Advancing Rural Mobility Team Highlights Michigan Progress at USDOT SMART Grantee Summit



In July, team members from the Advancing Rural Mobility Program (ARMP) attended the 2026 United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grantee Summit at USDOT headquarters in Washington, D.C. The event convened SMART grant recipients from across the country to share project updates, discuss implementation challenges, and explore opportunities to scale innovative technologies.

The ARMP team presented a poster session showcasing the program's progress in improving transit service discoverability across Michigan and supporting rural agencies through technology-driven mobility solutions. The session allowed the team to share project accomplishments, discuss implementation lessons learned and engage with USDOT leadership, federal transportation partners, technical experts, and fellow SMART grantees from around the nation. Discussions generated valuable feedback, fostered peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and highlighted ARMP’s collaborative approach to advancing mobility solutions for rural communities. 

Janet Geissler of the Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Passenger Transportation (MDOT OPT), Jillian Otten of HNTB, and Dan Mihalov of HNTB showcase the program during the USDOT SMART Grantee Summit poster session.

A photo of the poster shared by the ARMP team during the summit’s poster session.

Partner Agency Spotlight: Thunder Bay Transportation Authority

As one of the initial agencies participating in the first phase of ARMP, the Thunder Bay Transportation Authority (TBTA) provides public transportation services throughout Alpena, Alcona, and Montmorency counties, as well as portions of Presque Isle County. TBTA offers fixed-route and paratransit transit options, along with specialized transportation for seniors and veterans.

A photo of the TBTA fleet in the TBTA bus garage.

TBTA offers rides from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as Dial-A-Ride services within Alpena. For a complete list of TBTA’s services and fares, visit ThunderBayTransportation.com. 

Upcoming Tech Talks

Moving from Reactive to Predictive: Unifying Transit Data Silos with AI

September 15, 2026 - 10-11 a.m. ET

Transit leadership often faces the challenge of answering critical operational questions using data trapped across incompatible vendor systems. This presentation by John Maglio of ETA Transit explores how an AI-powered Transit Operating System unifies disparate data streams—such as CAD/AVL, maintenance, and scheduling—into immediate, actionable insights. Attendees will see how asking plain-English questions replaces poring through endless reports, while providing a framework for predictive AI to spot anomalies and recommend actions before minor issues turn into major service disruptions.

If you would like to receive an invitation to the Tech Talks, contact Janet Geissler at GeisslerJ1@Michigan.gov.

Stay Connected

The Advancing Rural Mobility Program is expanding statewide and welcoming new transit agencies. Participating agencies receive hands-on support to publish General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)-Flex data that connects with the MiTripPlanner tool, making services more accessible to riders. For more information on the program, visit MiRuralMobility.org.

By working together to keep service information visible, accurate, and accessible, we are building a stronger, more connected transit system that benefits riders statewide.



Please get in touch with MDOT Project Manager Sherry Vandevender at VandevenderS@Michigan.gov or Jillian Otten at JOtten@HNTB.com with any questions or comments.