Oakland University considers SMART Bus services

metromode, 1/19/2009

Oakland University has long been known as a commuter school, but university officials are looking to broaden the local definition of commuting.

For years and years students have mainly gotten to and from the school via personal transportation (re: cars). University officials have begun talking with their counterparts from Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation about linking the school to a number of local institutions.

Now that the university has strengthened its ties with the Royal Park Hotel, school officials are looking for new ways to get students and staff to and from downtown Rochester, along with several other destinations like shopping malls.

Local education, municipal and business leaders have been talking about the idea and appear to support it. It is also popular with students, according to a recent survey conducted by the university.

The road block to all of this appears to be the cost, creating a route costs about $400,000 annually. Local officials are still trying to figure out where that money will come from.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Rochester