  Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 1266 Registered: 12-2006 |
Hi to all, For the first time in many years (how many? Any DYer know?) you can now visit the Blue Water area (New Baltimore to Port Huron) even if you don't have a car! Come and enjoy the water, the parks, bicycle facilities such as the Bridge to Bay Trail on our side of the river and St. Clair River Trail on the Ontario side. Memorial Day weekend in Marine City you can visit the "Maritime Days" community festival on the river, with one of only two pedestrian-friendly border crossings in Michigan (the other is also in the Blue Water area, in Algonac). If you have a car you can visit anytime! Don't have a car, or prefer not to drive? Any weekday take the SMART 560/565 to 23/Gratiot (get off at KMart) and ask for a transfer. (You know how it works; ask when you board, not when you leave). Transfer to the Blue Water Transit bus: Take the I-94 express if you are going to Marysville or Port Huron; take the M-29 bus to Fair Haven, Algonac, Marine City or St. Clair. Buses run peak am/pm weekday hours only for now, but we're working on that. (If somebody can send me a check for $45,000 made payable to "Blue Water Area Transit Commission" we can get a mid-day round trip running within a couple weeks.) For the Maritime Days (I'm involved, if you haven't figured it out): Take the SMART bus to 23/Gratiot and pick up the M-29 Blue Water bus at 8:06 a.m. arriving in Marine City at 9:15. The festival is on the water, about eight blocks south of the bus stop, a ten minute walk or a two minute bike ride. Blue Water Transit accepts the SMART transfers. At 5:15 p.m., take the Blue Water bus back to 23/Gratiot, fare only 75 cents, and SMART will accept the (free) transfer. That's a round trip from anywhere in the metro for $2.50! Try that in your Hummer  If you don't want to leave so soon, or if you'd like to come in the evening, spend the night in Marine City or Sombra (there are bed-and-breakfast facilities) or camp at Algonac State Park 8 miles south, and take the bus back the next morning (leaves Marine City at 7:55 a.m. and Algonac State Park at 8:05 a.m., arriving 23/Gratiot at 9:00 a.m.) This new service (since January '08) comes from improved transit service called for in the St. Clair County Transportation Study of 2005 (the Prof participated) and was made possible by a FTA reverse-commute grant and through the work of the Blue Water Area Transit Commission in cooperation with SMART. Bike your bus! All SMART and BWATC fixed-route buses have bicycle racks. Call (810) 987-7373 to confirm bike rack availability for the 23/Gratiot buses. Go to www.visitmarinecity.com to get the Blue Water M-29 timetable for weekday visits to Marine City from anywhere in metro Detroit | ||
Jhartmich Member Username: Jhartmich Post Number: 115 Registered: 04-2006 |
I waited for YEARS for public transportation to Port Huron. That was the one missing link. It is now possible to go from the airport to Port Huron for $2.50! Awesome! That is 60+ miles! I have used the service many times. I hope they add more buses. I know many people that would use it but the limited times are restrictive. However, it's a start and I love it! | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 1275 Registered: 12-2006 |
Glad you like it Jhart. That's 78 miles according to Google Maps. Actually more, because you can start your trip as far north as Birchwood Mall in Fort Gratiot Township. | ||
Ro_resident Member Username: Ro_resident Post Number: 314 Registered: 11-2003 |
If you are interested in routes and times once you are in the Port Huron area: http://www.bwbus.com/ | ||
Ladyinabag Member Username: Ladyinabag Post Number: 593 Registered: 03-2007 |
My grandmother lived in Port Huron and I would take The Greyhound Bus to get there from here. It's nice to know that after all of these years you can get up there by bus again. For a long time you couldn't. | ||
Spacemonkey Member Username: Spacemonkey Post Number: 569 Registered: 03-2006 |
Port Urine | ||
Rocknrollscientist Member Username: Rocknrollscientist Post Number: 131 Registered: 05-2005 |
Interesting. I grew up in Marysville, and used to ride the SEMTA buses in Port Huron on occasion. I always wondered why there wasn't a mass transit bus that went to Detroit. I suppose this is further acknowledgment that St. Clair County's suburban sprawl is indeed a suburb of Detroit. Or an extension of the megalopolis? Help me out urban studies peoples. Does southeastern Michigan qualify as a megalopolis? | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 884 Registered: 08-2006 |
Port Huron has a decent little bus system up there. I am impressed at their coverage, maps and accessibility is great compared to metro Detroits. and the Port Huron area is MUCH smaller than metro Detroit. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1625 Registered: 04-2006 |
A megalopolis is two or more core cities connected by continuous development. One could argue that it is or isn't. I would doubt it would be worth the effort. Several years back the BWATC broke away from the SMART/SEMTA family. LETC operates out of Monroe and is still part of SMART. BWATC is one of the more progressive transit agencies in the State. They were the first to equip their busses with bike racks, coordinated with the health and human service organizations to become the primary provider of paratransit, and have converted nearly all of their fleet to clean burning Compressed Natural Gas. BWATC has built a world class bus garage/CNG fueling station. Marysville does not participate in the millage to fund the system so the bus lines do not go into or stop in the City even though it is contiguous with Port Huron. (Message edited by Detroitplanner on May 12, 2008) | ||
Rocknrollscientist Member Username: Rocknrollscientist Post Number: 132 Registered: 05-2005 |
Understandable concerning the definition of megalopolis. I'm surprised that anything in the Port Huron area could be considered progressive. The lack of progression is why I left as soon as I could in '97. I didn't realize they were so progressive concerning mass transit. Thanks for the info, Detroitplanner! |
