News - Events - MAX

(Holland, Mich.) Sept. 30, 2008 – Holland area residents who have places to go in the evening but no transportation will now have the option of riding the bus. The Macatawa Area Express (MAX) Transportation Authority begins offering its “Night Owl” reserved ride service from 7 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Saturdays.

The service offers call-ahead reserved rides only after the regular fixed bus routes end at 7 p.m. Passengers must call in to reserve their ride by 4 p.m. the day prior to travel. Reservations are being handled on a first-come, first served basis. One way fares are $3 for adults and half-fare cardholders, and $1 for seniors, children and ADA cardholders.

“Area residents have consistently requested evening bus service, but our transit millage is insufficient to fund the cost of operating our fixed route buses at night,” explains Sherri Betz, MAX’s marketing specialist. “Offering Reserve-A-MAX in the evening will at least give residents the option of riding the bus home from work, or attending evening social or school functions.”

Betz admits that it is possible that demand for night service will exceed capacity, but that this is a good start and will help transit officials gauge the demand for service.

The new evening service is made possible by a $55,000 New Freedom Grant from the Federal Transportation Administration to fund one driver and one bus until midnight. MAX must match the grant with a $55,000 local contribution.

MAX’s policy of allowing able-bodied adults to use the demand response service is an anomaly. The transit systems in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Kalamazoo do not offer reserved ride service for adults unless they have a disability.

Inbound Route 6 and outbound Route 7 have been detoured due to severe road damage caused by heaving flooding and storms on June 19 that washed out sections of pavement and road. Portions of 24th Street are closed as is Lincoln between 16th and 24th Streets. Passengers are advised to note these changes, effective immediately.
Route 6 INBOUND detour:
• Waverly north to 24th St.
• West on 24th over US 31 to Apple Ave.
• South on Apple Ave. to 32nd St.
• 32nd St. west to Lincoln Ave.
• Lincoln Ave. north to 24th St.
• West on 24th to Columbia
• North on Columbia to 16th
• North on Fairbanks to resume normal inbound route to transfer center

Route 7 OUTBOUND detour:
• Lincoln south to 16th
• West on 16th to Columbia
• South on Columbia to 24th
• East on 24th to Lincoln
• South on Lincoln to resume normal outbound route

Passengers using the bus stop at Lincoln/24th-Urban Youth Center (:06) are advised to use the bus stop at 24th and Columbia. Questions regarding these route detours are advised to contact MAX customer service at (616) 355-1010.

(Holland, MI) July 6, 2009 – The Macatawa Area Express (MAX) Transportation Authority is doing what it can to buy local to help the lakeshore economy. MAX has taken delivery of a new 2010 Ford Hybrid Fusion 14 SEL as a staff service vehicle from a local car dealership and is having graphic decals applied by a local business.

The Fusion Hybrid was purchased from RE Barber Ford of Holland for $27,548. A Request for Proposals was sent to six area dealerships, and RE Barber Ford was awarded the sale in a competitive bid process. The vehicle was purchased with federal and state capital grants that MAX receives annually.

“Whenever possible, we try to funnel the federal, state and local taxpayer dollars received by MAX right back into the community by purchasing goods and services from local businesses,” said Sherri Betz, MAX marketing specialist. “The MAX Board also felt very strongly that we purchase a hybrid vehicle, which is consistent with our long range vision of creating a sustainable transit system.”

The silver Fusion Hybrid is a standard four-door mid-sized sedan that will be used by MAX staff for official business. It is equipped with a 2.5L 14 HEV engine with E-CVT automatic transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electrochromatic mirrors, regenerative braking system, and eco-friendly cloth seats. The estimated combined fuel economy for the Hybrid is 39 mpg.

Graphics Pro of Holland was selected to produce and apply MAX logo decals to the side doors so that the vehicle is identifiable as an official MAX vehicle.

(Holland, MI) July 6, 2009 – Most residents from Eastern Ottawa County communities are overwhelmingly supportive of increased public transit services in their communities and would support a millage to fund transportation services, according to the second phase of a study being conducted by Disability Network/Lakeshore.

Disability Network/Lakeshore last fall began conducting a study of unmet transportation needs of residents in Allendale, Blendon, Georgetown/Jenison, and Jamestown Townships and the City of Hudsonville.

Funded by a $99,897 Service Development and New Technologies grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation, the three-party study is designed to identify unmet transportation needs in Eastern Ottawa County, determine the impact of those unmet needs on residents and the communities, and to identify key messages for communicating the value of public transportation.

Hudsonville Mayor Don VanDoeselaar, who serves on the Eastern Ottawa Transit Study Workgroup, said the results of the study were helpful in verifying a real need for transportation in communities not served by public transit systems.

“The results that we have collected thus far have helped us understand that there is a need for public transportation in Eastern Ottawa County,” he said. “The study clearly demonstrates that people need transportation to and from medical and employment-related trips. It is really important that as we conclude this study and think about the future of our communities that we understand just how important public transportation is.”

The second phase of the study, which began in April, involved surveying 1,000 residents from the Eastern Ottawa County communities to gauge their need and support for public transit, familiarity with various transit systems, and identify messages for communicating the importance of public transportation.

Two-thirds (75%) of respondents said they were either very or somewhat supportive of public transportation services in Eastern Ottawa County, and 62% indicated they were supportive of a millage to fund transportation services. Nearly 500 residents added their names to a list of public transit supporters to be shared with their local officials.

The survey also found that the Rapid was the most well-known transit system among respondents, followed by Georgetown Seniors.

The first phase of the study began in the fall of 2008. Residents of Eastern Ottawa County with unmet transportation needs were interviewed. Of those interviewed, about one-third of those with unmet needs were seniors, 21% were prevented from finding, getting or keeping a job for lack of transportation, and just over half said their need was medical-related.

The final phase of the study will commence this fall, and involves preparing a presentation for elected officials from the communities included in the study. The presentation will educate local officials about the unmet transportation needs of their residents and encourage them to create a workgroup to develop a recommendations and an action plan to address those needs.

MAX will be conducting its annual passenger survey September 1-11, 2009 on all of its fixed routes. Passengers will be asked about their use of the fixed routes, routes used, service performance, driver courtesy, and demographic information. The survey will be tabulated and the results shared with the Authority Board. The survey will measure customer satisfaction with the fixed routes, and identify opportunities for improvement. The survey will be available in English and Spanish, and also may be completed online at MAX\'s website.

The MAX Transportation Authority Board at its August 24, 2009 monthly meeting voted unanimously to hire its own employees to operate the transit system rather than using contracted service providers, beginning July 1, 2010. MAX\'s contract with MV Transportation expires on June 30, 2010, and the board decided not to opt for an extension or issue a Request for Proposals to select another service provider.

This decision means that all operational staff, including drivers and supervisors, will be employees of the Authority. Much work needs to be done between now and July 1 to make the changeover. MV Transportation employees will have the opportunity to apply for the jobs with the Authority, and the Authority has expressed an interest in rehiring MV Transportation employees to run the transit system.

The Authority will continue to contract with the City of Holland for support services, including financial/payroll, human relations, technology services, and legal assistance.

The Authority\'s move to have its own employees manage operations could potentially save $422,000 over five years and would allow the Authority to have better control over cost efficiencies and the level of service provided to passengers.

At the August 24 meeting, the Board also voted to continue to levy a millage at .35 mills to operate the system. This is .5 mills less than what it is legally entitled to levy as voters approved a millage of up to .4 mills. The Board approved a $4.2 million budget for fiscal year 2010, which begins October 1, 2009.

In other news, the Board also announced that MAX will receive three federal New Freedom Grants totalling $322,000. The funding will be used to continue MAX\'s \"Night Owl\" reserved ride service from 7 p.m. to midnight, purchase GPS mobile data computers for buses in the fleet, and coordinate a Mobility Management study for transportation services in Ottawa County.

(Holland, Mich.) Sept. 30, 2008 – Holland area residents who have places to go in the evening but no transportation will now have the option of riding the bus. The Macatawa Area Express (MAX) Transportation Authority begins offering its “Night Owl” reserved ride service from 7 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Saturdays.

The service offers call-ahead reserved rides only after the regular fixed bus routes end at 7 p.m. Passengers must call in to reserve their ride by 4 p.m. the day prior to travel. Reservations are being handled on a first-come, first served basis. One way fares are $3 for adults and half-fare cardholders, and $1 for seniors, children and ADA cardholders.

“Area residents have consistently requested evening bus service, but our transit millage is insufficient to fund the cost of operating our fixed route buses at night,” explains Sherri Betz, MAX’s marketing specialist. “Offering Reserve-A-MAX in the evening will at least give residents the option of riding the bus home from work, or attending evening social or school functions.”

Betz admits that it is possible that demand for night service will exceed capacity, but that this is a good start and will help transit officials gauge the demand for service.

The new evening service is made possible by a $55,000 New Freedom Grant from the Federal Transportation Administration to fund one driver and one bus until midnight. MAX must match the grant with a $55,000 local contribution.

MAX’s policy of allowing able-bodied adults to use the demand response service is an anomaly. The transit systems in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Kalamazoo do not offer reserved ride service for adults unless they have a disability.