Rural areas are a difficult place to develop a culture of public transportation. In cities, there can be several stops along one street, but in the Upper Peninsula, that's nearly impossible.
"One problem with any sort of mass transit in more sparsely populated areas is that you have a lack of frequency in which you can run it to have sufficient ridership, so the less frequent the schedule, the less convenient it is for people to schedule appointments or take advantage of the transportation system that's available," says Spencer Nebel, Sault Ste. Marie city manager.
That's why, as of right now, public transportation in the U.P. is limited to the cities.
In almost every region of the Upper Peninsula there is a transit authority, which helps organize and standardize public passenger transportation in that part of the U.P. In some areas there is also a citywide service as well.
For instance, in Sault Ste. Marie, there's a citywide, dollar ride system that provides transportation, and an international bridge bus service that shuttles people between Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario. Then there is the
Eastern U.P. Transportation Authority which provides bus services between Sault Ste. Marie and Kincheloe, and a ferry system to Drummond Island, Sugar Island and Neebish Island.
But Nebel feels there's room for improvement, especially as the U.P. population ages and people become more comfortable not driving.
"I think that certainly looking forward (public transportation) is an issue that should be a regional issue that we spend some time looking at as communities in the Upper Peninsula," Nebel says.
Nebel says one change that would improve public transportation throughout the Upper Peninsula would be an east to west route connecting towns like Houghton and Marquette to the Sault. Benefits could include getting people to medical appointments or even shopping areas in another city. This would align with national trends that are moving away from individual cars and allow people to get around without spending money on gas.
Nebel says another benefit many people don't consider is that travel time can be used more constructively.
"I go back and forth between here and Marquette enough to know that it wouldn't break my heart to have someone else driving me," he says.
But a number of obstacles stand in the way of effective public transportation in the U.P. Primarily, people will have to change their mindset about how they get around.
"When all is said and done, people have to decide that it's worthwhile to get out of their car and take the bus instead," says Jerald Wuorenmaa, planner in the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region.
Wuorenmaa is influential in the development of the website,
Get Around the Western U.P. The website is a one-stop-shop of public and private transportation resources in the western U.P. The website is the result of a survey of Baraga, Keweenaw and Houghton counties, and Wuorenmaa says it was also suggested that a western U.P. transit authority is created to organize inter-county public transportation.
Right now, most public transportation in the area is offered by demand, with point-to-point pickup and drop off. However, Michigan Technological University students received a grant and are working with the Houghton and Hancock transportation authorities to develop bus routes that reach both cities. This effort, Wuorenmaa says, is indicative of how services in the U.P. could coordinate--by connecting routes in other counties or cities, so people can get across the U.P. by just connecting bus routes.
But, as it stands, services are isolated to their respective communities. There are a number of transportation organizations, including Gogebic County Transit Authority, Houghton Motor Transit Line, Delta Area Transit Authority and EUPTA, but none of them connect to provide transit across the U.P.
"Everything's really fragmented, and it depends on local support," says Wuorenmaa. "I think a lot of people would like to do it, but it's so difficult to make it come together that, I guess, unfortunately, I don't think it's likely to happen anytime in the future."
The largest fixed-route provider of public transportation in the U.P. is
Marq-Tran in Marquette County. Marq-Tran provides fixed routes and door-to-door service in all areas of the county. According to Marq-Tran Executive Director Delynn Klein, the largest obstacle that Marq-Tran faces, like many public transit authorities, is financial issues, and so these organizations are dependent on public support.
"At this point, it's operational monies being cut, so therefore we're forced to get a millage, and that would be how we would take care of it," Klein says.
But Klein says that the benefits of public transit outweigh any negatives, and she believes once people know and experience those benefits, more will use the services available to them.
"I think if we tell them the benefits and that it's reliable, I believe that a lot of people will be encouraged to take it," Klein says. "Plus the price--the price is much more reasonable than owning a vehicle and paying the upkeep and insurance and license."
Since bus transit is the most applicable and likely to grow in the U.P., both Nebel in the Sault and Wuorenmaa in Houghton emphasize the importance of cooperating with other communities to create a succinct plan for the entire U.P.
"I think it's something we need to be talking about in the region. I don't think we're quite there yet," Nebel says. "We need to look at alternative ways for getting around."
Lucy Hough is in the English master's program at Northern Michigan University and helps write a blog about NMU history.