SMART Connects with Riders Through On-Board Survey

DETROIT, September 22, 2008 – After posting the highest ridership since its formation in 1989, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) has recently commissioned an on-board passenger survey of its Fixed Route services. In light of the 21.1 percent increase in Fixed Route ridership from a year ago, SMART authorized the survey to learn more about rider perceptions, demographics and ratings of service.

“With a majority of SMART passengers possessing a valid Michigan Driver’s License and nearly 40 percent of passengers owning a vehicle, more and more riders are choosing to park their cars and ride SMART for the ease of use and reasonable fares,” says SMART general manager, Hayes W. Jones. “Despite the sharply increasing gas prices and Michigan’s downturned economy, SMART has not increased fares since 1993. SMART continues to cut expenses in order to not pass costs onto customers at a time when they have said they need us most,” says Jones.

Over two thirds of SMART riders are employed outside of their home and depend on SMART to get them to and from work. The survey also revealed 76 percent of passengers ride SMART between four and seven days out of the week.

SMART received a grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to fund the survey.

In May 2008, Business Research Group was hired to clarify the demographic profile and satisfaction levels of SMART passengers. The last survey issued to SMART riders was conducted in 1998. In the latest survey, a total of 1,871 surveys were conducted with SMART fixed route bus passengers over a two week period.  To acquire a complete cross section of riders, SMART bus runs were randomly selected at various times of the day and on different days of the week. All communities serviced by SMART were included in the survey.  The results have a ± 3.0% margin of error at the 95% confidence level.

“Passengers most frequently noted they are happy with the service they receive from SMART. Many passengers offered suggestions centering on the need for more routes, more buses and extending the hours buses operate,” said James Bologna of Business Research Group.

Some findings are summarized below:

Service Characteristics

à        More than 80 percent of passengers gave SMART the highest safety ratings possible.

à        6 out of 7 riders would recommend riding SMART to others.

à        SMART service overall received 79 percent of “very good/good” ratings.

à         Nearly seventy percent of riders use SMART to get to work.

à         78 percent of riders gave bus travel time “very good/good” ratings.

New Ridership Findings

à        More than 35 percent of new riders have been riding SMART for less than one year.

à        20 percent of new riders have been riding less than six months.

à        78 percent of people riding SMART one year or less gave bus travel time “very good/good” ratings

SMART is the regional transit system in southeast Michigan servicing more than 1,200 square miles in 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 more than 12 million passengers using the service annually

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