The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Milan Transit hands over some routes
Whitmore Lake-based company to provide rides for Milan Transit
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 18, 2007
A transportation company based in Whitmore Lake has agreed to assume servicing some of Milan Public Transit's ridership starting Feb. 1.
Advertisement
People's Express will begin providing low-fare subsidized rides for special-needs passengers, such as the handicapped, and take over servicing Historic Union School in Saline and Saline Community Education the first of next month.
Milan Public Transit will continue to service residents of the cities of Milan and Saline, said Milan City Administrator Dan Bishop.
"This is really more efficient," said Bishop, who has been in talks with People's Express, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, and the Michigan Department of Transportation for months trying to broker a deal to help reduce the city's subsidization of the department.
Bishop said details of the arrangement have not been finalized, but he expects Milan Public Transit's 10 drivers to have reduced hours and the current fleet of nine buses to be downsized. People's Express will use its own buses and drivers to service riders, said People's Express Transportation Director Wes Armbruster.
"The procedures will all stay the same for riders," he said. "There will be no change in service, no interruption in service and no change in fare structure."
Milan Public Transit currently provides curb-to-curb service to those who do not have access to or cannot operate a private vehicle. The service, which runs many times a week to shopping malls and can be ordered for door-to-door service, principally aids the elderly and disabled. Fares range from $1 to $3.75.
Armbruster estimated People's Express, which has 14 buses and vans, will initially provide about 200 rides per week, including servicing Union School and Saline Community Education.
"Once we evaluate how things are going, we hope to expand services," said Armbruster, adding that People's Express already operates in 10 surrounding townships, including York, Pittsfield, Scio, Superior, and Ypsilanti.
Residents of the townships are eligible to apply for a grant that if they qualify would allow them to ride for $1. Grant applications are available by calling People's Express at 1-734-216-6073. There are no age requirements.
"We're happy to take anyone," Armbruster said.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
Staff Blog, "Inside The Newsroom"
TOP JOBS
