Services will improve efficiency, bring cost savings.
Battle Creek Transit has service changes coming in July to Rolling Hills/Bedford Manor and the Emmett Street area, to improve efficiency, and see some cost savings.
The Public Transportation Committee approved both changes at its May 26 meeting.
*First, Transit will decrease the frequency of Saturday service provided by both the West Michigan (1W) and Emmett-East Avenue (2E) bus routes. Instead of a dedicated vehicle operating each route individually, service on Saturday will follow the current Monday through Friday schedule.
The move will save about $50,000 per year, and staff believe it will be less confusing to passengers. This will begin July 11, the first Saturday in July that Transit operates (there is no service on July 4).
Currently, the Saturday vehicle serves less than one passenger per trip, but costs $800 per Saturday to operate.
*Second, Transit will discontinue the dedicated, six-times-daily van service to Rolling Hills and Bedford Manor. This service takes up about three hours of Tele-Transit time; Tele-Transit is in high demand, with about 250 trips denied each month because it has reached capacity.
The average ridership of the dedicated service was less than seven one-way trips per week, with zero ridership on several days. A better use of the Tele-Transit hours will be for those riders to book Tele-Transit trips. This also will give riders more flexibility of times. The fare will be consistent with current Tele-Transit fares, and staff encourage riders to apply for reduced fare, if eligible.
This change begins July 1.
Please call Transit staff at 269-966-3474 for more information or, as always, for help planning your trip.