New Transportation Hub Moves Riders County To County
Read more: Local, Community, Automotive, Buckley, Regional Bus Transer Center, Cadillac Wexford Transit Authority
WEXFORD COUNTY -- Monday, January 19th, the Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority is opening a new regional bus transfer center in downtown Buckley.
It’s part of their goal to provide public transportation from county to county in the Grand Traverse Region.
CWTA Director Vance Edwards says “For a lot of years we have had requests from people in this community to take them to and from different counties for healthcare and jobs."
Six months ago planning for a regional bus transfer center began. The CWTA will open it’s new hub in just a few days.
Edwards says "We can take a senior citizen from the Cadillac area for $1.50 one way to Buckley at our new regional bus transfer center and for another $1.50 we can take them up to the Grand Traverse region.”
To make the concept work, BATA has adjusted its routes to include the Buckley Regional Transfer Center.
Edwards says “This will create a couple more jobs. We're hoping this helps create more employees for employers because now we can get them to and from these places they currently couldn't get to."
While many companies and government agencies are relying on grants and federal funding to jumpstart programs, the regional bus transfer center was paid for internally.
Edwards says "We budgeted and managed for this and knew we would be able to pay it without asking for additional resources. For me that feels good.”
CWTA Administrators claim the Buckley Bus Transfer Center will most likely serve as an important transportation hub for veterans in the Grand Traverse Region when a new veteran’s medical center opens in Cadillac.
Edwards says “We don’t know where, we don’t know when. But when it happens people can use the Buckley hub to get to their medical appointments.”
The next step is for the CWTA to convince other counties like Leelanau, Benzie, and Kalkaska to also pick up routes from the new hub. In April, the transit will present the Regional Bus Transfer Center concept at a conference in Mount Pleasant.
Starting Monday, the Buckley hub will be open Monday through Friday from 7 A.M. to 5 P.M.
