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How to get a ride via SMART Flex, Metro Detroit's first on-demand transit service

Posted at 3:45 PM, Mar 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-26 16:04:44-04

(WXYZ) — Need help accessing public transit? Now, residents and workers in Dearborn, Troy, and the Hall Road corridor between Utica and New Baltimore, can pull out their phones and hail a ride.

SMART announced Friday a new mobility effort across the tri-county area to help transform the way residents access public transit. The new on-demand public transit service SMART Flex, which is being launched in partnership with TransitTech company Via, is meant to help encourage first-and-last mile connections to existing bus routes as well as trips to local hospitals, universities and other destinations.

“SMART is taking several giant steps forward with the introduction of the Flex service, it helps to better meet the varying transit needs across the region with quick, affordable service,” said Kahlil Rahal, Chairman, SMART Board of Directors and Wayne County Deputy County Executive, in a press release. “The new SMART Flex service in Dearborn, Troy and the Hall Road corridor is a flexible, technology based, vital transit service that helps people to easily move around to get to the places they need to go.”

Residents can request a ride via the SMART Flex mobile app or call the call center at 734-212-8429. Passengers and vehicles will reportedly be matched together in real-time, directing users to a nearby location for pick up.

According to a press release, SMART Flex will also offer wheelchair-accessible vehicles and door-to-door service for people who have limited mobility.

The service will offer microtransit trips from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The rides start at $2 and are capped at $8. Payment is accepted with credit card or with Dart or SMART Passes.

SMART Flex is also offering free rides to and from vaccination sites in metro Detroit starting on March 10. Those trips offer door-to-door service and are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To learn more, click here.