Clinton Transit reports service growth, federal and state grants and a microtransit pilot

Melissa Shutt, representing Clinton Transit (the Blue Bus), told commissioners the agency has grown significantly since 2019 and described several projects and grants intended to expand and modernize service. She said Clinton Transit received a $2.5 million federal grant (congressionally directed funding) to expand its maintenance facility (bids expected in July, groundbreaking planned for September). Shutt also said the agency was awarded an equitable mobility challenge grant of approximately $550,000 over four years to expand service hours and create a coordination committee with health and human-service partners, including Tri-County Office on Aging.

Shutt described a microtransit pilot (an app-based on-demand service similar to Uber) operating in two concentrated zones, St. Johns and DeWitt, with plans for an October public launch. She noted 30% of Clinton Transit ridership travels to Lansing and the agency is working on connector routes and local agreements with CATA. "We were one of only two transit agencies selected" for a particular fellowship program and are testing tools to assess performance metrics, she said. Commissioners asked for veteran ridership numbers and service breakdowns by county; staff agreed to provide the requested figures.