Battle Creek Transit

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of retired Transit Manager, Richard "Rich" Werner. Rich began his journey with the City of Battle Creek in December 1996 as Operations Supervisor and through his hard work and passion for public transit, was promoted to Assistant Transit Manager in September 2001 and Transit Manager in March 2010. He retired in April 2019.

Rich will always be remembered for his remarkable understanding of transit regulations, policies, and operations. His expertise and leadership were a true asset to our team and will continue to make a lasting impact on our agency.

To honor Rich, a visitation will take place at Baxter Funeral & Cremation on Tuesday, September 10th from 4:00pm - 8:00pm. Funeral service will take place at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church on Wednesday, September 11th at 11:00am. Interment will take place at Fort Custer National Cemetary at 1:00pm.

Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.

🌟 Final Chapter: Our New Buses Are Ready to Roll! 🌟

We’re excited to share that our four brand-new buses have been fully built, meticulously inspected by our Maintenance Supervisor, and successfully road-tested. Now, they’re ready to make their journey from Gillig in California to Battle Creek! 🚎

Once they arrive, these buses will receive some final touches at our facility before hitting the streets this fall. Get ready for an upgraded transit experience!

📸 Swipe through the photos to see the final look of these impressive machines.

🔺CLOSED ON LABOR DAY🔺

In observance of Labor Day, our offices will be closed on Monday, September 2.

🚎Buses, Tele-Transit, and BCGo will NOT be operating. Regular operations will resume on Tuesday, September 3rd.

We hope you have a safe and relaxing holiday!

🌟 Continuing the Journey: The Next Phase in Our Bus Build! 🌟

The transformation keeps rolling along! 🚎
In this phase, our buses have freshly painted exteriors 🎨, the passenger seats and windows are installed 🛠️, and the electrical work has been completed.

Swipe through the photos to see these impressive machines nearing completion. The finish line is in sight, stay tuned for more exciting updates!

🌟 The Next Chapter in Our Bus Build Journey! 🌟

The transformation continues! 🚎 Our Maintenance Supervisor is still at Gillig, and we’re excited to share the next phase of our bus build.

In this update, you’ll get a sneak peek at our buses as they get their first coat of paint in the booth 🎨, and the interior is coming together with brand-new passenger seats ready to be installed! 🛠️

Swipe through the photos to see these impressive machines getting closer to hitting the road. Stay tuned for more updates as our new buses come to life!

🚎 Ever wondered how a bus is born? 🛠️

Our Maintenance Supervisor is at Gillig this week, witnessing the magic of a bus being built from start to finish! 🚧 These impressive machines go from blueprint to the road in just 13 days!

Swipe through the photos below to see the first phases of our newest buses coming to life. 🌟

⚠️ UPDATE: JULY 16, 2024

Buses 🚎 will plan to detour again today, at 1:45pm. Crews are working in the area to finish up the road project on Hamblin Avenue.

We plan to detour through the end of the day and resume regular routes tomorrow morning.

We appreciate your patience this construction season!

On Friday, July 12 multiple BCT routes will detour to avoid the roadwork being completed on Hamblin Avenue.

The following routes will run on a temporary detour in the downtown area - 1W, 3E, 3W, and 4N. Information regarding each route is provided below.

🚎 1W - West Michigan Route
Outbound Detour - McCamly Street to Van Buren Street, left on Van Buren Street, left on United Way, and a right on W. Michigan Avenue to resume route.

Inbound the bus will follow the same detour; Michigan Avenue to United Way, left on United Way, right on Van Buren Street, right on McCamly, back on route to the transfer center.

⚠️ Inbound bus stop NOT serviced:
Hamblin Avenue at Carlyle Street.

🚎 3E - Main/Post Route
Outbound Detour - we will turn right exiting the transfer center and turn left on Dickman Road, right on M-66, and right on Hamblin Avenue to resume the regular route.

Inbound Detour - bus will travel NE Capital Avenue to Jackson Street, take a right on Jackson Street, left on McCamly Street, and back on route to the transfer center.

⚠️ Outbound bus stop NOT serviced:
Hamblin Avenue near Kellogg WKKI.

🚎 3W - Kendall/Goodale Route
Inbound Detour - Washington Avenue to Van Buren Street, left on Van Buren Steet and a right on McCamly Street to the transfer center.

⚠️ Inbound bus stops NOT serviced:
Washington Avenue at Michigan Avenue
Hamblin Avenue at Carlyle Street.

🚎 4N - NE Capital Route
Outbound Detour - bus will take McCamly Street to Van Buren Street and take a right on Van Buren Street to resume regular route.

Inbound Detour -bus will take NE Capital to Van Buren Street, turn right on Van Buren, and left on McCamly Street to resume regular route to the transfer center.

⚠️Outbound bus stops NOT serviced:
NE Capital at W. Michigan Avenue
NE Capital before Van Buren

⚠️ Inbound bus stops NOT serviced:
Division Street and W. Michigan Avenue
Hamblin Avenue near Monroe Street.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

On Friday, July 12 multiple BCT routes will detour to avoid the roadwork being completed on Hamblin Avenue.

The following routes will run on a temporary detour in the downtown area - 1W, 3E, 3W, and 4N. Information regarding each route is provided below.

🚎 1W - West Michigan Route
Outbound Detour - McCamly Street to Van Buren Street, left on Van Buren Street, left on United Way, and a right on W. Michigan Avenue to resume route.

Inbound the bus will follow the same detour; Michigan Avenue to United Way, left on United Way, right on Van Buren Street, right on McCamly, back on route to the transfer center.

⚠️ Inbound bus stop NOT serviced:
Hamblin Avenue at Carlyle Street.

🚎 3E - Main/Post Route
Outbound Detour - we will turn right exiting the transfer center and turn left on Dickman Road, right on M-66, and right on Hamblin Avenue to resume the regular route.

Inbound Detour - bus will travel NE Capital Avenue to Jackson Street, take a right on Jackson Street, left on McCamly Street, and back on route to the transfer center.

⚠️ Outbound bus stop NOT serviced:
Hamblin Avenue near Kellogg WKKI.

🚎 3W - Kendall/Goodale Route
Inbound Detour - Washington Avenue to Van Buren Street, left on Van Buren Steet and a right on McCamly Street to the transfer center.

⚠️ Inbound bus stops NOT serviced:
Washington Avenue at Michigan Avenue
Hamblin Avenue at Carlyle Street.

🚎 4N - NE Capital Route
Outbound Detour - bus will take McCamly Street to Van Buren Street and take a right on Van Buren Street to resume regular route.

Inbound Detour -bus will take NE Capital to Van Buren Street, turn right on Van Buren, and left on McCamly Street to resume regular route to the transfer center.

⚠️Outbound bus stops NOT serviced:
NE Capital at W. Michigan Avenue
NE Capital before Van Buren

⚠️ Inbound bus stops NOT serviced:
Division Street and W. Michigan Avenue
Hamblin Avenue near Monroe Street.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

EFFECTIVE TODAY - Thursday, July 11, 2024

The 2E Emmett-East Avenue route will detour due to a road closure at Roosevelt and North Avenue.

During this detour the 2E route will travel down East Avenue to Roosevelt Drive, then take a left at Roosevelt, left at the KCC service drive, and a left on North Avenue to resume route.

During this temporary detour, we will be unable to service the bus stop located on North Avenue near Annex Apartments. Passengers who use this stop are encouraged to use the bus stop located on North Avenue before Leila Drive (near Irving Park).

We apologize for any inconvenience.

🌟 We are thrilled to announce that Kristy Grestini, our incredible Mobility Manager, was awarded the Rising Star award at the CTAA Expo in West Palm Beach, Florida last month! This award recognizes an emerging leader in community transportation whose record reflects ongoing and exceptional growth in contribution to the profession. 🌟

Since joining Battle Creek Transit in 2016, Kristy has shown unparalleled dedication and innovation. Her leadership was pivotal in launching the Michigan Department of Transportation funded BCGo pilot program, which has enhanced mobility across Calhoun County. By pioneering these on-demand services, Kristy has not only expanded mobility options to our residents but also set a benchmark for rural microtransit feasibility.

Kristy's commitment to improving community mobility is truly inspiring, and this recognition is well-deserved. Join us in congratulating Kristy on this outstanding achievement! 🎉 🏆🚌



(pictured left to right: Scott Bogren, Executive Director CTAA; Kristy Grestini, Mobility Manager Battle Creek Transit; Heidi Wenzel, CTAA Board of Directors)

In observance of Independence Day, BCT will be closed on July 4th. 🚎 Buses, Tele-Transit, and BCGo will NOT operate.

🎆 We will resume our regular services on Friday, July 5th.

We wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸

Cooling Centers are open‼️

If you need help trying to beat the heat, the following locations are open for the general public!

The Haven of Rest Ministries
11 Green St Battle Creek, MI
The Haven men’s shelter is acting as a cooling center, available to the public, and is also available to persons previously barred from the shelter for the duration of the heat emergency.

The Share Center
120 Grove St Battle Creek, MI
Open daily 8am-6pm. Families can come to the cafeteria space for a cooling center.

First Congregational Church
145 Capital Ave Battle Creek, MI
First Congregational Church will be open as a cooling shelter from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday this week.

EFFECTIVE FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2024

The 2E Emmett-East Avenue route will detour due to a road closure at Roosevelt and North Avenue.

During this detour the 2E route will travel down East Avenue to Roosevelt Drive, then take a left at Roosevelt, left at the KCC service drive, and a left on North Avenue to resume route.

During this temporary detour, we will be unable to service the bus stop located on North Avenue near Annex Apartments. Passengers who use this stop are encouraged to use the bus stop located on North Avenue before Leila Drive (near Irving Park).

We apologize for any inconvenience.

The 4N NE Capital bus will operate on a temporary detour from now until the end of the day on June 13. During this detour the bus will travel outbound by turning right on Hamblin Avenue and then left on Division Street to resume regular route.

The following bus stops will NOT be serviced during this detour:

NE Capital at Michigan Avenue by Kellogg Foundation; and
NE Capital at VanBuren Street by the church.

Passengers should plan to use the bus stop(s) located at Cherry Hill Manor (outbound) and the Main/Post stop at Michigan/NE Capital in front of the Kellogg Foundation, or the Transfer Center.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

BCT Route Schedule Update - Starting Monday, June 10.

Starting on June 10 you will see changes to our Emmett-East Avenue and NE Capital bus schedule.

The 2E Emmett-East Avenue will operate every hour at :45 after. This route will be combined with the 3E Main-Post route. That route will operate at :15 after each hour.

The 4N NE Capital route will operate every half-hour, leaving downtown at :15 and :45 after each hour.

We will continue running the "closer route" at 3:15pm departing from the 5W Fort Custer-VA slot. This route will only service certain bus stops, information for that route can be found on the ORANGE slips posted inside each bus.

BCT will continue to close from 11:15am - 12:15pm in order to provide drivers with a lunch break.

We appreciate your patience as we continue to work through a CDL driver shortage, but we are excited to be able to increase the operating frequency of these two routes.

Happy Memorial Day! 🇺🇸

Thank you to the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

May we never forget that freedom isn't free.

🚎 BCT will resume regular operating hours tomorrow, May 28.

Due to asphalt work that is happening on Riverside Drive today the 2W - Columbia/Territorial bus will detour on Wednesday, May 15.

During this detour the bus will head inbound turning left on Capital Avenue SW, right on Territorial Road, and left on Riverside Drive to resume regular route.

The following bus stops will NOT be serviced during this detour.

Columbia Ave near Pizza Hut
Columbia Ave near Hallmark Card Shop
Columbia Ave near Finley’s
Riverside Drive near Golf Course (shelter)

*Passengers should plan to use the bus stop(s) located on Columbia Ave at Hulbert Lane or Riverside Drive at Territorial.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

🎉🚎 Let's give a huge shoutout to our amazing Battle Creek Transit staff as we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week! 🎉👏

🌟 From bus drivers to maintenance workers, dispatchers to customer service representatives, thank you for your dedication and hard work in keeping our city moving smoothly and safely every day. Your commitment to providing reliable transportation services doesn't go unnoticed!

🙌 Let's show some love and gratitude to our incredible BCT staff! Drop a comment below to share your appreciation or a memorable experience you've had while riding public transportation. 🚌💙

The 4N - NE Capital bus will temporarily detour tomorrow morning from 7:45am to 10:15am.

DETOUR INFORMATION:

OUTBOUND:
NE Capital to East Avenue
Left on East Avenue
East Avenue to J. Bartlett Drive
Right on J. Bartlett Drive
Left on NE Capital to service Family Fare

INBOUND:
NE Capital to J. Bartlett Drive
Right on J. Bartlett Drive
J. Bartlett Drive to East Avenue
Left on East Avenue
East Avenue to NE Capital
Right on NE Capital (back on route)

The bus stops located along NE Capital between East Avenue and Family Fare will NOT be serviced during this detour.

The 4N route WILL SERVICE the bus stops located on East Avenue both outbound and inbound during this detour.

If you need help planning your trip, please contact BCT Dispatch at 269-966-3474.

Today we recognize Battle Creek Transit's entire team of transit professionals who, together, work tirelessly to keep the service running each and every day for members of the Battle Creek community.

Please join us in celebrating Transit Team Appreciation Day by thanking your Bus Operator or another transit team member today.

The city is studying the Beckley corridor to rethink what it could look like with future redevelopment, to increase the economic vitality and attractiveness of this aging part of the city. This work will incorporate housing opportunities, day and night uses, and better mobility for cars, pedestrians, and public transit 🚎, while enhancing the area’s natural environment.

We are currently collecting feedback from the community and we want to hear from YOU!

Share your thoughts by completing the following survey! It asks for feedback about housing, jobs, shopping, and more around Beckley Road and the Lakeview Square Mall. Your answers are anonymous and will contribute to the new vision for this area.

SURVEY: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7673801/Beckley-Road-Market-Analysis-Survey

BCT 🚎 will continue to operate during regular operating hours on Friday, January 12.

We ask our passengers to please be patient with us as we may experience delays throughout the day due to road conditions. ❄️

If you have questions about a specific route or pick-up, please call our dispatch office at 269-966-3474.

Stay Safe!

BCT Administrative Office will be closed on Monday, January 15 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday at 8am.

Buses, Tele-Transit, and BCGo will continue to operate during normal operating hours.

Over the last year BCT has had to make service changes due to a CDL driver shortage. These changes are intended to be temporary; however, despite all efforts, we have been unable to bring service back to our regular operating hours.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires any transit agency that makes a service change lasting longer than 12 months to hold a public hearing regarding service changes.

To meet this requirement, we will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 16 at 7pm in the City Commission Chambers. Free transportation for this event will be available by calling 269-966-3474 by 5pm om Monday, January 15.

Our current level of service will remain the same. We continue to work to fill our open CDL positions and we still remain hopeful that in the future we can increase the level of fixed route service we are currently providing.

Look at those “Sleighs” 🚎 🚎

We are happy to be a part of this wonderful event, helping to spread Christmas cheer 🎄to children in our community. 👮🏻‍♂️❤️

The “Sleighs” have arrived to take the kids to WalMart. Big thank you to Battle Creek Transit and the wonderful drivers for providing our transport and supporting our program year after year !!

Still time to book a ride on BCGo or Tele-Transit. Service runs until 7:30pm.

Call (269)966-3474 to schedule your trip!

Have some shopping to do but need transportation?
Book a ride with BCGo! 🚙

BCGo operates 5:00am to 7:30pm on Friday, November 24.

Rides can be booked by downloading the BCGo-Calhoun County app or by calling (269)966-3474.

⭐️ Reminder - Service may fill up, so make sure to book your ride to/from at the same time.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend!

BCT will not operate on Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 23).

Buses, Tele-Transit, and BCGo will resume regular operating hours on Friday, November 24.

BCT Administrative Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

Wishing all of our passengers a Happy Thanksgiving. 🦃

Looking for a ride? Book your trip with BCGo.

Need transportation TODAY? We have some open availability, give us a call at (269)966-3474 or schedule a ride on the BCGo - Calhoun County app.

BCGo is your connection to Calhoun County!

In observance of Veterans Day, BCT Administrative Office will be closed on Friday, November 10.

Buses, Tele-Transit, and BCGo will continue to operate during normal business hours.

"And we must never forget that it is the mighty arm of the American warrior — never bending, never breaking, never yielding — generation after generation that secured for us the blessings of a nation that still stands today as the beacon of liberty, democracy, and justice around the world." — President Joe Biden