HONOR, Mich. – Ridership on the Benzie Bus system boomed in 2008, reaching nearly 70,000 one-way passenger rides in its second year of service. The total reflects a 72-percent increase from 2007, when the operation began and provided just over 40,000 rides. The bus system now provides almost 6,000 one-way passenger rides a month, eclipsing what the former Benzie County Council on Aging buses were able to handle in an entire year.
The growth is such that Benzie Bus appears to be a good candidate to receive $1.6 million in federal stimulus funds it requested to build a headquarters and bus garage, and more than $500,000 sought for new buses to replace it oldest vehicles – some of which were acquired after heavy use by bus agencies elsewhere in Michigan. The bus system also is poised to receive a $190,000 federal earmark for the same purposes.
“It’s clear that there was a very large unmet need that we’re now filling, and the need has climbed as the economy has worsened,” said Susan Miller, Benzie Bus Executive Director, who is scheduling a series of presentations to local chambers of commerce, civic groups, and government regarding the bus system’s progress and plans.
“Our drivers, dispatchers, and other staff are privileged to help so many people get to work, the doctor, drug store, grocery store, and so many other places,” said Mrs. Miller, whose staff has a reputation for friendliness and whose drivers know many riders by name. “And I know we’ve brought a lot of relief to people who, due to health reasons, are unable to drive or struggle to drive at night or in rough weather.”
In the last year, Benzie Bus’s ridership was comprised of about:
- 50 percent from the general population, including many commuters and local customers.
- 30 percent from senior citizens, ages 55 and older.
- 23 percent from people with disabilities, including some seniors listed above.
Ridership rose steadily in 2008 along with the price of gasoline, as people sought an affordable alternative for getting where they needed to go. When fuel costs began to fall in late summer, however, passenger trips remained robust, suggesting that local people had found a new way to cope with Michigan’s and the nation’s economic slide.
The passenger numbers present new evidence that the Benzie Bus system is strengthening the local and regional economy, connecting people to vitally needed goods and services, and laying the groundwork for growing northwest Michigan in way that preserves its rural character and quality of life. For example, at Continental Industries in Benzonia, up to 10 employees regularly use the Benzie Bus to get to work when the company is operating at full capacity.
Local residents also have been quick to catch on to the economic advantages that Benzie Bus can deliver, helping families stretch their budgets and deal with the sometimes hectic pace of daily life. For others, including those who cannot drive, the bus remains a lifeline.
Increasingly, the bus system’s impact is being felt across the region. In 2008 Benzie Bus provided more than 7,000 one-way passenger rides to and from Traverse City, as part of its regional service that connects with BATA buses serving Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. Another nearly 900 one-way passenger rides were provided to the Manistee County line to link with that county’s bus system. It’s a reflection of the kind of increased public transportation service among cities, villages, and counties that thousands of people called for during The Grand Vision, a six-county public-private planning process that Benzie County commissioners helped fund.
Benzie Bus hopes to take a major step toward that regional vision this year with the construction of a headquarters facility, for which the bus system has requested $1.6 million in federal stimulus funds. The location likely would be along U.S. 31 corridor, and could include remodeling and retrofitting an existing building at a much lower cost than new construction.
The facility would serve as the bus system’s dispatch and maintenance center and bus garage, as well as a transfer point for some riders and a possible park-and-ride lot for commuters. The bus system’s Board of Directors envisions using renewable energy and “green” building practices where possible in the project, while creating local construction jobs. Additional federal stimulus funds could add up to eight new buses to the fleet, replacing some of the older vehicles.
Currently, Benzie Bus rents a small administrative space on U.S. 31 in rural Honor, conducts maintenance without the availability of adequate lift equipment, and parks its buses outside overnight in all seasons. The new headquarters could save taxpayers money through more efficient operations, and also with the prospect of combining Benzie Bus’ maintenance with that of other local entities that run buses, such as the school districts.
In 2008 Benzie Bus also felt the effects of the economic downturn, as the strong increase in ridership and diesel fuel prices combined to strain its $1.4 million budget, about half of which comes from the 0.50 mil property tax approved for five years by voters in August 2006 and half from state and federal funds, mostly gasoline taxes. To cope, the bus system in 2008:
- Raised one-way passenger fares 50 percent to $3 for the full fare and $1.50 for the discounted fare for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and children 12 and under.
- Continued the bulk buying of fuel in partnership with the Benzie County Road Commission.
- Initiated express bus routes on U.S. 31 and M-115, which encourage passengers to start trips at main bus stops instead of solely relying on more costly dial-a-ride service to their curb.
- Divided the county into six zones and began requiring a transfer, for those who are physically able, to the more efficient express route to reach another zone, reducing fuel used and miles traveled by the buses.
The Benzie Bus system employs 25 full-time and 10 part-time employees and currently operates 20 wheelchair lift-equipped buses year-round, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information, or to schedule a ride, the public is encouraged to call Benzie Bus at 231-325-3000.
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