Advancing Rural Mobility Program
Michigan
Summaries & Reports
August 2026
Advancing Rural Mobility Program Leaders Highlight Statewide Progress at MPTA Conference
On August 19, leaders from the Michigan Advancing Rural Mobility Program (ARMP) will present at the Michigan Public Transportation Association (MPTA) Conference at Crystal Mountain Resort.
This featured session showcased how ARMP is improving access to rural transit across Michigan through GTFS-Flex implementation, enhanced trip-planning tools, and stronger connections between rural and regional transportation networks. Since launching in 2023, the program has grown from a four-agency pilot to a statewide initiative supporting transit providers across Michigan. Key highlights included the program’s evolution and growth, key implementation lessons, and upcoming opportunities to further expand the visibility and accessibility of demand-response transportation services available.
July 2026
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.
ITS America 2026
Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) hosted its annual Conference
From June 9 to 12, 2026, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) hosted its annual Conference and Expo at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, bringing together transportation leaders, practitioners, and technology innovators to explore the future of mobility. The Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Passenger Transportation (MDOT OPT) presented the Advancing Rural Mobility Program (ARMP) during a workshop and poster session featuring seven SMART grant projects. The session highlighted ARMP’s impact through its data integration approach, from agency data provision and standardization to a centralized repository and trip planning tools, as well as key outcomes including improved data accessibility and usability, and lessons learned related to flexibility, consistency, and ongoing coordination. ARMP was also featured as an example in a panel discussion “Making the Invisible Visible – Using Open Data Standards for Public Transit,” moderated by OPT Administrator Jean Ruestman.
SMART Grantee Summit 2025
USDOT Holds Third SMART Grantee Summit
On July 30th and 31st, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) held its third SMART Grantee Summit for the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants program. The Summit was held at the U.S. DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C., with over 150 participants in attendance, including U.S. DOT leadership and subject matter experts, along with 70 SMART grant projects from 32 states and the District of Columbia.
SMART Summit 2024
USDOT Holds Second SMART Grantee Summit
On July 10th and 11th, 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) held its second SMART Grantee Summit for the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The Summit was held at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, MA with over 220 participants in attendance, including USDOT leadership and 83 SMART grant recipients from 39 states.
The Advancing Rural Mobility Program is designed to provide access to static and real-time public transit information and address the information gap by using existing and emerging open standard data specifications that work with fixed-route and demand-response services to deliver transit information to rural communities.
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