March 19, 2007 - - More people are riding the bus in Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation's Bureau of Passenger Transportation. In fiscal year 2006, 93.1 million rides were provided on Michigan public transit systems, an increase of 8.4 percent over the previous year.
"Public transportation is a critical factor in providing mobility to Michigan residents," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "We attribute the rising numbers to several factors, including the ever-present issue of higher (and fluctuating) gas prices and effective local marketing efforts in larger, urban areas such as Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor."
The state's seven large urban transportation systems accounted for 78 million rides. Slightly more than half of the total number of rides in the state, or 47.9 million, were provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) or SMART buses. The People Mover rail cars provided another 2.3 million rides, a significant increase due to special events such as the Super Bowl game in February 2006.
Senior citizens and persons with disabilities accounted for 18.9 million rides, which is 20.3 percent of the total. There are 3,500 buses and vans operating in 94 systems across Michigan. Of those, 88 percent are lift- or ramp-equipped.
Michigan's 72 medium and small community systems and county-wide systems carried 13.5 million riders.
Every county in the state has some level of public transportation service.
Keep Michigan families safe this winter season: Don't Crowd the Plow!
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