The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA) was established by Public Act No. 387 of 2012. RTA plans, funds, coordinates, and accelerates regional transit services, projects, and programs in Southeast Michigan, which comprises all of Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties, including the City of Detroit. Within these roles, RTA is responsible for leading regional transit planning, developing and implementing new services, allocating federal and state funding to transit service operators, and securing new regional funding sources for public transit.
Serving a unique role in the region, RTA pools resources and generates ideas to solve decades-long public transit challenges in Southeast Michigan and tackles difficult shared problems that riders have identified as deficiencies in the regional network. By plugging these gaps, RTA advances transit as a more equitable, reliable, and inviting mode of transportation for all people in the region and paves the way for future shared mobility developments.
The Mobility 4 All (M4A) program is a regional initiative by RTA to improve transit, with a focus on people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with limited incomes. This program aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability or income, has access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation services to get where they need to go in the four-county region.
We are in the process of updating the M4A Plan. Take our survey now! Click here to find a link to upcoming events.
What We Do
To accomplish our mission the RTA plans for and coordinates public transportation in the four-county region of Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne. It is the entity through which transit providers must apply for funds through the Federal Government and the State of Michigan.
RTA’s mission is to manage and secure transportation resources that significantly enhance mobility options, to improve quality of life for the residents and to increase economic viability for the region
The RTA is responsible for developing and annually updating a Regional Master Transit Plan (RMTP) to guide present and future service (20-year horizon) and is empowered to put funding questions on the ballot for public vote.
The RTA also conducts planning and coordination studies with the public transit providers in our region, including:
- Ann Arbor Area Transit Authority
- Detroit Department of Transportation
- Detroit People Mover
- Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit
2019 Priorities
✓ Updating the Regional Master Transit Plan.
✓ Developing a single Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan for the region.
✓Rolling out a pilot project aimed at creating a mobile booking solution for seniors and individuals for disabilities.
✓Pursuing legislative changes to our enabling statute that will provide the RTA with more flexibility to implement the Master Plan.