Muskegon Area Transit reports mixed ridership in 2024, seeks state, federal funding for FY26

Muskegon Area Transit System reported modest year-over-year ridership gains overall while asking the Transportation Services Committee to approve a slate of federal and state funding requests for fiscal year 2026.

At the committee meeting, Jim Goons with Muskegon Area Transit System summarized the agency’s December operations report, which the transit director said reflects the full 2024 calendar year. “Our fixed route program was up 5% from the prior year,” he said. “The Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit service … was up 13% for the calendar year, and the micro transit was down 6% from the prior year.” Goons added that overall ridership was up about 2% year over year.

The rise in fixed-route and paratransit service follows earlier service realignments and post‑COVID travel-pattern changes, Goons said. He attributed the microtransit decline partly to fewer service hours and staffing challenges at the provider.

Why it matters…