City Council approves Peoples Express bus pickups at library lot

After a lengthy discussion on the bus services provided by Peoples Express and the need for transporation services in the community, the Belleville City Council unanimously approved the ongoing pickups of passengers at the Belleville Area District Library parking lot which is half owned by the city.
At the Feb. 21 meeting, Joe Gauss of Peoples Express said he lived in Belleville for 12 years before retiring. He said Peoples Express has been in business for more than 20 years. This service is to provide transportation for those who don’t have transportation.
He said early in 2022, the Regional Transportation Authority gave Peoples Express a grant. RTA found there was no real transportation route from Wayne County into Washtenaw County. Once you got into Washtenaw County there were lots of transportation links.
It was discovered many people in the Belleville area go west into Washtenaw County for medical care including at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the University of Michigan.
He said the grant is through 2024 and if the service isn’t used more than it is now, they may cut back to three routes a day or down to three a week.
Gauss showed a map of the route, pointing out that once riders get from Belleville to the Transit Center in Ypsilanti, they have access to all of Washtenaw County’s transporation.
He showed the schedule to the council, pointing out they can go a mile off their regular route to pick up riders. He said riders can go to Meijer or Walmart and be left 90 minutes to shop for a $4 ticket ($2 senior) each way. The same ticket cost takes a rider to the Transit Center. The Reichert Center is a $6 ticket each way ($3 senior).
He said Sumpter Township has supported the project by bringing riders to the library parking lot for pick up.
Gauss said all of the buses are new transits with thoroughly trained drivers holding the proper credentials.
As a get-acquainted offer, all the rides are free through the month of June.
He said the library told them they have to get the word out about the service. He said there was a story in the Independent and he met with SOOAR and gave them literature. He sent letters to the churches in Belleville, he said.
Gauss asked how the city of Belleville could help him get the word out. He said there is a need for this service and if people know about it they will use it.
He said he contacted his old neighbor, now State Rep. Reggie Miller, to seek help in promoting the service.
When asked how young a rider could be, he said 13.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said the city could put a link to the Peoples Express website on its web page, with the schedule included. Flyers also could be distributed at city hall.
People may call (877) 214-6073 to scheduled a ride.
In other business at the regular meeting of the city council on Feb. 21, the council:
• Approved the 22nd Cinnamon’s Father’s Day Car Show at Victory Park on June 18. Steve Cinnamon said about 100 cars usually come and those that come are a “low-key group”;
• Approved goats in Horizon Park, June 8-22, for landscaping maintenance. The total cost of $3,995 will be split by the Downtown Development Authority and the city. Mayor Pro Tem Ken Voigt said he doesn’t see doing it earlier than August. He said they had it done the third week in August last year, now it will have all summer to grow. He was told the early date was to make sure all was clear for view of the lake for Lakefest and the BYC’s motorboat races;
• Approved the rezoning/zoning map amendment of 515 Sumpter Rd. from IP (industrial) to RM (multiple dwelling) as recommended by the planning commission;
• Approved having Hennessey engineers perform the Water Reliability Study at a cost of $20,000, as required by the state. Approval of the Hennessey firm was postponed from the previous meeting to make sure the city didn’t have to go out for bids. Building Official Rick Rutherford said Hennessey has assisted the city with water reports for an amount of time and already has background data for the study;
• Approved the Master Plan/Recreation Plan to be done by Giffels Webster planning consultants at a flat cost of $6,500, as recommended by Projects Administrator Steve Jones, who said the firm had done it before. The project will take 4-6 weeks. “Their work has been top-notch,” said Mayor Pro Tem Voigt. The plan has to be in place by next February so they city can be eligible for grants;
• Approved accounts payable of $963,778.44 and the following departmental expenditures more than $500: to the City of Livonia, $1,500 for annual membership fee for the Western Wayne Co. Mobile Field Force; to Comfort Inn & Suites, Mt. Pleasant, $532 for March 19-24 lodging for the clerk’s institute; to Crawford Door, $1,296.50 to repair the garage door for the police department (broken door spring); to EGLE, $2,000 for renewal of MS4 permit; to JVV2 Fire Consultants, $4,215, grant writing for five grants; to Michigan Municipal Clerk’s Institute, $650 for clerk’s institute/certification class; to R&R Fire Truck Repair, $891.98 for air analysis and repair; and to Wayne Co. Land Bank, $799.90, disbursement of tax reverted property tax, 180 Clarence St.;
• Heard City Manager Robinson report that the planning commission will hold a public hearing on the revised marijuana ordinance at its March 9 meeting. On March 20, he said he would introduce a new general marijuana ordinance to the council and on April 3 the council will vote on both ordinances;
• Heard Robinson say the boat race on Saturday, June 24, during Lakefest is being sponsored by the BYC. Some of the things affect Van Buren Township and the city and Wayne County (the bridge), plus approval is needed from the DNR. BYC is taking care of all of it, plus coordinating the closing and reopening of the lake with Van Buren Township for the race. He said they will be thunder boats from the Detroit River;
• Heard Voigt compliment Van Buren Township for the proactive way it handled the Denton Road Bridge closing. He said he thinks the holdup will be at the state level. “The township really grabbed the bull by the horns,” Voigt said;
• Heard Voigt also point out the mayor’s son Carson was on the Belleville High School team that won a state bowling title;
• Heard Mayor Kerreen Conley say the city met with the county on Monday about the bridge and the county’s first priority is to fix the traffic lights at N. Liberty and High Street and it is working on the traffic signs;
• Heard Mayor Conley suggest everyone take a ride on the Peoples Express to check it out, reminding them it’s free. Voigt added, “If they don’t get more funding by the end of 2024, it goes away and we’re back to square one”; and
• Heard Fire Captain Chris Zweng report the fire department is announcing its CPR/First Aid/AED class for anyone in the city of Belleville, Van Buren Township, and Sumpter Township. A link will be available on the city’s website for sign up. All classes will be at the fire hall at the corner of Second and N. Liberty streets. Someone asked them to look into a Stop the Bleed class as well and they said they are looking into it.