About MAX Transit

Macatawa Area Express (MAX) has been serving the greater Holland-Zeeland area of West Michigan with fixed route bus service since 2000. Our mission is to create a sustainable transportation system to be used by all residents of the Macatawa Area with linkages to other transit systems. MAX is governed by an independent Transportation Authority board comprised of representatives from the City of Holland and Holland Charter Township.

Oversight of the transit system was transferred from the City of Holland to the Authority on July 1, 2007. The Authority contracts with the City of Holland for essential administrative support.

MAX is funded by federal and state grants, a transit millage for the City of Holland and Holland Charter Township, and passenger fares. The City of Zeeland also contracts with MAX transit for demand response service for its residents.

The MAX administrative office is located at the Padnos Transportation Center located at 171 Lincoln Ave. Its bus garage is located at 433 E. 24th Street in Holland.

Each year, MAX Transit safely transports more than 400,000 passengers to their destinations in the local area and ridership continues to grow.

2011 MAX Factoids

Typical rider is 40-year old Caucasian female
47% of passengers are homeowners
32% are persons with disabilities
10% of passengers are seniors
10% of passengers are students going to school
Click here to see the results of our 2011 Passenger Survey

Ridership Figures

FY 2011 ridership: 418,496 rides, a 23.3% increase over FY 2010
Projected ridership for 2012: 460,000
40% use MAX to go to work
60% use MAX for shopping/groceries
18% ride MAX to medical appointments
74% ride the fixed route; 26% use demand response
54% of current bus riders use MAX daily

Benefits to the Community

"People ride public transit to either make money or spend money."-Clark Harder, Executive Director, Michigan Public Transportation Association.
$1 invested in MAX generates $6 in economic returns
$3.6 million budget brings $21.6 million to the economy
MAX reduces traffic, congestion and fuel usage promoting cleaner air and energy conservation
MAX is viewed by area realtors as an amenity, promoting higher quality of life and property values