KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – A consultant’s report is expected to be presented in March that will give recommendations on how Kalamazoo area public transit operator Metro has can better serve passengers.
Metro has already invested at least $500,000 to introduce a new service. Micro transit will operate as an on-demand ride-sharing service like Uber and Lyft.
Metro Executive Director Sean McBride says further details on the fleet, exact pricing, and number of jobs this will create have yet to be determined. But he says the big question is whether it could impact riders who routinely use the bus to get where they need to go.
McBride tells WOOD TV-8 that bus routes with high ride volumes like those along Westnedge Avenue, Sprinkle Road, and Portage Road will not be changed, but the new micro transit service could be a better fit for those areas that are not as busy.
McBride added if the micro transit service turns out to be successful, Metro will reassess how it balances operations among its other three services.
Plans and other suggestions are not final, since the comprehensive operational analysis won’t be finished until the end of March. A pilot for the micro transit service is expected to be launched near fall of 2024.
Comments