Bus fares remain at lower rates for now

Fares to ride the Interurban Transit Authority buses in Laketown Township will remain the same for now.

The rates remain at $1 for adults and 50 cents for children and seniors through March 2026.

“We believe it is essential for the Interurban Transit Authority to regulate fares for our riders, as we are a non-profit public transportation service dedicated to serving the community,” said Becky Carten-Crandell, executive director of the Interurban Transit Authority, in a letter to township Supervisor Steven Ringelberg on Oct. 27, 2025.

Covering costs

Current rates do not pay for the costs of running the bus service in Laketown Township, so the township has been picking up some of what the fares do not cover.

On Oct. 8, the township board agreed to pay the Interurban $7.50 for each ride the Interurban provides in Laketown to seniors or disabled, and $6 for each ride provided to children 12 and younger. The board, however, voted to pay zero to the Interurban for rides provided to adults. The Laketown board assumed that the Interurban would increase its fares for children and adults in Laketown but the Interurban would like to maintain consistent pricing throughout its service area.

Those increased fares would have been $8 for adults and $2 for children.

A flat fee

Carten-Crandell said the Interurban Transit Authority is proposing a flat fee of $4,100 a month to cover services through March 30, 2026.

In May the township paid $5,831 for 833 pick-ups and drop-offs. In June, the township paid $5,824 for the 832 stops. In July, the township paid $5,929 for the 847 stops. In August, the township paid $4,018 for 574 stops.  In September, the township paid $4,305 for 615 stops.

The Interurban is proposing that the township and bus service renegotiate the terms during the first quarter of 2026 to cover any period after March 1, 2026.

The township board is considering asking voters for a millage to fund the bus service. The cities of Saugatuck and Douglas and Saugatuck Township pay a millage for the transportation service.

The board’s next meeting is a workshop at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Its regular meeting is 6 p.m. Nov. 12, where the issue could be discussed. The fares will remain at their normal rates in the meantime.

Trial period

The bus service started taking riders in Laketown Township in May 2025 as part of a six-month trial. The popularity of the service exploded and the original $21,000 budgeted to last through October was used up by September. The board authorized another $26,000 in September to keep the buses in the township.

Carten-Crandell told the township board in October that the Interurban wants to continue serving Laketown Township.

“We’re here to serve the people,” she said.

For more on the bus service, visit https://www.saugatuckinterurban.org/