MDOT announces Indian Trails to provide Upper Peninsula bus service, and expand routes in Lower Peninsula

Contact: Janet Foran 517-335-7176

Agency: Transportation

November 22, 2006 - - The State Transportation Commission recently announced the selection of Indian Trails to provide intercity bus service in the Upper Peninsula starting Feb. 1, 2007. The selection of the Michigan-based bus company guarantees that bus service will continue uninterrupted once the current contract with Greyhound expires Jan. 31, 2007. In addition, Indian Trails is also adding service along the US-127 corridor connecting Lansing (and points in-between) to St. Ignace.

"Thousands of people in Michigan depend on intercity bus service to travel across the Upper Peninsula," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "When we learned that Greyhound did not wish to extend its contract, we contacted Indian Trails to request a proposal to extend its service to include the Upper Peninsula. As an existing contract carrier, and a Michigan-based company, Indian Trails was well-suited to ensure that quality intercity bus service would continue. To guarantee there would be no gap in service, our staff worked quickly to hammer out the details."

The contract will retain the existing service between St. Ignace and Ironwood (via Escanaba), and between Calumet and Milwaukee, Wis. (via Marquette). Connection to the national intercity bus network will be maintained through Milwaukee and beyond. The daytime service from Calumet (via Trenary) to Menominee will be dropped.

Service will be added in February for Alma, Mt. Pleasant, Clare, Harrison, Houghton Lake, Grayling, Gaylord, and Indian River, then connect to the Upper Peninsula service.

"Indian Trails is pleased to work with the Michigan Department of Transportation in order to maintain daily service to the Upper Peninsula. We are also excited about the new service running through the middle of the state," said Gordon Mackay, president, Indian Trails. "It is our intention to improve the level of service and be a valued transportation option for the good citizens of Michigan."

The two-year contract with Indian Trails includes an operating budget of $2.5 million, which comes from a combination of state and federal funds. Indian Trails will operate seven days per week, 365 days each year.

"Intercity bus service is a critical component of Michigan's transportation system," said Steudle. "It is economical, fuel efficient, and provides an important travel option for families, senior citizens, students, people who don't drive or are without a personal vehicle, and anyone else wanting to 'sit back and enjoy the ride' as they travel throughout the state and the country."

Indian Trails will continue to provide service in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula on state-supported routes, including Grand Rapids to St. Ignace (via Traverse City), and Bay City to St. Ignace, as well as other routes.

Greyhound will continue to provide service along major corridors such as I-94, I-96, and Flint to Toledo, Ohio (via Detroit).

For more information about these routes, contact Indian Trails at 800-292-3831, or www.indiantrails.com. A Michigan intercity bus route map - showing all the bus routes in the state as of Feb. 1, 2007 - can be viewed online.

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