Wayne County executive eyes regional transit ballot question

Wayne County's top executive wants voters to decide whether to create a countywide public transit system.

Why it matters: Leaders in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties all say they want more transit options to better connect the region to retain and attract new residents.

What they're saying: "What I would like to do is have a countywide ballot proposal to see whether or not we as a county want to support SMART," Wayne County executive Warren Evans said at a Detroit Regional Chamber event in Lathrup Village last week, the Detroit News reports.

Reality check: The county commission would need to introduce such an initiative, but there are less than six months until the November elections. And getting a ballot initiative approved could be a tough sell in western Wayne County communities, 17 of which have opted out of SMART to prevent tax hikes as part of millages over the years .

• Detroit also opted out in favor of the DDOT bus system.

State of play: Evans suggested at the event that a proposal could do what Oakland County voters approved in 2022, eliminating the "opt-out" choice for municipalities.

• Educating voters on the benefits of transit is the way to get them on board, Katie Lauderbaugh, a spokesperson for SMART, tells Axios.
• "SMART brought 29,000 people to the [NFL] Draft — transit has no boundaries. We want to be able to live, work and play throughout southeast Michigan," Lauderbaugh says.

The big picture: Evans' comments come as momentum is building in favor of improving the region's transit system.

• Democrats and at least one Republican in Lansing formed a caucus to support transit proposals through the Legislature last year,
• Billionaire developer Dan Gilbert acknowledged transit was a major missing piece that may be stunting population growth, saying the federal government should be involved in bolstering southeast Michigan's regional transit system.
• And Mayor Mike Duggan, who publicized his trip on a DDOT bus last weekend, floated the possibility this year of expanding the city's People Mover .