DETROIT (WWJ) -- Transit riders in Detroit can now use the new Dart mobile app to pay for transit passes, as officials are aiming to make public transit more accessible and easier to use.
The new app, which was rolled out Wednesday, is a unified payment system the allows passes to be purchased for all Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) fixed bus routes, as well as the QLine streetcar.
The Dart app is powered by Passport, the company behind the Park Detroit mobile app.
All transit riders have to do is download the Dart app and create an account with payment information. Users can then buy the passes directly from their phones with four different options:
- 4-hour pass -- $2 / $0.50 reduced rate
- 24-hour pass -- $5 / $2 reduced rate
- 7-day pass -- $22 / $10 reduced rate
- 31-day pass -- $70 / $29 reduced rate
All fares are the same for DDOT, SMART and QLINE. Reduced fares require a valid Pass Card, Medicare Card or other ID to verify eligibility, according to the app.
"Today is a big step towards making it easier to ride transit in the Detroit region," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. "The Dart mobile app is another demonstration of DDOT, SMART, and QLINE leadership and staff working together to improve the transit experience for our residents."
Users can download the Dart app from the App Store or Google Play store and can visit thedartapp.com for more information.
DDOT has 48 fixed bus routes -- including 11 24-hour routes and six express routes -- connecting riders in neighborhoods across Detroit and to neighboring cities. The DDOT website says they have an average daily ridership of 85,000 riders.
