No Bus at the Station

Emmet County fights for its own public transportation

Sept. 28, 2014

Emmet County stands out for many things – beaches, farms, and skiing – but a public transportation system is not one of them.

A map of bus services around northwest Lower Michigan shows that Emmet County is the lone holdout that lacks a transit authority.

After several years of failed efforts to get a transit authority millage on the ballot, public transportation supporters plan to go back to the drawing board.

Linda Ward, senior director of hospitality services at McLaren Northern Michigan and co-chair of the nonprofit group Friends Enhancing Emmet Transit, said supporters will attempt to regroup and make another push this fall.

Advocates say current public transit leaves many without a ride and an improved system would benefit the economy.

Some county officials have yet to be convinced, however.

THE LONE HOLDOUT

When FEET sought to change the county’s lack of transportation with a referendum, Emmet county commissioners were unwilling to bring the matter up for a vote.

In 2011, FEET brought petitions to the board to show support for public transit. The following year, they released a study that described three options and how much each would cost.

Commissioner Charlie MacInnis said he doesn’t believe the board opposes public transportation.

"Right now, the county board and administrator are focusing on a couple of other issues, the funding of ambulance service in particular," MacInnis said.

MacInnes has been a commissioner and a member of the transportation committee since 2013.

Aside from FEET, he said he has not heard other constituents call for more public transportation.

MacInnes said he would support a popular vote if he was certain there was A need, but he’s not convinced.

"I don’t like to put things on the ballot that I’m not fully conversant in, supportive of and passionate about. I’m just not there," he said. "I do not want to compete with the school system [for millage dollars], for example."

SYSTEM FINE AS IT IS

Commissioner Lester Atchison has blocked public transit efforts in the past. He says the existing bus service does well serving people around Petoskey who need it most.

Atchison, who answered questions via email, said he opposes a public transportation millage because it "may put yet another stress on the struggling people who are barely making ends meet now, sometimes maybe deciding between food, medicine, rent or utilities each month."

He said he believes public buses would unfairly compete with taxis.

He also noted that people who live in rural areas usually pay lower property taxes and they can use that savings to pay for transportation.

An empty bus driving for miles on rural roads to pick up a passenger or two doesn’t make financial sense, he said.

Atchison also said he is concerned about public transit supporters’ ability to sway public opinion.

"One very troubling comment from proponents of a full blown Dial-A-Ride a few years ago, was: "˜MDOT will contribute $20,000 (trying to remember exact amount?), to EDUCATE the voters in a campaign to be successful on ballot,’" he said in his email.

CURRENT SERVICE A PATCHWORK

The bus service that already serves Petoskey is sort of a patchwork that’s focused on the southern part of the county.

The operators of the service acknowledge it doesn’t meet demand.

"I dispute the fact that there is no transportation open to the public," said Lisa Hoig, transportation director for Friendship Centers of Emmet County, which provides dial-a-ride bus service for older and disabled people.

"Anyone else can ride the bus on a timeand space-available basis," Hoig said.

That means that while there is a dial-a-ride available to everyone during certain hours, senior citizens and the disabled get priority.

"We’ve gotten more and more calls from people who aren’t senior and disabled, so the need is there," she said. "They’re looking for rides to get to work. They’re looking for rides to get to human services."

Michael Couture, director of Straits Regional Ride in Cheboygan, said people have to be patient in order to use public transit in Emmet County.

"I work very close with [Friendship Centers]," he said. "A lot of times, they are taking calls today for transportation for tomorrow and the next day because today is full."

BUS RIDES NOT AN OPTION

Straits Regional Ride is another option for people looking to get around Petoskey.

Currently, three buses per day come from Cheboygan, and for the few hours they are in Petoskey, the buses operate a local dial-a-ride service.

FEET’s 2012 report about transit options proposed that the county contract with Straits Regional to expand service in Emmet County.

Some potential riders don’t currently bother with Straits Regional buses because service is sporadic.

"I have heard of that in the past, but never really investigated because it didn’t seem like there was that much of a service," said Michael Mann, a buyer at the Grain Train Natural Foods Market who has lived without a car since he moved to Petoskey from Ann Arbor.

Mann designed his life in Petoskey around not having a car. He lives two blocks from work and is able to take care of most of his needs on foot.

"I moved up from Ann Arbor a while back and I didn’t have a car in Ann Arbor, either, but it was a lot easier down there, obviously," Mann said. "I see [better public transit] as a pretty serious need, if you think about it. The only other option you give people is cab rides, which is really, really expensive, especially if you’re going any distance."

WORKERS AND TOURISTS NEED RIDES

Better public transportation would benefit low-wage workers and visitors, said Peter Fitzsimons, executive director Petoskey Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"I’m not sure of the politics of the issue," Fitzsimons said. "I just know that you can’t arrive here and effectively move about the community without some limited choices. When they get here, there is little or no option for how they’re going to get around, other than to rent a car."

Fitzsimons believes if Emmet County leaders could come up with a plan that doesn’t cost taxpayers too much, it would benefit the region.

"They’d be surprised how many people would use it if it was efficient," he said. "It’s no fun to pay $3.63 per gallon to get to a minimum wage job. Even any job."

WHAT HAPPENED IN BENZIE

A similar showdown between public transit advocates and reluctant county commissioners played out in Benzie County a few years ago.

Ingemar Johansson, a musician and activist who was instrumental in the establishment of Benzie Bus, said it took hard work to get public transportation established.

"We ran into opposition from the commission at the time, too," Johansson said. "They said, "˜It will never work and people will never vote for it.’ That was the premise we heard a lot."

The turning point came when the group won a state grant to conduct a survey. It found 57 percent of residents wanted public transit.

"At the time there was a pretty conservative board of commissioners. We had been pleading with them, "˜Would you put this on the ballot?’" he said. "When we showed them what the public opinion was, at first a few commissioners said, "˜Well, it’s too few responses. It’s not statistically valid.’" Eventually the movement won endorsements from Crystal Mountain and Graceland Fruit.

Commissioners relented and voters approved .5 mills for Benzie Bus.

The measure passed with 57 percent of the vote, Johansson said.

"It was just amazing," he said. "I guess it depends on who the commissioners are and what their political views are, but public opinion matters to them."