For Immediate Release
July 6, 2011

Contact:

James Bruckbauer, Transportation Policy Specialist
Michigan Land Use Institute
Phone: 231-941-6584 ext. 32 • Fax: 231-929-0937
Email: james@mlui.org • Web site: www.mlui.org

Traverse City —Riding the bus in northwest Lower Michigan just got easier.

The Michigan Land Use Institute and its transit partners have published an attractive brochure listing all bus routes connecting Traverse City with six surrounding counties. It lists exact times and locales for boarding buses serving dozens of cities and villages.

The brochure solves the problem of finding bus routes that travel across county lines.

"Our brochure makes those county lines disappear,” said James Bruckbauer, MLUI’s transportation policy specialist. “Wherever you are, it tells you how to get to where you want to go. It’s the first step seamlessly coordinating many different bus lines."  

The schedule is a product of MLUI, The Grand Vision Transit Subcommittee, and the region’s five transit agencies: Kalkaska Public Transit Authority, Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority, Benzie Bus, ACT-Antrim County Transportation, and BATA, which serves Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties.

A 2009 BATA study found that the more information people have about route times and locations, they more likely they’ll ride the bus. Most people don’t know, for example, that it’s fairly easy to take the bus from Traverse City to, say, Empire Beach or other destinations—and that it’s often cheaper than taking a car.

"This regional schedule is a great example of how agencies can share information in a handy format that enables individuals to stretch their transportation options beyond one county bus system’s service areas," said Benzie Bus Director Sue Miller

The schedule moves the bus agencies closer to what Grand Vision participants said they want: more transportation options that better connect cities and villages. Better public transportation increases economic development and can improve quality of life.

Bob Sutherland, owner of Cherry Republic, which has stores in Traverse City and Glen Arbor, said the new publication would make public transit more accessible for everyone.

“As a big believer in having lots of transportation options, I find this very valuable,” Mr. Sutherland said. “Anything that makes it easier to the ride bus is good.”

To view an online version of the schedule, please visit www.mlui.org/nwtransit

About the Institute
The Michigan Land Use Institute is an independent, nonprofit research, educational, and service organization founded in 1995. More than 3,000 households, businesses, and organizations have joined the Institute in support of its mission to establish an approach to economic development that strengthens communities, enhances opportunity, and protects Michigan's unmatched natural resources.