this is personal.
“I have to pay sixty to eighty dollars for an Uber ride back and forth where I live in Detroit to Livonia to get to the doctor. My copay is only $25,” said Monczunski.
For the 20-25% of Detroiters who are car-free, public transportation can be a crucial service that gets them to job opportunities, doctor’s appointments, shopping, and school.
If passed, the 10-year millage would replace an expiring SMART tax and is expected to bring in $57.6 million in its first year. Currently, Detroit is one of the 17 communities which have opted out of a united Wayne County Transit system. If passed, all of Wayne County will be under a unified transit system, meaning expanded services.
A vote against the millage would mean current SMART services could face significant funding losses, potentially leading to service cuts.
Due to a new law (House Bill 6088/Public Act 236 of 2024) signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, all 43 communities in Wayne county must participate in countywide transit millage votes. This millage will not affect communities that were previously opted in, such as Melvindale and Hamtramck.
An important fact to note is that SMART is a regional network across Wayne County, while DDOT is strictly a Detroit transport system. Although the millage would increase SMART funding across the region, Detroit revenue collected will remain in the city of Detroit.
Currently, Detroit gets its funding from the city’s general fund, meaning it competes with other city services for funding.
“It’s really about expanding the services and access to all the communities in the county. Not only the city but also for the city residents to have access to communities that right now that you can’t take trains to get to,” said Robert Cramer, DDOT Executive Director of Transit.
Ultimately, the August 4th election will ask residents whether expanding transit services for residents who rely on it are worth the financial cost to all property owners.
While transportation access remains a major concern for residents, public health concerns are being raised about produce after cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite, has affected over 6,000 people across 64 counties in Michigan. The infection causes explosive, watery diarrhea, driving those vulnerable to illness in the Emergency Room due to extreme dehydration.
“The reality is explosive diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration, especially amongst young kids,” said Ali Abazeed, the city of Detroit’s Chief Public Health Officer.“Some of the culprits [of cyclospora] we’re talking about are raspberries, cilantro, and basil, green onions, chick peas.”
Whether it is getting to a doctor’s appointment without a car, or knowing how to protect from the Cyclospora parasite, access to essential services remains a top priority for Detroit residents.
