Ride Calhoun authority outlines timeline, budget and service plan after millage win

Mallory Avis, public transit director for the City of Battle Creek, told the Sustainable BC Committee on Feb. 24 that the Transportation Authority of Calhoun County — branded Ride Calhoun — will use a voter-approved 2.66-mill levy to fund expanded countywide transit and to meet federal and state reimbursement rules.

Avis said the millage passed in November with about 58% support and that the authority will rely on a mix of fare revenue, federal and state grants and the millage to operate. “Our estimate is an average operating budget of about $12,000,000 with roughly $7,000,000 in federal and state grants,” she said. She added that farebox receipts (about $1.75 per ride) currently cover roughly 7% of operating revenue.

The authority grew out of a BCGo pilot and transit studies; BCGo demand exceeded expectations, Avis said, with more than 50,000 trip requests by the pilot’s second year and only about 22% of requests met. That data informed the authority’s planning and the service scenarios the board considered.

Under the board’s preferred “best” scenario, Ride Calhoun would operate expanded service roughly 5 a.m.–midnight Monday–Friday with some enhanced weekend service. The authority’s planned service model will combine three types of service: conventional fixed-route buses, ADA paratransit where required, and a on-demand technology-based service called RC Flex that will replace the BCGo pilot.

Avis said the authority’s budget supports a fleet increase (the city and Marshall currently operate about 28 vehicles combined; the authority’s budgeted fleet is about 44 vehicles) and a mix of vehicle sizes, from small vans used for on-demand trips to larger shuttles where demand supports them. The authority has placed an order for four larger vehicles and is awaiting word on a CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grant for three electric vans.

She told the committee the authority is not yet the designated recipient of federal and state transit funds; that status must be transferred from the cities to the TAC before the authority can draw formula grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). “The TAC, along with the City of Battle Creek and the City of Marshall, are working with FTA and MDOT to transfer that designated recipient status,” Avis said. That transfer is likely before October 2025, and the authority hopes to complete major staff and asset transfers by July 1, 2026.

Avis explained why the millage preceded full operation: many federal and state grants are reimbursement-based, meaning the authority must show expenditures before drawing down funds. The millage provides operating cash to ramp up hiring, procure technology and contract legal and financial advisors. She also noted procurement constraints tied to federal requirements (including Buy America rules) that limit some local purchasing options but do not preclude creative public–private partnerships funded locally.

Committee members asked about turnaround times, regional connections and labor. Avis said BCGo currently requires a 30-minute booking window as a minimum; the RC Flex system is expected to offer faster matches when vehicles are available and to continue offering advance bookings (the authority is still finalizing the booking window). She said Ride Calhoun already coordinates with Amtrak and other regional providers via interlocal agreements and that longer-distance or regional connections will be a priority once the authority is operational.

On staffing and unions, Avis said Public Act 196 governs the creation of transit authorities and that existing collective bargaining agreements are protected during any transfer of employees to the TAC. She said the authority’s budget supports higher wages for CDL drivers and that the authority will negotiate with unions as transfers and hires proceed.

Avis closed by directing residents to ridecalhoun.org and the authority’s social channels for updates and said committee members and residents may send questions through the site or the authority’s contact form.