Transportation officials want your feedback on how to improve public transit in the eastern Upper Peninsula They’re asking for responses on an online survey for a study on public transit in Luce, Chippewa and Mackinac Counties.
The study is looking at potential consolidation and closer cooperation between transit systems in the counties. Officials also hosted a public meeting in late July in conjunction with the survey. They have further meetings scheduled for next year.
Adrianna Jordan is with OHM Advisors, the group conducting the study with local, tribal and state transit officials. She said initial feedback shows people believe the system is too decentralized.
"In terms of the transit services not being very well coordinated with each other,” she said. “Not having a central clearinghouse for the transit services where you can go online to, for instance, one website. Or go on your mobile phone to one website and find out about all the services that are offered."
In addition, riders expressed a need for warmed bus stops for winter months, and extended hours.
“We heard about someone that said, all the transit service stops at 4 p.m. and they are getting off a plane at the airport and that plane comes in at 4:30 p.m. There's no way to take transit back to the city of Sault Saint Marie,” Jordan said.
Public feedback will be accepted until next Monday. The study will begin discussing potential improvements later this year, with a goal of completion by fall 2026. The survey can be found here.
