Update, January 25th 2024: Following persistent pressure from both riders and mall workers, SMART and Twelve Oaks management have announced they are close to reaching an agreement! Stay tuned for more information in the coming months as the necessary legal proceedings are conducted to grant SMART property access.
Thank you to everyone who emailed, spoke with staff and person, and shared our action alert with other riders on social media. One of Metro Detroit’s largest shopping centers will now be accessible to all of the region’s transit riders thanks to your efforts.
In light of this news, we’ve removed the email form from this page. The rest of the original call to action can be read below.
On Monday, September 11th, SMART launched the first bus service extensions powered by the Oakland Transit millage voters passed last November. This included three fixed-route bus extensions into Novi: route 305 (Grand River), route 740 (Twelve Mile), and route 805, a commuter express.
Despite voter support and rider interest, Twelve Oaks Mall management is refusing to allow SMART on property. Patrons and employees riding transit must walk on grass and across busy roads with no crosswalks to reach the mall.
We need your help convincing management and the mall’s anchor tenants to bring the bus to the door. TRU is working to push this conversation forward, but the mall needs to hear from you — the transit riders and workforce.
Here are some talking points to get you started; we encourage you to add your own experiences and share how safe, reliable bus service will benefit you.
- The majority of Novi residents are in favor of expanded transit (15,961 YES votes, 59% of overall voters). They expect to be able to get where they need to go safely.
- Other malls in Metro Detroit rely on transit for employee recruitment and continued growth. Great Lakes Crossing – which Taubman also owns and operates – is served by both SMART and Flint MTA. The bus stop at this mall is on property, with a heated shelter and a connecting sidewalk to the entrance.
- Before this service extension, employees who rely on SMART walked to Twelve Oak from Haggerty, over a mile, risking their safety daily to do so. Mall management has an opportunity to close this gap for the first time; their refusal to do so suggests a lack of interest in the safety of their workers.
