Board taking second look at Interurban bus service

The Laketown Township Board of Trustees will discuss the future of public transportation at its next meeting, just days after a contract for one bus service expires.

The decision was made Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, at the township board workshop after more than 20 people addressed the board on whether the township should subsidize bus service from the Interurban Transit Authority.

The topic of funding for the Interurban will be on the agenda for the Wednesday, Jan. 14, meeting at 6 p.m. at the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road.

Township funded Interurban service ends Saturday, Jan. 10.

Donation

Service, though, will continue through the end of the month.

The Interurban announced on Thursday, Jan. 8, that it has received an anonymous donation to continue funding pick-ups and drop-offs in Laketown Township through Jan. 31 to allow the township board time to reconsider funding.

“We are hopeful this will allow the Laketown Board and ITA time to negotiate,” the Interurban said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The donation will cover all costs. No township money will be spent to extend the service through the end of the month.

Jan. 14 meeting

Township Supervisor Steven Ringelberg asked board members to come to the Jan. 14 meeting with numbers to discuss funding through a possible millage vote.

Having an item on the agenda does not mean the board will make decisions or take votes on the topic.

The agenda has times for public comment. People in the meeting room go first. They must come up to the podium and make their comments to the supervisor in three minutes. After people in the room are done, people on Zoom will have the chance to speak.

The Zoom link is available at here.

Allegan County Transportation

After voting in December to end the contract with the Interurban, the township board instructed staff to contact Allegan County Transportation officials to help promote the reservation service to township residents.

The service, which has been available since 2000, is funded through Allegan County. Laketown Township does not pay extra for the service.

At the Jan. 7 meeting, Stacy Todd, program coordinator for ACT, answered questions from the board and audience about the county bus system.

The bus service out of Allegan schedules on a priority basis:

Priority One — Standing Orders/Subscription Trips: These are services, established in advance, same passenger, same time, and same origin. They are based on availability. Medical trips take precedence. Recurring or subscription trips for employment purposes for new passengers will be set up once the passenger has completed two weeks of travel with 1 or less no-shows.

Priority Two — Reserved Trips: These rides are reserved before noon the prior business day in advance of service needed.

Priority Three — On Demand: Trips requested without advance notice. Call by noon the day before travel is needed to secure your spot on the next day’s schedule.

Adults and children 13 and older pay $2 for a one-way trip. Those 60 and over, people with disabilities and children 5-12 pay $1 for a one-way trip, except trips for those 60 and over are no charge (the Allegan Commission on Aging reimburses the ACT for such trips). Children up to 4 years old with an adult supervisor ride free.

Transportation is available from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For complete information about ACT, click here.

Interurban

Laketown began receiving demand/response bus service from the Douglas-based group in May for a trial period to last through October. The service was extended but board members became concerned about rising costs due to its popularity.

An adult rider paid $1, senior citizen, handicapped or child rider paid 50 cents, to picked up or dropped off in the Interurban’s service area of Saugatuck Township and the cities of Saugatuck, Douglas and Fennville. The township was billed $7 per rider.

The township originally budgeted $21,000 for the trial period then later authorized another $26,000 to cover costs. The township has paid $35,455 for the service from May through December.

On Dec. 11, the board voted to cut ties with the Interurban, ending service after Jan. 10.

The Laketown board previously proposed different rates for its residents but the Interurban rejected the plan. On Wednesday, though, Becky Carten-Crandell, executive director of the Interurban Transit Authority, said she would consider higher rates for Laketown riders as a last resort to re-establish the service in the township.