MATS recently completed a study to identify how its routes could better serve the community within available resources.

The new routes offer more streamlined travel that will be quicker and have fewer transfers for many customers. The new routes will be easier for new passengers to understand.

The routes will run Monday-Friday, from approximately 7 am – 6 pm. The system is shown below.

Click on the route names, below, to see the Outbound (from Herman Ivory Terminal) and Inbound (to Herman Ivory Terminal) schedules and route maps.

Route 1

Route 2

Route 11

Route 12

Route 21

Route 22

Route 31

Yes, fixed-route fares are not changing.

Passes will soon be available for purchase at the Herman Ivory Terminal and at the MATS Admin Building at 2624 Sixth Street. Due to COVID-19, drivers will not sell passes and any unused 10-ride passes will be exchanged for single-rides to reduce contact. More information on when fair collection will resume is forthcoming.

Call Reserve-A-Ride at 231-724-6420 if you live in the designated area. For those outside this area, we are working toward more far-reaching on-demand service to be available in the spring of 2021.

Call Reserve-A-Ride at 231-724-6420 if you live in the designated area. For those outside this area, we will have a more far-reaching on-demand service available starting April 1, 2021.

Reserve-A-Ride is intended for essential travel and is a pre­scheduled, curb-to-curb, shared-ride program that MATS will operate Monday through Saturday between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm, on a temporary basis from September 27, 2020, to March 31, 2021. This service is intended to meet interim community needs while we further develop a new on-demand service. Click HERE for complete program details.

All general public (including seniors and those with disabilities) whose trips begin and end within the designated area described below, including those who:

• Used to ride GoBus
• Want to travel on a Saturday
• Need to transfer to the MATS Fixed Route System for areas not covered in the designated area, ie – The Lakes Mall, Mercy at the Lakes, etc.

The service area for the Reserve-A-Ride program is bounded geographically by Sheridan Drive on the east, Lake Michigan on the west, Muskegon Lake on the north and Mona Lake on the south, with service also available to the Muskegon County Airport and the VA Clinic on Hakes Drive.

Click for a larger map

To make a reservation starting September 15, 2020, contact the MATS Customer Care Center at 231-724-6420 and request the “Reserve-A-Ride” program during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, between 8 am and 5 pm.  Reservations must be made on a next-day basis or up to two weeks in advance. Same-day trips may not be accommodated.

General Public  – $4.00, per one-way trip, per person.

Senior/Reduced Fare $2.00

Please visit matsbus.com\fares for complete fare information and special provisions for those traveling west of Henry Street.

Yes!  $2 GoBus passes will be accepted for Reserve-A-Ride.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that public entities which operate a fixed route transportation service also provide complementary  paratransit services for individuals whose disabilities make them unable to use the fixed route system.

Only those certified through the ADA certification application process can use this program. The geographic area is limited to within ¾ mile of the MATS Fixed Route System and ADA only operates when routes are in service.

Perhaps, but only if you become certified to use the system.  Eligibility is based on the individual’s abilities and any limitations resulting from disability. It is not based on a specific diagnosis.  The individual’s disability(ies) and how it affects their functional ability to use fixed route bus service are the only criteria used in determining ADA Complementary Paratransit eligibility.  For complete program information and eligibility, please click HERE.

Individuals may request an application for ADA Complementary Paratransit Certification by contacting the Paratransit Operations Manager at MATS at 231-724-6420.

Once the completed application is returned, MATS will forward the application to the contractor responsible for certification reviews. Additional eligibility information may be sought from a medical professional. A determination is normally returned within 14 days.

For complete program information, please click HERE

MATS ADA Complementary Paratransit service will be provided during the same hours and days as MATS fixed-route bus services (currently Monday-Friday, 7 am – 5:51 pm).   MATS ADA provides certified riders transportation to and from locations within ¾ mile of our fixed-route system. Reservations can be made up to two weeks in advance, or on a next-day basis.

We encourage you to learn the Fixed-Route System as your first option. Otherwise, call Reserve-A-Ride at 231-724-6420.