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 representativesappointed by 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 fixed route (Route 8) service to Zeeland.

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.

2013 MAX Facts

Passenger Demographics

63% are female
7% are youth 16 years of age or younger
13% are mature adults over age 60
61% are Caucasian; 17% are Hispanic/Latino; 15% are African-American; and 7% are Asian or Other
69% are low-income households, although there was an 8% increase in middle-income users in 2012
90% ride the fixed routes daily or weekly

Riding Habits

70% do not drive or have access to a car
21% use a bike on their trip, and 86% take the bike with them on the bus
25% are new passengers who began riding in the past year
55% pay fares with cash; 37% use a MAX bus pass; 8% use their ADA/Medicare card
81% have cell phones with 49% having texting capabilities
40% use MAX to go to work or school
60% use MAX for shopping/groceries
18% ride MAX to medical appointments

Ridership Figures

Fiscal Year 2012 (Oct.1, 2011-Sept. 30, 2012) Ridership: 352,000 rides, an 8% increase over FY 2011
Projected ridership for FY 2013: 388,000 rides
40% use MAX to go to work
60% use MAX for shopping/groceries
18% ride MAX to medical appointments

Operational Facts

FY2012 Total ridership: 451,992, an 8% increase over previous year
Vehicles in Fleet: 29
Total Employees: 67
Avg. Fleet Vehicle Age: 4.9 years
Useful Life of Vehicles: 10 years
Avg. On-Time Performance: 98.45%
Total Vehicle Miles: 820,306
Fuel/gallons: 133,713 gallons

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
More than 76% of taxpayers support MAX transit even though they may not personally use the service
MAX transit has nearly 6% of residents using the service, which is nearly double the national average use rate for transit systems and community's of this size. (Source: MP2 Planning Consultants, 2011)