Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans says he fully supports the unanimous decision by the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) board to select Assistant Wayne County Executive Khalil Rahal as the organization's new chairperson.

"Khalil is a committed champion of regional transit and mobility improvements for southeast Michigan," said Executive Evans. "He brings an understanding of our region's transportation challenges to this leadership role, and he will help position SMART as a champion of real solutions for commuters."

Rahal, whose duties with Wayne County include overseeing economic development efforts, says his first priorities as SMART Chair are to hire a new executive director for the transportation provider and to safely return service to pre-COVID levels.

"Residents who rely on SMART service to get them to work, to the doctor's office, to the grocery store," said Rahal. "It's critical that we are able to restore pre-pandemic service levels in a responsible and safe manner so that residents in SMART communities have the access to transportation they need."

Rahal, who previously served as SMART's vice-chair, says other priorities include forward-thinking investments in environmentally-friendly electric buses and promoting diversity in the work place.