Michigan Public Transit Association

Congratulations to Kelly Dunham and the whole team at Bay Area Transportation Authority on the official dedication of their new operations center! This facility brings together several previously-disjointed functions under one modern, sustainable roof. The transit facility is also being paired with a new workforce housing development to help meet two key needs for the growing Traverse City area. Thanks to MDOT's Jean Ruestman, FTA's Ajay Garg, Rep. Betsy Coffia, and other guests for commemorating this accomplishment, and thanks for including MPTA in the day.

Did you know? You can schedule a ride online from your desktop computer, laptop or tablet 💻 Visit https://lnkd.in/gCdREjK6 to try it out! You can also schedule a ride by using the Lakeshore Go mobile app on your smartphone, or call us at 616-842-3200 📞 We hope to see you on board soon!

We congratulate Clark Harder on the occasion of his official retirement from Michigan Public Transit Association today! Clark has been extremely busy in finishing things up, including preparing for the statewide annual conference, organizing a final training workshop AND a search for a new training coordinator, helping to develop an annual budget, and MORE as he worked to hand things over. We are so grateful to Clark for his 25+ years of service to MPTA and wish him the best as he shifts to a new phase in his professional and personal lives. Join us in thanking Clark and wishing him well!

We finished our UP Transit Tour in the Soo area with a group outing to beautiful Tahquamenon Falls (and the great brewery on-site). Thanks to our friends at the Sault Dial-a-Ride for organizing! The next morning, the Michigan Public Transit Association's board was hosted for a meeting and tour of the new Eastern UP Transit Authority (EUPTA) building. EUPTA operates regional bus service in Luce and Chippewa Counties, as well as ferry service to Sugar, Neebish, and Drummond Islands. Transit can take many forms! Thanks to all our members who traveled to join in these meetings and once again demonstrated their commitment to advancing public transportation in Michigan.

The Michigan Public Transit Association UP transit tour continued yesterday and today! We met with transit leaders from the City of Houghton and City Of Hancock, who are serving their unique sister communities with rides to work, school, medical appointments, shopping, and more. We then journeyed all the way to Ironwood, Michigan's western-most city, to visit with Gogebic County Transit director Jim Oliver. This morning brought a beautiful sunrise over the famous black rocks of the City of Marquette, MI, and a fantastic visit by Rep. Jennifer Hill to Marquette County Transit Authority. Thanks to the Representative for taking the time to tour and learn more about opportunities for local public transit, and to Bill Geller for hosting!

The Michigan Public Transit Association is on the road this week to the beautiful Upper Peninsula to visit with local transit agencies, legislators, Michigan Department of Transportation staff, and others! Thanks to John Stapleton of Delta Area Transit Authority for hosting Rep. Dave Prestin for a tour and conversation yesterday, and to Erich Fix at Alger Public Transit for starting the day off with an update on Altran's work in the home of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. More updates to come!

It was a great day to visit with some fantastic Michigan Public Transit Association members across southwest Michigan, including Van Buren Public Transit, Niles Dial-a-Ride (featuring special guest Rep. Brad Paquette), and Allegan County Transportation. These agencies are leaders in providing essential rides for workers, students, seniors, and individuals with mobility challenges. We had great conversations about opportunities to ensure state funding and facilitate best practices. Thanks to Stacy Todd, Whitney Ehresman, and Dan Wedge for hosting me in Allegan County!

Who can ride Harbor Transit? Everyone can! People of all ages, from all walks of life, going to hundreds of different destinations… you are welcome on board. Call us at 616-842-3200 to schedule a ride or download the Lakeshore Go app. www.harbortransit.org

Michael Brown, executive director of the JATA - Jackson Area Transportation Authority (JATA), describes it as the worst day of his life. Late last year, a hacker unleashed a vicious cyberattack on JATA, accessing virtually every computer and IT system at the agency, wiping out or corrupting all their files and data. Michael will share the valuable lessons his agency has learned so that you can avoid a similar nightmare. Join the Michigan Department of Transportation on an upcoming Tech Talk on Tuesday, September 17th at 1:00pm to hear more! https://lnkd.in/gmiFeQrH

American bus manufacturing has been a huge challenge, with delivery delays and cost increases hitting Michigan transit agencies hard. This recent podcast episode is worth your listen to better understand the issue!