Advancing Rural Mobility Program

Benzie bus on a flat landscape by the water

Improving access to public transit
in Michigan’s rural communities

A map of northern Michigan showing public transit service areas by county. Each county is outlined, with the counties that have rural transit providers shaded in light purple. The map labels the following transit agencies within their corresponding service areas: Straits Regional Ride in the northernmost counties (Cheboygan, Emmet, and Presque Isle); Charlevoix County Transit; Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority; Benzie Transportation Authority; Manistee County Transportation Inc.; Yates Dial-A-Ride in Lake County; Roscommon County Transportation Authority; Kalkaska Public Transit Authority; Crawford County Dial-a-Ride; Ogemaw County Public Transit; Iosco Transit Corporation; Thunder Bay Transportation Authority in Alpena County; Arenac Public Transit Authority; Gladwin Transit Authority; and Clare County Transit Corporation. Lake Michigan appears on the left and Lake Huron on the right. A north arrow is in the bottom-left corner.

Program Overview

In rural communities, public transit provides a critical lifeline, but knowing what services are available can be challenging. The Advancing Rural Mobility Program seeks to improve transit trip planning in rural areas and provide access to static and real-time transit information to passengers.

The program received a federal Stage 1 Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant. For the program’s pilot phase, MDOT’s Office of Passenger Transportation (OPT) partnered with four transit agencies: Benzie Transportation Authority (also known as Benzie Bus), Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority (also known as WexExpress), Charlevoix County Transit, and Roscommon County Transportation Authority. MDOT is using state funding and pursuing additional federal funding to expand the project’s reach and impact.

Learn More

September 2024

MDOT Launches Advancing Rural Mobility Trip Planner to Enhance Transportation Access in Rural Areas

Fast Facts:

  • The Advancing Rural Mobility pilot project has launched a new online trip planning tool for four rural public transit agencies and their riders.
  • The project is funded through a United States Department of Transportation SMART grant.
  • Participating public transit agencies include Benzie Bus, Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority, Charlevoix County Transit, and Roscommon County Transportation Authority.

The Advancing Rural Mobility project’s trip planner tool aims to enhance transportation access and efficiencies in rural areas. To meet the unique needs of Michigan’s rural communities, the trip planner utilizes partner transit agencies’ service data to display possible trip-planning options. Transit riders will benefit from increased awareness of available transportation options, helping improve access to essential services, reduce isolation, and ultimately foster greater connectivity and quality of life.

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AI-Powered Grant Writing – May 21, 2026, 2-3 p.m. EST

Back by popular demand! In February, Stephen Kuban of Kuban Transit Solutions showed us how you can use AI to improve your technology procurements. He’s back this month to tackle grant writing. This Tech Talk shows transit professionals how to use AI tools to strengthen every stage of the grant development process, from researching funding opportunities and drafting compelling needs statements to building data-driven narratives and refining budgets. Participants will see live demonstrations and walk away with practical prompts and workflows they can apply immediately to FTA, state, and local funding applications.

If you’d like to receive an invitation to the Tech Talks, contact Janet Geissler, GeisslerJ1@Michigan.gov

Go to Information Center

Mi Trip Planner

The Advancing Rural Mobility project’s trip planner tool aims to enhance transportation access and efficiencies in rural areas. To meet the unique needs of Michigan’s rural communities, the trip planner utilizes partner transit agencies service data to display possible trip planning options. Transit riders will benefit from increased awareness of available transportation options, helping improve access to essential services, reduce isolation, and ultimately foster greater connectivity and quality of life.

View Trip Planner
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Have the Advancing Rural Mobility Program newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox for up to date news, announcements, program initiatives, and more!

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Newsletter Archives

Read the previous newsletter releases to learn more about previous Advancing Rural Mobility Program milestones and information.

View below for the newsletters consisting of program updates from 2024.

Download April 2024 Issue
Download June 2024 Issue
Download May 2024 Issue
Download September 2024 Issue

View below for the newsletters consisting of program updates from 2026.

Download January 2025 Issue
Download October 2025 Issue

View below for the newsletters consisting of program updates from 2026.

Download January 2026 Issue
Download February 2026 Issue
Download April 2026 Issue

The Advancing Rural Mobility Program is designed to provide access to static and real-time public transit information and address the information gap by using existing and emerging open standard data specifications that work with fixed-route and demand-response services to deliver transit information to rural communities.

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