ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — If you would love to have more ways to get around with public transportation in Oakland County, options are coming.
County Commissioners approved contracts with SMART, the North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA), Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA), and the Older Person’s Commission (OPC) using funding from the county-wide transportation millage passed in November.
NOTA, WOTA, and OPC will increase their hours and destinations. They all offer door-to-door service for $2 per ride.
7 Action News spoke to one WOTA client, Allyson Armstrong. The senior citizen uses the service to get to a job at Kroger in White Lake, visit friends, or go to appointments. She says it gives her freedom.
“I would have to rely on my friends or whoever, and they might not be available,” said Armstrong of what she would do if the WOTA service was not available.
WOTA’s additional funding allows it to increase rides offered from about 150 a day to perhaps approximately 250 a day later this year.
“We will take appointments up to a year in advance,” said Kim Viener, WOTA Executive Director.
Viener says there is more demand than there is capacity. Appointments are first-come, first serve for those with low incomes, disabilities, or senior citizens and must be made a minimum of two business days in advance.
The millage will help increase capacity starting later this year. The contract approval means WOTA can now order more vehicles and hire more drivers, but both will take time.
“Expand into up to seven communities this year and then next year we have another wave to go into more communities. There is the potential for WOTA to expand into 15 more communities in the area,” said Kim Viener, WOTA Executive Director.
SMART will explore service expansions in Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Hills, Keego Harbor, Novi, Orchard Lake, Pontiac, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Sylvan Lake, Troy, Waterford, West Bloomfield, White Lake, and Wixom.
The commission shared a map of new or extended routes in 2023.
“Workers can get to jobs. Patients can get to doctors. Students can get to school. Transportation is necessary,” said David Woodward, Oakland County Commissioner.
The millage will impact transportation in Oakland County for at least the next ten years.
