Bus Stop Signage Program Begins on Gratiot

June 12, 2009 – SMART passengers riding the Gratiot 560 will be pleased to find new information posts while waiting at their bus stops next week. A pilot program is underway to add 200 bus stop signs on Gratiot Avenue from E. Eight Mile Road in Eastpointe to the end of the route in New Baltimore. The new posts will display fare information, a map of the route, time points, key bus stops, route numbers for transfers and SMART contact information.   

“This pilot program is just the beginning of improved information and outreach for our customers,” said SMART Deputy General Manager of Operations Jim Fetzer. “These new signs give customers added convenience at our stops and provide everything they need, from fares to maps.”  

The information posts are especially helpful to new users who are familiarizing themselves with the system. As an addition to standard bus stop signs, they highlight major connections along the route with time points from key departure locations. Complete versions of the timetables and route schedules are available at SMART transit centers or online at www.smartbus.org.

The information posts will also indicate the routes that will travel to the new Rosa Parks Transit Center in downtown Detroit when it opens. To date, SMART Route 510 Van Dyke and Route 560 Gratiot will be serving the transit center.

The federally funded pilot program was initiated on the Gratiot 560 which has the highest ridership in the system. More than 6,400 riders take the 560 during each week day. The second phase of the plan includes posts along Woodward which are planned to be installed by the end of the year.

SMART is southeast Michigan’s only regional transit system, serving Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties. Recognized nationally as an innovator in community based service for its unique partnerships with 75 communities, SMART is posting record ridership with nearly 13 million passengers using the service annually. For more information, go to www.smartbus.org or call Customer Information at 866-962-5515.