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.

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.

Get a free ride to the polls on election day! MAX offers FREE fixed route bus rides all day long from 6 a.m-7 p.m. on Michigan\'s four designated election days. Next election is Nov. 3. So get out and vote...and ride MAX to the polls.