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Public Transportation

Access to safe, affordable & accessible public transportation is critical for many of us with disabilities.  Public transit exists in each of the eight counties we serve in Southwest Michigan.

  • Barry County. Barry County Transit operates dial-a-ride service Monday through Friday.
  • Berrien County. There are four separate transit providers in Berrien County. Berrien Bus is a non-urban transit system that operates outside of the three dial-a-ride transit areas.  It operates both dial-a-ride and semi-fixed route service.  Benton Harbor Dial A Ride operates three fixed routes and dial-a-ride service to the cities of Benton Harbor & St. Joseph and Benton Township & St. Joseph Township.  Buchanan Dial-A-Ride serves all of the City of Buchanan and Buchanan Township.  Niles Dial-A-Ride serves all of the City of Niles and parts of Niles Charter Township. The service consists of demand response service and one line-haul route.
  • Branch County.  The transit system is BATA - Branch Area Transit Authority.  Call (517) 278-5889 for information.
  • Calhoun County.  Battle Creek Public Transit operates a fixed-route system in the core urban area as well as a dial-a-ride system.
  • Cass County. Cass County Transit provides dial-a-ride and semi-fixed route service throughout the county.  Dowagiac Area Transit provides dial-a-ride service to the Dowagiac community with service to Southwest Michigan College.
  • Kalamazoo County.  Kalamazoo Metro Transit operates a fixed route system in the urban center of the county and a dial-a-ride service (Metro County Connect) that serves rural and urban residents throughout the county.  The Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority (KCTA) is the county-wide transit authority that provides operating support for much of the system.
  • St. Joseph County.  St. Joseph County Transportation Authority operates transit throughout the county. Watch a 30 second video to learn more!
  • Van Buren County.  Van Buren Public Transit provides service throughout the county. Specific services vary by area.

Each of these transit systems should have an LAC - Local Advisory Council.  The LAC is designed to monitor and make recommendations to the transit system on disability/ADA compliance issues.  All LAC meetings are open to the public.

Disability Network is doing important work around the issue of public transportation.
Friends of Transit for Kalamazoo County: FOT meets the 1st Thursday of every month at Disability Network's community building, 517 E. Crosstown Parkway, Kalamazoo. We are a coalition of organizations and individuals who want to see public transit expanded to meet the transit needs of Kalamazoo County residents. Everyone is welcome. Contact Michele or Ron at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

In Kalamazoo County, TAG Team (Transportation Advocacy Group) monitors the day-to-day service provision of public transit to ensure it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have been successful in ensuring lifts on fixed route service are operable and that the Talking Bus system is announcing stops as required. This group is open to anyone interested and meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.