Skip to main content

Detroit transit authorities offer unified fare system for buses

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDoT) has partnered with the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) to launch a unified payment system for the US region’s buses. Detroit’s mayor Mike Duggan says: “Dart will bring our two systems closer together with seamless transfers and more flexible payments making riding transit easier for everyone.” According to the mayor’s office, riders can take unlimited rides on both systems as each pass starts on the first use for the time
May 3, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDoT) has partnered with the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) to launch a unified payment system for the US region’s buses.


Detroit’s mayor Mike Duggan says: “Dart will bring our two systems closer together with seamless transfers and more flexible payments making riding transit easier for everyone.”

According to the mayor’s office, riders can take unlimited rides on both systems as each pass starts on the first use for the time period allotted. Regional passes are available for reduced fare riders – seniors, people with disabilities, Medicare cardholders and young people. A Dart mobile app will allow riders to pay for travel from this summer.

Warren C. Evans, Wayne County executive, says: “Under the current system, transfers can be confusing and intimidating. Relieving that headache encourages ridership which is important to improving mobility and increasing transit options.”

Under the new system, riders purchase the following Dart passes:

  • Four-hour regional with unlimited transfers between DDoT and SMART for $2, with a reduced fare price of 50 cents for qualified riders.
  • 24-hour regional with unlimited transfers between DDoT and SMART for $5, with a reduced price of $2.
  • Seven-day regional for $22, with a reduced price of $10.
  • 31-day regional, good for unlimited rides on both systems, for $70, with a reduced price of $29. The 31-day pass will also feature a tap to pay option for easier boarding.


The four-hour and 24-hour Dart passes will be available for purchase on SMART and DDOT vehicles. All passes will be available through SMART/DDoT centres, select retail outlets, online or by post.

Related Content

  • Integrated public transport systems ‘make travel easier and more affordable’
    April 9, 2015
    Streamlining schedules, stops, fares, and passenger information among subways, buses and commuter rail, will make it easier for passengers, cut down on operational costs and boost operational revenue, according to a new World Bank paper published today, Public Transport Service Optimisation and System Integration. The paper, which is part of the China Transport Notes Series produced by the World Bank in Beijing to share experiences about the transformation of the Chinese transport sector, claims lack of
  • Citymapper & Masabi on board for West Midlands ticketing
    June 19, 2024
    Passengers have all-in-one plan, pay and ride experience for UK’s National Express
  • Hurdles to MaaS adoption highlighted
    January 25, 2018
    Jack Opiola talks to some MaaS advocates in the US. Cities will accommodate almost 60% of the world’s population by 2025 and technology is outpacing transportation plans and planners - putting extreme pressures upon planners and transportation systems alike. Big data, digital payments, ubiquitous communications, smartphone applications, on-demand travel and autonomous vehicles are all shredding existing transport plans. Never before has the pace of population growth and the tools to address this problem
  • Singapore plans changes to transit system
    June 13, 2018
    Singapore has the third-highest population density in the world and the numbers are continuing to grow. The government knows that transit is vital: David Crawford investigates the city state’s Smart Nation strategy. Transport is the most important of the five domains identified as the pillars of Singapore's far-reaching Smart Nation strategy, launched in November 2014 by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong with the aim of reaching fulfilment by 2024. Roads account for 12% of the island republic's 719km2 land ar