The Oakland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a new contract to expand public transportation service in the southwest area of the county with People’s Express (PEX). The expanded service will launch in September 2023 and is intended to improve public transportation services in South Lyon, Wixom, Milford Township, Commerce Township, Lyon Township, the Village of Milford and the Village of Wolverine Lake.
The board is dedicating more than $1 million of the Oakland County Public Transportation Millage to pay for the expansion and to connect more people to public transportation services.
The funding was supported by Commissioner Ajay Raman (D-Novi). Raman, who is a member of the Oakland County Transit Ad Hoc Committee, spent months meeting with local leaders to address transit needs in the southwest area of Oakland County.
“This resolution marks a huge step in the creation of a more connected Oakland County, and I am proud to have played a part in reaching this milestone,” Raman said. “Residents from the seven communities the People’s Express serves will now be able to enjoy expanded levels of service that will eventually integrate into the broader countywide transit plan.”
The new driving boundaries are intended to connect more communities and allow for increased cross-community transportation. The initial driving boundaries can be found on the PEX website and are as follows:
• Northern boundary – M-59/Highland Road
• Southern boundary – 7 Mile Road
• Western boundary – U.S. Route 23
• Eastern boundary – Drake Road
The new agreement with Oakland County will extend new routes, expand hours of operation and increase frequency of service. In addition, the service will be open to the general public in the service area once capacity is available.
“This expansion is one more example of us following through on the promises we made,” Board Chairman David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak) said. “We’re expanding transit service and making public transportation better so more people can get to the places they need to go. We are on track to provide transit service to every corner of the county by the end of the year.”
Oakland County residents approved the Oakland County Public Transportation millage on November 8, 2022. This voter-approved 10-year, .95 millage will maintain and expand public transit services throughout the region. In addition to PEX, the millage funds public transportation services in Oakland County provided by the North Oakland Transportation Authority, the West Oakland Transportation Authority, the Older Persons Commission and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). For more information on the millage, visit www.oakgov.com/OaklandTransit.
To learn more about the services PEX offers, visit www.peoplesexpressmi.com/oakland.
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