UPDATE: This article was edited 10:55 a.m. Nov. 3 to remove a daily ridership figure that could not be verified.

Dial-A-Ride is short on drivers and vehicles as demand grows.

The Manistee County Transportation Inc. Board of Directors met for its quarterly meeting Oct. 27 and discussed the region’s public transportation needs.

The agency has supported Dial-A-Ride since 1975. Last year, the agency reported that 125,405 riders used the service, covering 592,783 total miles.

Regular service covers Manistee County. The agency also provides cancer patients with free daily rides to Munson Medical Center and Cowell Cancer Center in Traverse City.

Driver and bus needs

General manager Julie Stec said that the agency is hiring and needs at least two more drivers to expand services.

One bus recently became unusable, and the agency is waiting for final Michigan Department of Transportation authorization to order four replacement buses.

Retiring drivers

Drivers Joe Fisk and Richard Morehouse retired from the agency after decades of service.

Fisk was hired in October 1999.

“(He) handled every type of run with dependable professionalism,” Stec said.

Morehouse was hired in September 2006. Stec said that he was affectionately called “Mr. Richard” by passengers who enjoyed his sense of humor.

“All of us co-workers and riders praise their dedication and wish them well in retirement. They will be missed,” she said.

Dispatch software rollout

The rollout for new software for drivers and riders is ongoing and is being tested in phases.

In February, the agency announced the rollout of the software that will allow riders to track buses in real time and book rides through text messages or an app, providing an estimated time of arrival.

Stec said that there are two more phases remain before the rollout is complete.

A web portal for booking rides is expected to be tested with a small group this month. A rider app is planned for a later phase.

“We’re making big strides,” Stec said.

Riders will still be able to book by phone, she said.

Learn more information about the agency and careers at manisteecountytransportationinc.com. For ride reservations, call 231-723-6525, ext. 1.

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