DDOT, SMART bus riders to use new app for digital passes

Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
A lawsuit has been filed against the city of Detroit and others in the fatal crash that took the life of 67-year-old Janice Bauer in June. Bauer was struck and killed by a Detroit Department of Transportation bus as she crossed the street in a crosswalk.

Bus riders in metro Detroit are being asked to use a new smartphone app called Token Transit for purchasing mobile transit passes.

Token Transit will serve both Detroit Department of Transportation and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation users and will replace the current Dart app “powered by Passport.” DDOT and SMART are the main bus services in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

When is the change coming?

The current app is being phased out after Feb. 28. “While riders can still buy 24-hour and 4-hour passes on either the Dart app or Token Transit, 31-day and 7-day passes can only be purchased via Token (Transit). Any already purchased, unused passes in a rider’s Passport wallet will be transferred to Token Transit by March 1,” according to a news release. To avoid delays, riders are encouraged to download the Token Transit app by March 1.

How does it work?

After downloading the Token Transit app on an iPhone or Android phone, users create an account and buy transit passes, which vary in cost depending on what level of pass is purchased, and show the bus driver a pass on their phone as they board.

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Is Dart going away?

No, the unified payment system used by DDOT and SMART is not going away and is accessed through the new app. The app used to purchase digital transit passes is just changing. DDOT and SMART have not announced any other changes to the way riders typically purchase bus passes.

Why was the change made?

“The change to Token Transit will simplify purchasing passes and allow passengers to board quicker at stops. Furthermore, Token Transit is a major upgrade for those visiting the Detroit area in terms of traveling by plane, train or cross-country bus. The influx of major events coming to Detroit positions SMART to accommodate (tourists) familiar with the Token Transit app to purchase passes easily, quickly and affordably,” SMART General Manager Dwight Ferrell said in the release.

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DDOT Executive Director of Transit C. Mikel Oglesby said Token Transit “will be an excellent partner for digital ticketing and other technology upgrades in the years to come.” Oglesby noted that “as more and more of our ridership goes digital, we are working hard to be at the forefront of providing service to our riders where they are.”

Will Token Transit provide support?

Yes, “Token Transit has committed to providing technical support to DDOT and SMART riders at www.tokentransit.com/sl/how-to-ride-video, via the ‘Help’ section in the app’s settings, the FAQ section at support.tokentransit.com, texting (or calling) 415-918-6628, or calling 415-918-6536,” the release said.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DDOT, SMART switching to Token Transit for digital bus passes