Royal Oak, a city of nearly 60,000 people, is continuing to move forward with plans for its own bus system.
Dubbed “ROGO,” the system would be contracted with the suburban SMART bus system. It would entail 14 dedicated buses for the nearly 12 square mile city.
Service could start as early as next summer, if the City Commission accepts the recommendation by Royal Oak’s Transit Task Force. Voters would then be asked to approve funding in November.
A 1.25 mill tax levy would help fund the system that would cost about $4.4 million a year, with additional money coming from the state and federal government.
The buses would be shorter and smaller than the SMART buses that currently run in the city.
The task force says two thirds of Royal Oak residents said they would use public transit if it covered the entire city, was more frequent and connected to the region.
This story originally appeared in the Daily Detroit News Byte podcast.
