project. In 1985, with the half-built project in limbo, the city of Detroit negotiated with SEMTA to take over the project, and it was transferred to the newly created Detroit Transportation Corporation. 1989-2009: Reorganization as SMART, opt-out system With little interest in the suburbs for expanding mass transit and Detroit not interested in joining the system, SEMTA was restructured as SMART in 1989, reducing the authority's service area from seven counties to three and excluding the city of Detroit. In 2005, Livonia opted out of SMART, as the first, and so far only, community to leave the system since 1995. Walled Lake rejoined SMART the following year. On December 1, 2009, SMART raised its fares by $0.50. There was also a $0.50 charge added to regional monthly pass users and DDOT transfers. Fare increases were made to prevent possible cuts in bus services. 2011-2017 In October 2011, the authority cut 22% of its service and laid off 123 employees due to declining property values which fund the system through its millage, and the inability of the authority to reach an agreement with its unions. In January 2012, the Farmington City Council voted 4-1 to opt out of SMART, though they unanimously reversed their decision two weeks later. Neighboring Farmington Hills narrowly voted to remain in the system. Lathrup Village, which had opted out of SMART in 1995, rejoined the system in 2014. 2018-present: Expansion, integration, and rebranding On January 1, 2018, SMART began operating three high frequency, limited-stop FAST bus services, connecting downtown Detroit to suburban communities with frequent service. FAST represented the first major expansion of the system since the 2011 service cuts. In May 2019, SMART and DDOT unified their fare structures and introduced Dart, a common fare payment system. The QLINE joined Dart the following October. In March 2021, SMART began offering Flex, a microtransit service, in three small zones within SMART's service area, with one covering Dearborn and most of Taylor alongside portions of surrounding communities, another serving portions of Troy, and the third serving communities along M-59 in Macomb County. Two more zones were added in December 2021 and May 2022, covering Auburn Hills and Pontiac, and Farmington and Farmington Hills respectively. In February 2022, the Auburn Hills City Council voted 5-2 to opt out of SMART. The city's exit was blocked by a judge in May, and Auburn Hills remains a member as of