We are excited to launch the first ever podcast for the Royal Oak Michigan Chamber of Commerce, "The ROCC Pod!" This will be a unique podcast with an all-star cast of hosts. Join us, as we get to know our Royal Oak Chamber members on a more personal level. Want to be featured as a guest on our show? Email us! theroccpod@gmail.com

&lt;p&gt;In this episode of the ROCC Pod, Jon Gay talks with Tiffany Gunter, General Manager and CEO of SMART Bus, about the role public transportation plays in Southeast Michigan and how SMART is working to improve service, access, and perception across the region. Tiffany starts by sharing her career path, which began outside of public service in retail and automotive before a job posting for urban planning led her to SEMCOG. That opened the door to transit work, including time with the Regional Transit Authority, city management in Birmingham, and eventually SMART.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation)  serves Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, along with parts of Detroit, through fixed-route buses, paratransit service, community transportation partners, and Flex microtransit. The Flex service works more like Uber or Lyft, giving riders curb-to-curb service through an app. It helps solve the first-mile and last-mile challenge, especially in a region where people may live too far from a bus stop to walk comfortably. Pontiac has been one of the strongest examples, with SMART reaching one million Flex rides across its five pilot zones.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;SMART is also launching free rides for students beginning May 1. That includes K through 12 students, college and university students, and apprenticeship programs. Tiffany says the program is not just about giving away service. It helps families, builds ridership, and teaches the next generation how to use public transportation. She also explains that higher ridership helps SMART draw more state and federal funding.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;The conversation also covers SMART’s connection to Royal Oak. Tiffany says Royal Oak has long been a strong transit partner, with a major transit center and access to Amtrak. SMART is preparing a facility assessment through an architectural and engineering contract, and Tiffany sees an opportunity to rethink what the Royal Oak Transit Center could become.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;Tiffany also talks about the cultural challenge of promoting transit in the Motor City. She says the lack of strong regional transit is not just about car culture or the auto industry. It is also tied to missed political opportunities, regional disagreement, and the fact that Southeast Michigan’s road network gives drivers many options. Still, younger generations are less attached to driving, which creates a chance to build new habits.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;SMART is also focused on performance. Tiffany describes the “Down with OTP” campaign, a play on Naughty By Nature, where OTP means on-time performance. SMART improved from 62% to 76%, with a goal of 85%. Drivers now track garage-by-garage leaderboards, and Tiffany says the competition has helped build pride and better service. She also points to Wi-Fi, cleaner shelters, ADA improvements, and a 40% ridership increase on Woodward and Gratiot between February 2025 and February 2026.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;The episode closes with Tiffany sharing how martial arts shaped her leadership style, how her mother became her best friend and source of strength, and how SMART is using social media and augmented reality to help more people understand the system before they even step on a bus.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;Smart Bus Website: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smartmovesus.org&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.smartmovesus.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;(00:00) Intro&lt;br&gt; 
 (03:22) What SMART Bus is and how it serves the region&lt;br&gt; 
 (05:20) How Flex microtransit works&lt;br&gt; 
 (07:22) Free rides for students beginning May 1&lt;br&gt; 
 (09:41) SMART’s connection to Royal Oak&lt;br&gt; 
 (11:41) Promoting transit in the Motor City&lt;br&gt; 
 (14:52) Younger generations and changing attitudes about driving&lt;br&gt; 
 (19:34) SMART’s on-time performance campaign&lt;br&gt; 
 (26:40) SMART website, social media, and augmented reality&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn more about the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.royaloakchamber.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.royaloakchamber.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with our host:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jon Gay from JAG in Detroit Podcasts - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jagindetroit.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.jagindetroit.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href=&quot;https://pcm.adswizz.com&quot;&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;

The ROCC Pod: Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce

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