CASCADE, Mich. — Cascade Township said they are "moving forward" with a new transportation option for people looking to get to and from work within the township. They said the new option will be more flexible.
At a meeting on Aug. 23 the Cascade Board of Trustees voted to approve a four-month agreement with statewide nonprofit Hope Network to start running a tailored, fixed route bus service to and from some of the major employers in the Cascade Downtown Development Authority (DDA) area.
The new route will begin running in the morning on Monday, Aug. 28. The township said they came to the decision to partner with the Hope Network after efforts to negotiate a new contract between the Cascade Township DDA and The Rapid were unsuccessful.
“Cascade is committed to providing transit alternatives for the workers and other underserved individuals that rely on Rapid Route 29,” said Cascade Township Supervisor Grace Lesperance. “When it comes to bus stop locations and pickup/dropoff times, this agreement puts the township and riders in the driver’s seat.”
Funds for the new route will be subsidized using monies which were originally allocated for Rapid Route 29. Lesperance emphasized that the pilot route is just that—a pilot. “Together with Hope Network, we will be regularly reviewing ridership data and adjust routes and pickup times accordingly,” she said.
The initial route launching Monday will focus on providing transportation for workers within the general DDA area. The township said that later iterations of the partnership plan to include other types of riders, including shoppers seeking rides to Cascade businesses.
The ride on the route will cost $3 one-way. A Hope Network bus will run from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays along the 28th Street corridor and to adjacent businesses.
At this time they said the bus will not be offering weekend services.
The route will start at a parking lot on 28th St. SE and Acquest by three flagpoles. The route will run on the hour making stops at the Cascade Walmart, the Cascade Goodwill, the Cascade Meijer, Mary Free Bed YMCA and back West to the Cascade Target, Aldi and Costco stores along Hotel Avenue; then back to 28th and Acquest.
All employees of businesses at the covered shopping centers are welcome to use the bus.
